Boho Chic

 

You know when you see someone and you're like, "I totally want to look like her"? Not, necessarily like, be her twin or whatever, but you see someone and they always just look, put together? Or not just one person but you see people, and they're dressed. In actual outfits. Not just leggings and hoodies, or whatever mishmash came off the floor in a rush to do whatever errand had to be done. They're doing errands too, or just dropping kids off at school, and they aren't necessarily dressed UP, but they have a look. Somehow, they look like they curated their look vs playing eenie meenie miney moe with their eyes closed. They also don't look like they're always possibly headed to a gym, but not.

For example, the mom of the kids E babysits for. She has that look. If you asked her, she'd shoo you away and say you're crazy, this old thing, she just threw it together. But she never LOOKS LIKE SHE MEANS THAT. She doesn't look like she spent hours thinking about it, at all, but she never looks like a slob. What she looks like, is someone who literally walked off the pages of the Free People catalog. I'll get a picture with her permission sometime. You'll see what I mean.

Now, that Free People boho chic may not be your taste, or even mine. I don't know know if that is my style. I look at it and I like it, but I also feel like you have to have a certain body type to carry it off, like anything else. I don't have a style. That's the point. B did see glittery, platform, sort of ridiculous, Alexander McQueen sneakers the other night in the mall, that he had no idea were probably around $700, and said, in mock horror, "You're going to be wearing those when we're eighty and at the 4:30 dinner special, aren't you?". And I can't say that he's totally wrong. I mean, I won't be wearing $700 sneakers, ever. I may be wearing some brand of glittery platforms though. I know I have the potential for that style. The more glitter, the better. That's my motto. That's probably also a Leo thing.

 

In my mind, I'm a style covet-er. I see styles and I want to inhabit them. I just can't see that they're all wrong for me until I'm knee deep in receipts for stuff I should've never purchased in the first place. Then I'm yelling at myself because I should know better. 

This is also why I sell on Poshmark. Because over the years, I see someone like Kara, the mom of the kids E babysits for, and I'm like, "ooh, that's such a cool look". I buy stuff that looks similar, and it's all wrong for me. Or, remember when scarves were a big thing in the early 2000's. Everyone was wearing scarves. I was working in NYC on Park Ave then. I thought I would get in on that scarf thing. Guess what? Scarves are f'ing itchy. All of them. Bulky. Just a giant pain. I would see a tall gazelle-like woman wearing a pea coat, scarf, tall boots. Picture Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. Or...Gisele Bundchen. Except I'm not them. I don't have a sleek, chic, sophisticated bun. I have a messy Jew-fro where I can't tame the sides and look like I haven't washed it in a week. And maybe I haven't. #dontjudge 

 

 

Then, I end up having a closet full of ridiculous things, or not ridiculous things, but things that look ridiculous on me. I saw my friend Julie wearing the cutest James Perse jumpsuit with low top Converse sneakers. She looked adorable. I get a similar jumpsuit and look like a baby elephant. I'm not saying I'm even huge or anything. It's just that I can't seem to see the difference between appreciating these looks on someone else and realizing before buying they aren't for me. If I could, I'd be saving a lot of money and disappointment. 

Hats- same thing. Kara comes into the pool with her big floppy hat. Adorable. My friend Alex has a cool Fedora type hat to shield her from the sun on the beach. Jen- I'm pretty sure she likes a snazzy visor. I got a hat. Well. Lets just say, I tried to drive with it on. When you're not used to a wide brim floppy hat, you SHOULD NOT DRIVE WITH IT ON. I'm lucky I didn't kill anyone. I turned my head, the hat fell over my eyes and it was mayhem. Driving with no eyes is not recommended. Also, like the scarves- the hats are hot. Head = sweaty. Not good! It doesn't feel natural! Hats are bullshit! 

You'd think by my late forties I'd know what looks good and just stick to that. I just can't seem to have style envy though. I still have the will and desire to try things out that I know are going to go right to my for sale pile. I guess I should just be thankful I have an avenue to recoup my losses. 

For the record, now that I'm not physically going into a place of business daily, I think my style coveting days may really be over. I'm still never going to own anything beige. There's going to be color and fun in my everyday look. I just bought a bunch of sweatshirts at PINK with matching leggings. THAT, my friends, might be the style I've settled into for my middle age years.