16 Outfits for June 2018

Whew! It's been a full day of sorting through and editing this outfit spread, as there was lots to feature this month. June's sampler was packed with tops (for reasons I'll explain further on), which of course meant taking more photos to feature them properly. The summer foliage on the tree outside our apartment means natural lighting is more difficult to come by these days. And of course the infamous humidity is starting to creep in as well. Needless to say I'm a little nervous for my July & August shoots! Good thing ballet taught me how to smile through a whole lot of sweat.

Can I get personal for a moment? This season has been somewhat of a turning point for me in my attitude toward the future. I'm finally coming head to head with some thought patterns that have been present my whole life but which have never served me. I'm doing a lot of thinking about where I've come from and where I'd like to go from here. Particularly, I'm willing myself to let the past remain in the past; to finally let myself move forward from habits, expectations, relationships, and dreams which no longer resonate or bring joy to my life. I'm doing my best to siphon the good memories and avoid tossing the baby with the bathwater, but as someone with a truly sentimental soul, who's always been guilty of nostalgia, I'm realizing it's better for me to focus on what's ahead, rather than obsessing over the lessons left behind. Most of all, I'm hopeful that things like exercise, mental health, and goal-setting are going to reclaim their seats as my shotgun navigators. In the past three years, I feel like I've taken one detour after another, exploring to my heart's content and letting my whims take the wheel -- but now I'm ready to merge back onto the freeway and make some serious mileage.

What does any of that have to do with my wardrobe? Why, getting out of my comfort zone, bien sur! Personal style is an excellent way to experiment with your own boundaries. While they feel like extensions of my soul now, some past examples of such tests exist in the peach babydoll dress (Am I this girly?), the white crop tee (Do I need a toned stomach?), and my beloved vintage denim cut-offs (Is a mom jean too "mom" if it actually belonged to your mom?) These pieces were obviously worth branching out for, as they're all still here, being paraded across my blog. It's so satisfying to try something you're not sure about and wind up feeling really great in it. So give yourself the permission to shake things up every once in a while. Especially when something calls to you in a thrift shop, where there's usually little monetary risk involved.

I've also made a point to embrace those aspects of my body I don't typically feel comfortable displaying. Crop tops, high-waisted jeans, short shorts, and even flat shoes all pose potential problems on my short figure, but I'm training myself to ignore such style scripture. You may be struggling with your own personal hang-ups, but if there's one thing I've learned about personal style, it's that you can (and should!) dictate your own rules. So long as you feel comfortable, who really gives a damn? I care A WHOLE LOT about my wardrobe, but we should all remember: at the end of the day, it's just fabric!

All in all, I only increased my item count slightly this month from the last, but I have two good reasons for it:

1. Adventures in Subway-ing. While I'll happily lay around the apartment in a camisole and boxers, I naturally want to look more presentable for my commute. Getting to and from work means about 30 mins of walking in the sunshine / summer-storm / sticky evening air, waiting 5-15 mins in the sultry subway, and at least 1.5 hours on the train itself -- the interior of which can range anywhere from refrigerator-esque to hot-yoga humid, pending on the AC situation. While my workwear requirements remain fairly consistent through the seasons, those to-and-fro 'fits have to be adaptable. Hence the variety of outerwear and sleeve lengths in this month's casual stock.
2. More Laundry, More Problems. It doesn't take a genius to figure out wearing two tops per work day translates to an increase in laundry, one way or another. Since I'm far more interested in having additional outfits than doing additional chores, I chose to balance my wardrobe accordingly and schlep larger loads on my usual laundry days.

While my ice-cold winter heart will always be faithful to the cold seasons, I have to say I'm melting a bit toward enjoying warm-weather dressing. In all fairness, NYC hasn't reached its full heatwave potential just yet, so take that admission with a grain of salt. For now, there's a certain element of fun in trying to anticipate what the day will call for -- like whether I can get away with long sleeves and bare legs. I live for these narrow windows of Goldilocks temperatures!

A lot of you are probably taking trips out of town for the summer. I'm pleased to report this little wardrobe held up perfectly for a family vacation to Colorado. For four days of travel, I managed to fly with just a small backpack and a lunch tote -- probably my most minimalist pack to date! Everything I wore felt comfortable and stylish, I did NOT wear pajamas on the plane, and no money was spent on overpriced airplane food. (Am I radiating enough smugness here??) I'm just rearing to go for next month's challenge: a ten-day trip to the west coast, with three special events to boot! Bring it on, July!