Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Sartorial Musings: Sunday, Plain and Simple

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Simple outfit, mellow day. Mundane afternoon at home. Trumpet vine in bloom. Self-portraiture in the backyard. Evening BBQ with good friends. Sunday, lovely Sunday…

Lately, I’ve been finding the most sartorial joy in the form of simple wearable pieces. You know, still a bit of interest but nothing flashy, the kind that fit just right and sort of let the essence YOU shine through.

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I thrifted these pants at the beginning of summer and they became fast favorites. High enough at the waist to be crop top friendly and just the right length for ankle boots and a fun pair of socks.

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I opened a package from Nicky some months ago to find this lil’ sweater tucked in a pretty bundle of goodies. It definitely fit’s the bill.

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Oversized caramel sweater. Found it in a rummage sale pile Saturday morning. My current go to piece for coziness. It actually got a little bit chilly here over the weekend!

Little sweater: gift from Nicky
Big sweater: thrifted
Pants: thrifted
Boots and belt: flea market
Socks: Target
Butterfly hairclip: gift from Nicole
Painted driftwood necklace: made by Anne

Truth be told, as much as I love a pretty frock and consider putting together fun, perhaps even flashy at times, outfits a favorite creative outlet, there is that sense of costumery that lingers for me. It feels creative as in I’m creating an image that stands out more than my natural self might. I guess that’s why it’s so fun though, right? The promise of becoming that image for a time. Like dressing for success, I suppose.

Though in reality, the sort of outfit in which I feel truly comfortable, most like myself, is of a simpler nature. Nope, not a frilly frock girl at my core, and those of you who know me, know that I am not, generally speaking, what one might think of as a flashy soul. Giant red rabbit wrangling aside, of course ;)

So, what do you feel most natural in? Care to share any thoughts on your own sartorial comfort zone? I’m kinda curious, and it occurs to me that for people who are perhaps bold by nature, the act of “dressing up” may even make them feel more true to who they are.

Also, I don’t mean to imply that getting dolled up necessarily makes me feel un-comfortable. It does however, add to how conscious I am of myself, and while that may even feel nice at times, I do enjoy being able to just let it go, ya know?

14 comments:

Andrea said...

Yay! A long overdue outfit post, so fun! Last winter I really fell in love with my comfy oversized 90s sweaters (I like to call them my Maggie O'Connell sweaters- a la Northern Exposure). Something about them just conjures up cozy winter days.

Elizabeth Carrington said...

These pictures make me want to draw. So lovely!

I completely and wholely understand this post. I am at this moment wearing a blue sweater to my knees, covering and keeping me as cozy. Some days I feel so in need of a dress, a brightness or a simplicity, I think it most certainly follows my moods. Often and its interesting, when I am going to anything really arty, or hosting something artful, I often wear black, I think its so I can be neutral with the art around me.
This summer though I have loved white.
x

Milla said...

This is so interesting to me right now. I've always been a flashy dresser, even costume-y (and the crowd goes "Really?!!!?") and honestly I feel uncomfortable in less dressy outfits. I have to say one of the things I've always admired about your style is how you can wear really interesting things and still not look over-dressed. Personally, I can tell I look over-dressed a lot. Lately, I feel like I've simplified my style a little bit, though at the same time I"m also really into clashing patterns and the like. I don't know. I love to dress up but also want to be comfortable.

You look adorable of course, these portraits are really cool.

Nicky said...

I love this outfit!! Very comfortable and natural feeling- and I'm on the hunt for some cute cords- have been for a lil while now! You put the perfect! outfit together with the cute socks peeping out, boots, tall waisted pants and shirt to the waist (cute shirt by the way!- hehe).

There are clothes I certainly feel like "me" in and those I don't. A good pair of yoga pants does my soul good, but mostly anything that fits the way it should and is not too constricting (like the dress I'm wearing right now for example. Cute. Simple. Belt around the waist but the waist is a little too high for my natural waist- so theres a tad bit of discomfort and the belts cuttin in a little! HA- that's why hubby and I are taking 2-3 mile walks every morning now- enoughs enough!).

