My last post was all about the updated numbers for my capsule wardrobe, there hasn't been too much numerical change but the pieces I'm loving and wearing have changed a bit. I'm realizing more and more that certain outfits or even items in my wardrobe can change my mood. I am still just as sneaker obsessed as I was when I started this blog, I'm loving wide leg trousers more than ever before, I love showing quite a bit of ankle (I am now getting into white ankle socks that are visible between my pants and shoes, not quite MJ but on its way there) I have found myself wearing more color (not to say its every day but it's been happening) I am still very much a uniform wearer, and that stretches to more formal or going out outfits.
If I am getting dressed up (like dressed dressed up) to go almost anywhere, these days I'll be in a turtleneck, wide leg pants and sock boots. It's what I feel the most comfortable and confident in, especially if I'm going to be in a social setting for a while. If this wasn't clear; I am an introvert. I can fake it, I can pretend social activity makes me happy or 'charged' it does Not. I have social anxiety but it definitely isn't the worst. It has rarely ever stopped from doing much of anything, I have figured out how to talk myself in (and sometimes out) of almost anything. Mental coaching techniques have been a huge help for me but sometimes they just don't work. If I spend all day talking to people when I get home I feel WORN OUT. I need to like rest, I need to not speak to anyone for like hours. I also struggle with speaking first thing in the morning, I just don't have the energy to. (please tell me I am not the only one, people will be talking to me at like 7-8am and I can barely bring myself to say more than 4 words, it doesn't matter if I am tired or not)
With my current job, there are times when I have to table at a conference and talk to people about our programs, I'll be there for 6-8 hours just talking. I get home and I swear I could never speak again if it was up to me. I have also discovered that my ability to fake being social or to feel comfortable and 'charged' can vary depending on what I'm wearing. On those days when I know, I have meetings all day long and I'll be running my mouth for hours, I'll make sure I wear something that I know makes me feel good and confident. If I feel really good to start with, I find it easier to speak.
It's almost like music. When you're walking and you hear your favorite song, your mood changes, you sometimes act differently, you might stand taller. You hear a song that makes you think of a certain day or a memory. I joked in my last post that my boss calls my wardrobe a 'time capsule wardrobe' in a way she is right. My clothes hold memories now, in a way they never did before. I put on my Docs and I can remember the first time I put them on in high school, I put on a tee shirt and remember the concert I went to in it. These memories good or bad in turn affect my mood. So now I have pieces in my wardrobe that I know will make me feel a certain way because of the memories they carry. To people who may know me personally in life, hearing that sometimes I struggle with speaking maybe shocking (once I start talking I can keep going) you probably haven't caught me on an off day yet. Give it time, you will.
This outfit, in particular, is a current fave. I am Obsessed with these pants. When I bought them they said they were 'rust' but they are definitely orange and I have absolutely no problem with that. I eyed them up for a while and couldn't get them out of my head (a sign of a good purchase) I bought them before I went to Baltimore and ended up not wearing while I was away but I haven't been able to take the damn things off. They look great with sneakers, they look good with boots, they look good with heels. They just look bomb and they are hella comfy. This has been an outfit that has without fail put me in a great mood. Hence why I can't take them off. Having items of clothing or outfits that hold great memories and make you happy is a great thing; if you are still wearing them. You don't really need to own 37 'feel good' pair of jeans if you aren't wearing 30 of them. I'm hoping to have a capsule wardrobe full of great, lasting items that hold great memories.
What're some ways you try to combat your social anxiety ? And if you aren't there yet tell me what your favorite item of clothing is, and why. Mine right now is my 1975 UGH! t-shirt, it's been through the wringer and it is still super comfortable and I remember the day I got it.
x
-Y
Cardigan - here
T-shirt - here
Culottes - here on sale
Sneakers - here
Mood: Movement - Hoizer
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