30 Day Challenge- Day 1

As I sorted through my closet this past weekend, trying to remember the last time I wore each item I was so excited to pull out this shirt. I bought this shirt a year ago at a local Steve and Barry's. It is from Sarah Jessica Parker's 'Bitten' line, and I just couldn't resist. This statement is one of the main mantra's she uses for her entire clothing line and I couldn't agree more. I was so excited thinking back to the last time I wore it. Last fall Johnny got some last minute tickets to a Santana concert we attended, thanks to his job. The arena wasn't full so that left lots of room for salsa dancing in the aisles. We had a great time, and it seemed like the perfect occasion to bring out my shirt. It has since stayed in hiding a bit. Not because I don't like it, but instead because I like it to much.

I find that people want to talk about my shirt wherever I go. " What does your shirt say?" " What is that supposed to mean?" And I have no problem giving them my side of the story, which is part of the problem. My understanding of these words is simple, you don't have to have a million bucks to look like a million bucks. Enjoying Fashion is not a past time that should be reserved for the rich and famous because fashion in and of itself is not a luxury, it is something everybody can enjoy. Now you have innocently enough asked me one of the two above questions and you have likely spawned an intense conversation. I really feel the truth in the statement and I wear it proudly on my chest, but I have to pick and chose my shirt timing precisely. I try not to wear it places in which I won't have time to talk about it. People put statements on their shirts because they want to make a point, and church, or the doctor's office are just not the right times. Work has always been a maybe time for me. My co-workers don't have quite the same passion for Fashion that I do, and I knew the meaning would be lost on most of them. That almost made this a perfect work wardrobe piece for that reason. A few people asked, but most just acted like they didn't care. I spent all day reminding myself of fashion not being a luxury in my mind every time I glanced down. Suddenly I was enjoying having little fashion debates in my mind. It helped the day go by much faster, and made it much more enjoyable. And it made me think that some of the best pieces, are pieces that aren't saved for special occasions, because every day can be made a special occasion by wearing them.

I decided that if I was going to really jump into this challenge, than I was going to completely jump in, and that included my shoe choices. These are the pumps, that are the version of my black peep toe pumps. I bought these shoes in black, gray and blue a few years ago and have gotten tons of use from them. They are so comfortable and have gotten me through so many meetings, funerals, weddings, dates, and extravaganza's! They also happen to be 'Bitten', a fact I didn't realize until just this moment. In the last month or so my black pair have seen lots of excitement with a number of wedding showers, parties, funerals and weddings in the last few weeks. My gray pair however have been pushed to the way-side and haven't been worn in quite some time. Last fall I pulled them out and wore them out on night to a bar, but they really haven't seen much light since than. I brushed the dust off of them and wore them proudly as my challenge choice for the day.

I think these pieces helped me realize a few things about my closet. Special Occasion items shouldn't be locked away to be worn only during events and parties, but instead worn to make any day a special day. Also, sometimes branching outside of your basic favorites is a good way to spice things up without making any crazy totally random fashion choices. Just thinking outside of the box and into your long list of clothing inventory can help you pull together a great outfit most any time.