Ethical Details (affiliate links): Sweater – thrifted (similar); Jeans – Everlane; Coat – c/o Everlane 2017 (similar); Boots – Po-zu; Earrings – c/o Ten Thousand Villages
Hey! It’s me wearing clothes in my first personal style post of 2019.
It’s hard to take photos in the middle of winter, but the days are getting longer and we get about one not-terrible weather day a week, so it’s doable if I’m proactive. I don’t always feel like being proactive, though, and I’m finding that I’m often happier in my clothing if I scrutinize them a bit less. I still take crappy selfies for my personal Instagram account just because it’s habit, but I’ve been really wanting to make sure that my photography is artful instead of rushed and undertaken in less-than-ideal circumstances.
I know that it’s sort of the thing right now to prefer less finished photos, especially when personal style is the theme, but I just like orderly, uniformly bright, well-saturated photos. I like the challenges of self portraiture and the editing process. I like being able to scroll through my blog and appreciate the way I framed my shots.
That says nothing about how I perceive others who don’t do that; in fact, I love a good mirror selfie. It’s just that this practice is my thing, and perhaps functions as way to control my little corner of the world when things can feel so out of control. I’m not a photo genius, but being able to trace improvement and watch my neighborhood change seasons in the background year after year is reassuring somehow.
But anyways, about the outfit. I look like the spitting image of my mom circa 1981 in this outfit, and I am very into it. The early 80s were a special time before glitz and larger-than-life shoulder pads fully took over. I like the prep-inspired shapes and patterns that are just as suitable for camping as they are for a walk downtown.
Leah Wise is the founder of StyleWise Blog. She has been writing, speaking, and consulting on sustainable fashion, the fair trade and secondhand supply chain, and digital marketing for over ten years. An Episcopal priest, Leah holds a B.A. in Religion from Florida State University and an M.Div. from Yale Divinity School. When not working, you can find her looking for treasures at the thrift store.