BACK TO BASICS // black tee three

This outfit feels very "2010 me."  I wore this skirt all the time in 2010, and the scarf used to be one of my go-to accessories.  I'm not sure if it's quite warm enough for bare legs yet, but it's definitely too warm for tights anymore.  Well, some days, at least.  I can't wait until the evenings are warm and the sun is up till 9pm.  Walks with Dusty during the winter were very much an obligation, as I had no desire to be out in the cold for any length of time, but I've started making our walks linger on as I enjoy the colors of sunset, getting the last warmth out of the day.  There's a house near ours that has ducks and chickens and I love taking Dusty over there to visit her creature friends.  I was thinking about getting chickens or ducks this year, but I think I might wait until next year, or maybe just a couple months so I can devote the time to building a coop and caring for them properly.  I think Dusty would love having some little fowl friends to herd, eh?  

 

top(similar) + skirt(similar) +cardigan + scarf/thrifted :: shoes/minnetonka glasses/courtesy of bonlook :: photos by Dan
The nice thing about a basic black tee is that it's plain enough to pair with some more bold pieces.  I almost forget that I'm wearing a basic tee with this outfit because the rest of it is so much more eclectic and bright.  I've always been drawn to prints instead of solids, but solids are nice to have to set off those louder pieces (even if I tend to want to pair loud pieces with other loud pieces...).  I think I'm getting better at balancing loud pieces with quiet pieces.  Not to say that one way or the other is better.  So many people get stuck on making rules about what's "tasteful" or "chic" and dissing any styles that don't fit into those sophisticated style categories.  But to hell with that.  2010 me liked outfits that were loud and crazy as hell, and that's totally fine.  2014 me likes more mellow outfits and that's fine too.  I don't like to think of one version of my style as better than the other.  Sure I'm growing in my style, but the seed form of a plant isn't any less important than the fully bloomed version.  Without the seed, no flower would even exist and in that way the seed is almost more beautiful. Within the tiny seed is packed everything it needs to grow.  Maybe it'll be a little marigold, maybe it'll be a six foot tall sunflower.  It might even end up as a 200 foot tall cedar.  And in the end some people might find sunflowers more beautiful than cedars anyway.  I think it's a waste of time to feel embarrassed about past style choices.  It would be so ridiculous for a flower to be embarrassed that it used to be a seed.