life's too short for a bad outfit

i've been reading a lot of fashion books, blogs and magazines lately and thinking about my own personal style. i definitely gravitate towards certain things over and over and sometimes feel like i need to be jolted out of my rut. i can't count the amount of green dresses and tops i have, and yellow is another favorite color too. i have a cousin my age who's closet is filled with nothing but red, so i guess to each their own.

the thing is, when i do where a weird color for me, like blue, red, orange, pink or purple, people always compliment me on looking good in those colors. i don't really dress for what looks good on my skin type. I’m not to big on wearing prints either, except for florals. i only own one pink item in my entire wardrobe, and i got it for free, i didn't buy it. i went through a purple faze for a while. but today i bought yet another patterned green dress. i don't know why i couldn't go for the same dress in another color. i also like all black or all white, but not really black and white mixed together. i don't think it really works with my skin tone. i get bored and washed out when i wear grey or tan colored clothing, feeling like i blend in too much with everyone else.

I love feminine pieces. i love flowing, bohemian style dresses, billowy blouses and lacy details. i love wearing skirts and dresses (long and short) way more than wearing pants. i'm not big on designers or labels. I like making more affordable pieces my own. it's not about the clothes to me, it's how you wear them. Debbie Harry took a pillowcase out of a dumpster and made an iconic dress out of it. Shirley Manson bought a cheap $15 dress from a teen store for her ‘stupid girl’ video and everyone begged her to know who designed it. this is what i'm talking about. It’s supposed to look like effortless chic, not like you are trying to hard. In that spirit, the dress I bought to wear on my birthday is short, yellow and brown color blocked (sort of) and cost me $9.99

the only designer who has gotten my attention has been nanette lepour, and i like the clothing line, ‘free people.’ i tend to find myself at small no-name boutiques around the streets where i work, and i take a lot of inspiration from the girls i just see walking in the streets of new york. they often put things together in a way i would've never thought of on my own. and then when i copy their look i seem original :)

i hate it when things get lost in my closet and i forget i have them. i'm trying to be more conscious of shopping for things that i actually need, not just more of the same. like maybe try to stay away from buying more dresses and try other things like belts? or shawls? or shorts? i wish i could win one of those lucky magazine shopping sprees i keep entering. i always feel like, except for a few favorite key pieces, my wardrobe always needs a major overhaul.