Thank you for the sweet compliment on my note to Heather- very kind of you :D

Happy Tuesday Lady- wishing you comfyness in your clothes today ;)

flaming hag folkwear said...

you look so beautiful and relaxed :) i love those pants, the cut and length on you with those boots!

i think blogging my outfits has helped me refine my closet in recent years. i have always dressed for my amusement, not caring what others thought and not wanting their attention (pretty silly when one dresses like i have been known to do, haha). seeing myself from the outside on the computer screen has given me a better idea of what styles i really like on me. so that while my eye is still drawn to all sorts of madness, i have begun choosing pieces that i will be most comfortable in inside and out (but are still totally mad, as evidenced by my outfit posts!).

i'm not sure what that all says about me. when i worked in an office under fluorescent lights, i crafted art and small sculptures out of trash and office supplies. i think i need some sort of artistic outlet at all times--maybe many days dressing fits that bill.

lately for me, cotton dresses and jumpsuits are go-to pieces because they are easy and i can pile on jewelry and accessories. and one can never ever have too many chambray shirts, either. hey, that doesn't sound so mad :)

xo

bonfire of my vanity said...

i'm just the same. my childhood and teenage tomboy dies hard. i feel myself in jeans and simple peasant tops. i love dresses and extras but i just never feel as comfortable as i do in jeans.

moonshinejunkyard said...

oooh, you look so beautiful and natural. it's so true, you are seriously profesh at crafting the PERFECT outfit. and i love how you know yourself so well, and can go either way, a little flashy for those special days/moments, and totally softly understated for your normal fluid missa rhythms.

i am definitely most myself in dresses. preferably calico, knee length, fitted waist, wide skirt. but that's also when i have my "myself" body. no nipped waists for a while i'm afraid! right now as a new nursing mama i am definitely struggling finding outfits i feel "myself" in while still being able to protect and offer my breasts as needed. it is a whole new world! i actually want to do a post on it, and perhaps solicit advice, because i'm finding dressing for breastfeeding much more challenging than dressing for pregnancy.

those trumpet flowers are GORGEOUS! we have a few here and i love to see the hummingbirds drop in for a suckle.

anne said...

i love this post missa! and your simple but super stylish outfit is perfect! every detail is just right.

i am most comfortable in many things. i suppose it mainly depends on my mood but jeans and a top or a floral dress or a calico skirt and blouse i feel great in all of them. ever since i can remember i wanted to look different, not necessarily stand out but...maybe unique is a better word. even when i had to wear a uniform (for 12 years) i still found a way to make it mine, usually with my shoes :D i think that's why i've always loved thrifting because i knew no one else was going to show up in the same thing i had on.

fun post! you always look awesome missa! and your outfits are always inspiring :D

Alexa said...

I remain too self conscious to really get dolled up; it's something that I'm trying to get over, with no success.

I love the elemental simplicity here. Has me feeling fall.

Lauren Knight said...

I do love your outfit (simple is best, in my opinion) but what really strikes me is your hair! Oh, it is so awesome. Sigh. Hair envy.

And such an interesting question. I feel the most true to myself when I get "dressed," meaning, I put effort and thought into what I am wearing. Usually this ends up being a skirt or dress, but not always. And I feel least like myself when I am in workout clothes, strangely! (even though I do enjoy working out) Who knows!

mmgood said...

aw, you are so lovely. the self portraits really capture your grace, which is what i always see, regardless of the flashiness of the outfit. when you do simple, it does provide a good canvas for your beauty, both outer, and also the inner glow. your eyes are so intense in the closer shot of you, i almost feel startled! beautiful.

i like your curiosity around comfort zones and natural style. i def am in process around that question, since having a baby changed my body in a way where my formal (and more natural) style no longer works. prior to pregnancy, i was very androgynous, usually wearing pants, boots, hip belts and tight fitting tanks that worked when i had a flat stomach and itty bitty titties. fast forward to post baby and a body that blew out at all angles. so i've gone the frock route the last few years, which lately i'm feeling looked kinda like old mother hubbard after a bender. i feel impatient with this style now, and am cultivating something else...and i need to start by finding pants that fit since i only have one pair! ;) i do feel totally uncomfortable however, if i do dress too plainly. i can't go without accessories, earrings and a necklace. i could never be comfortable in the standard suburban gap outfit. i think the important piece is if i feel inspired when i look at myself. not for anyone else, but if my creativity got involved with my apparel, it's a good day. :)

Mrs. Habit said...

your outfit posts are always my favorite. Because they always look natural and you always look great. I love anything you put together, no matter how fancy or stripped. The older I get the less "stuff" I like in my dress. I like very plain pieces and nice (semi) flashy accents, so I adore this getup.

And yah, I'm obsessed with the boots.

The Frilling said...

Love this look! I love dresses but feel awkward wearing them...

Tera said...

Sweaters in August? Only out of TX! Looking great!!!!