Out of my Comfort Zone

You probably wouldn’t think it looking at the print of this dress and given my history of addiction to florals, but this entire outfit has taken me out of my comfort zone. And I very nearly didn’t include the above picture at all, but Marlen recently wrote an article about why she makes herself wear “unflattering” clothes, and it inspired me to push my personal boundaries.

See, I just had a baby. I have not tried to lose any of that baby weight yet, because it’s only been a month and we’re still establishing things like breast milk supply and nighttime sleeping routines, and pursuing active weight loss really isn’t healthy for me at this moment (mentally or physically!). And I am totally okay with that fact in my head, that I still have the baby belly going and my hips are wider than they ever have been and I’m currently sitting at the number that, four or five years ago, was the heaviest and most ashamed of my weight I had ever been. It’s a season all moms go through, and it’s necessary, and while I’m looking forward to losing those extra pounds I am 100% okay with waiting until it’s a healthy time to do so.

But put me in something that shows off that baby belly and those wider hips, and it’s an entirely different story. I want to hide the belly. I want people to think “she just had a baby? no way!” not ask me “oh, when are you due?” when they see me with newborn socks at the store.

Plus, I tend to avoid high necklines and this particular hairstyle because I think those two things make my face look rounder, my neck look shorter, and my shoulders look wider.

But styling this dress, I remembered Marlen’s article and thought… why not? Why not wear a dress that reveals my baby belly, a hairstyle that might emphasize my round cheeks, a length that could potentially be stumpifying? Why not wear tights and ankle straps even though those things aren’t doing anything to lengthen my legs? Why not challenge the do’s and don’t’s of fashion rules? And more, why not challenge my own comfort zone and just go for it? Because overall, I think this hair works with this dress, and these shoes are fun, somehow this dress length makes me look taller, and these tights pull the colors of the dress.

While I probably won’t be grabbing this cut of dress to wear very often, I think it’s good to challenge my comfort zones once in a while. I think it’s just fine to wear things that I feel comfortable and beautiful in, but it’s also good to wear something I think I can’t pull off because you know what? I might just surprise myself. I might discover that I can wear more cuts than I thought I could, or that I really just don’t care about my belly showing or my hips being emphasized because it’s just who I am, and I’m okay with that. And maybe I don’t care what the rules of fashion are because sometimes you just want to wear what you like, and who cares if that isn’t necessarily flattering? Who made up the rules for flattering anyway? Who says it’s not flattering to have a belly or wider hips… or no curves at all, for that matter?

Who made the rules that you have to have a perfectly proportioned body, that you have to create an hourglass figure, that you can’t be apple shaped or pear shaped or ruler shaped or whatever the heck shape you really are? It’s your body; if you feel good wearing that “unflattering” garment, wear it! If you like the colors and feel fun, wear them! And don’t let anybody tell you differently.

Dress, for sale in my Etsy shop | shoes, Forever 21 (old) | tights, Target | earrings, c/o Rocksbox

And to change subject entirely, these earrings are the second piece Rocksbox sent in my first jewelry box, and they are so gorgeous! I loved the color immediately so these were a piece in my wishlist, and they lived up to my expectations when they arrived! Dangly, colorful, and a little bit costume-jewelry-ish? That is totally my thing.

If you want a few boxes of pretty things in the mail, you can use the code eccentricowlblogxoxo  to get your first month of Rocksbox entirely free! And stay tuned for the last piece from this box!

Happy Thursday!

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