My Mood:
When I came home for Christmas this year, my mom asked me if I would go through her closet and help her identify the pieces she should give away or keep. Going through other people’s closets or helping them shop is one of my absolute favorite things to do. As I flipped through the hangers in her closet I smiled, the closet smelled like her. My mom’s closet has clothes spanning at least three decades — she has the tiger print blazer she bought in the 80s (it’s back in style but I still do not think she should wear it), the fur wraps she bought in the 90s (also back in style), and the ugly Christmas sweater she bought last week simply because she has always wanted one (that never goes out of style). As I ran my fingers over each article of clothing, I listened as she told me why she bought the item, what she was doing the last time she wore it and of course, how it made her feel. Even though sweaters, shirts, suits and scarves are simply inanimate objects, it can be hard to get rid of these items because of the emotional response they evoke when worn. So often, these inanimate items are tied to memories – most positive, some negative – that we are not ready to release. But, as I reminded her while placing an item in the donate box, releasing the object and releasing the memory are two different things. She looked at me with a smile, put her arm around me and said “you know I love you, right?”
My style:
While I love designer collaborations, my initial reaction to the Kenzo x H&M collaboration was less than excitement. I realize the tiger print is one of the largest attractions of the line, but I believe that when it comes to pattern mixing, bright colors and tiger print you have to be careful… I respect those that can pull off the look, but I acknowledge a lot of the pieces from that collection were just too much for my petite frame. Nonetheless, I was pleased to score quite a few good finds from the collection including this ribbon dress. This dress is my latest hero piece and my New Years Eve party dress. In case you have never heard the term, a “hero piece” is the main focal point of an outfit; the item that instantly draws your eye. Every outfit needs a hero piece! For this dress, I kept the accessorizing to a minimum by opting simply for my classic studs and then pairing the dress with the thigh high boots I scored from the Balmain x H&M collaboration last year. It took me awhile to decide if I wanted this dress or not, but to me it was truly a piece of art and I could not pass it up. However, be warned, it really is one dress that you have to wear or it will wear you.
