Fashion Forward

So, my blog has been VERY child-centered lately, which means I'm actually documenting the kids' lives, but I'm thinking it makes for pretty dull reading for everyone else. Here's an attempt at something a little more entertaining:

My friend, Sylvia occasionally posts cute outfits she's wearing on her blog and did a great post on all the fashion blogs she looks at to get ideas.

"Fashion blogs?"I'm thinking. People go and take pictures of what they're wearing every day? Well, I don't have the chutzpah nor the good taste to do that, but I was intrigued. My mom uniforms of t-shirts or polo shirts with jeans gets a little old. So with some guidance from Sylvia's links, I've been exploring these blogs and actually having quite a bit of fun.

This woman writes my favorite fashion blog, Simple Elegance. Whenever I'm on someone's blog, I make a comment, just so they know I'm there. But, I haven't been brave enough to do that on her blog yet because I think she's just that cool.

I LOVE this website! Diana is on a budget yet still manages to always look cute and create color combinations that I never would have thought of and has taught me the novel concept that if I want to dress well, I have to think about the clothes in my closet and try to put them together in new ways. (Stacy and Clinton have been telling me the same thing for years, too, but I don't listen because then, they'll have me on their show and we'll become BFF's and I'll get a whole new wardrobe for free!)
I really like Goober's site (though I'm not crazy about the name :) ), too. Again, someone who has reminded me that there are probably lots more outfits in my closet if I just take the time to figure out different combinations.

It's a little embarrassing to realize that I know that writing takes work, piano playing takes work, cooking takes work, but I guess I always thought that fashion was effortless to those blessed with a good eye and a generous clothing allowance.





I love Academic Chic, too, but maybe that's just because I like to pretend like I'm an academic. There's a few different ladies who blog here. It's fun to see their different tastes and ideas.









Then, there's Cardigan Empire, the first fashion blog I came across. This blog has such excellent writing and introduces me to styles and combinations I never would have though of. And, who else can make me feel happy about my body shape?

And, I love Deals for the Short and Curvy. Bianca likes all the stores I like, and then, she takes the time to track down coupons, post notifications about sales, and find new stores to try. This is just great! It's like having a personal shopper who keeps bringing different options and coupons and doesn't care that I never actually buy anything.

I'll confess that I was a bit reticent to look at these fashion blogs, thinking that they'd make me want to spend more money on clothes. It also felt like it would be decadent and selfish to spend a lot of time thinking about the way I look.

But, I've found that these blogs have taught me all sorts of important lessons. They've helped me be more comfortable in my own body--I love that there's all different sizes and shapes on these blogs, create more choices in my closet by showing me ways to make new combinations, and to help me spend my limited clothing allowance on smarter purchases. At this rate, they may get me to try a thrift shop or two!