Despite the fact that it's been feeling and looking positively springy here in Tacoma this week, I haven't yet caught the floral/pastel bug that seems to hit once the flowers begin blooming. Feeling a little bit Johnny Cash with this outfit! I wasn't sure if the length would work, I've always felt like calf-length dresses sort of make me look short and stumpy (even though I am, in fact, short), but I actually love this dress! Maybe it's the sheer panels at the bottom, but I almost feel like it makes me look taller. The more I try new styles the more I realize that I've bought into these concepts about what I "can" or "can't" wear based on my height, weight, body type, etc. I steered clear of maxi dresses for years because I always thought they'd make me look super short, but it turns out they're one of my favorite styles to wear.
My mom wasn't into fashion when I was a kid and so neither was I. I had no clue what the latest trends were and my "style" was the last thing on my mind, so I never learned any fashion rules. Once I became interested in my own personal style in my early 20's I started hearing about certain rules I was constantly breaking (don't wear navy and black together, don't mix prints, don't wear black shoes and a brown belt, no white after labor day). In dance they say that you need to learn the techniques and rules before you can break them, but with personal style I don't think that's the case. I remember reading Tavi's blog, Style Rookie back before she started Rookie Mag and I loved how adventurous and crazy she was with her style. She broke every rule in the book, but it was wholly "her" and so it was beautiful. I adore perusing Advanced Style because the older women he shoots couldn't care less about trends or rules. They're to the point in their lives where they wear what they want and what makes them feel awesome, instead of feeling like they have to dress to please other people. It's glorious and fabulous. When it comes to style, I say throw out the rule book. No one should get to tell you how you dress and what makes you feel good.
My mom wasn't into fashion when I was a kid and so neither was I. I had no clue what the latest trends were and my "style" was the last thing on my mind, so I never learned any fashion rules. Once I became interested in my own personal style in my early 20's I started hearing about certain rules I was constantly breaking (don't wear navy and black together, don't mix prints, don't wear black shoes and a brown belt, no white after labor day). In dance they say that you need to learn the techniques and rules before you can break them, but with personal style I don't think that's the case. I remember reading Tavi's blog, Style Rookie back before she started Rookie Mag and I loved how adventurous and crazy she was with her style. She broke every rule in the book, but it was wholly "her" and so it was beautiful. I adore perusing Advanced Style because the older women he shoots couldn't care less about trends or rules. They're to the point in their lives where they wear what they want and what makes them feel awesome, instead of feeling like they have to dress to please other people. It's glorious and fabulous. When it comes to style, I say throw out the rule book. No one should get to tell you how you dress and what makes you feel good.
![This print feels even more relevant today. We all joke about the dumpster fire of [insert year here], but the important message of this image to me is that *we persist* through the horrors. We stand, we fight— maybe for ourselves, maybe for oth](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/574dddd6d51cd4bc35c1609a/1730935170369-03GPKQ5NF73VAE65RHO6/image-asset.jpeg)
