This year I’ve been slowly incorporating more fun, joy, and creativity into my every day moments. I’ve romanticized and softened some of my now favorite rituals every morning and every evening. Added more string lights throughout my apartment for low mood lighting (NO BIG LIGHTS). I light the intricately scented candles when I know I’m going to be home for a good chunk of time. And I buy myself a fresh bouquet of flowers every month, to name a few.

One of my biggest life goals is that my life needs to feel good to ME, and “good” is going to feel just a little bit different every day. It doesn’t matter what standard paths I steer away from, if my friends are “further along” than me, or if I’ve reached those societal milestones that we’re “supposed to reach” by the time I turn 30, 35, and so on. I’ve reflected on so many aspects of life throughout my twenties and more often lately is my wardrobe, my personal style. I’m feeling a little bit not so “good” in how I show up when I’m not in my work uniforms, getting ready to play some volleyball, or simply running around town checking off errands. 

I’ve noticed that I’m feeling more disconnected from who I am by what I choose to wear on the daily. I think that even with the slightest changes and more intention behind what I choose to wear will allow me to feel more confident, show up as 100% myself, and glow a little bit more from the inside out. How we dress is a form of self expression and I want to be more intentional about how I show up for myself and FEEL when I’m out and about. 

Current Wardrobe

As some of my close people know, I work A LOT. Multiple part-time serving and bartending jobs and even picking up random hours within those employers on top of that. In the service industry I’m constantly cycling through the standard uniforms- logo-ed polos, black button up shirts, black pants, non-slip shoes, khakis and matching employee shirts. There’s not a whole lot of flexibility for self expression in this industry other than accessorizing (but also not too much to keep the look professional too). This definitely minimizes decision fatigue in getting ready every day which is nice. 

When I’m not working I’m usually lounging around in athletic shorts and t-shirts, and if I’m feeling colder, I’ll bundle up with some sweat pants, a crew neck, and some chunky socks. I’m working with what I have after all the years of being in the hospitality industry and being an athlete for most of my life too. 

I was recently scrolling through my Instagram posts and noticed that when I meet up with friends or visit with family or really do anything outside of my home or work, I’m usually cycling through a handful of my nicer basic tees, quarter zips, an occasional sweater, and jeans or shorts, but I’m not really styling any outfits that I LOVE and more importantly FEEL GOOD IN. They’re repeat outfits that I know I feel comfortable in, my safe and easy go-to outfits.  

My DREAM Closet

On to the FUN and CREATIVE part–

I LOVE thinking and dreaming about what my closet would look like if I were to go on a shopping spree and fill it with all of the things I love and bring me joy. My Wardrobe Pinterest Board can give a prettttttty good idea of what would be in my bags when I got home, and it’s broken down into separate boards too for easy scrolling when I’m needing some inspiration. (; 

To describe my Pinterest board (my dream closet), I would say colorful, floral, eclectic, and whimsy are a few ways to describe it. I’m not sure what to ACTUALLY categorize my style as yet, (and it might be a few stereotypical ones mixed together) but those descriptors all seem fitting. Some of the main category boards that I’ve created within the main Wardrobe board are tops, bottoms, dresses, jackets, accessories, shoes and outfit inspo, with a few other minor ones sprinkled in there too. 

*Disclaimer: I do not own any of the images below. They belong to the original “poster” from Pinterest, or whoever the original owners are. I have included links to each pin on my wardrobe boards for easy accessibility to whoever initially posted the images before I found them.

Tops

Think COLORFUL graphic tees, varieties of patterned blouses and sweaters, cozy henleys and crew necks and knitted sweaters. Keywords here- COLOR, PATTERNS, and FLORALS. Not just solely the bland neutral colors like navy, reds, nudes, etc.

Bottoms

There are patterned pants, solid colored pants, calf length skirts, just above the knee skirts, patterned skirts, modest length shorts, but STILL FUN and great for mixing and matching with different tops. 

Dresses

A lot of the dresses I have saved are a VERY similar vibe- Flowy and floral, mostly pastel colors (think summer time). Most of them are usually more reserved with the neckline and generally have some type of sleeve to them too. I’m also a tall girl, so nothing shorter than knee length or just above the knee.

Shoes

I struggle with shoes a LOT. I wish I had more of a variety of my own to choose from. Generally I’m rotating between off brand Birkenstocks in the summer, a single pair of tennis shoes, or Hey Dudes.

I would love to get to a point where I can choose to dress up or down specific outfits with a cute little one-inch block heel, a more closed toed casual shoe, or a variety of sandals / strappy shoes in the summer. Winter time would be great to have a handful of options that keep my toes AND ANKLES warm but also be stylish too.

Accessories

Lastly, dainty floral jewelry have a chokehold on me, lacy or chunky socks, pastel and floral headscarves and chunky scarves are another addition I would like to add, especially for some seasonal looks. 

I want to walk into wherever I’m headed and have people’s thoughts be “That’s so Erika!”, not that anyone’s opinions or what they think matter too much, BUT I want to feel alive and free and open when I show up for a gathering or celebration, or a simple girls night out on the town. I want to FEEL more like me. I want my struggle of “not knowing what to wear” to be because I have sooo many great and fitting options that it’s difficult to choose just one, and not come from a feeling of lacking options. 

Bringing the Closet to Life!

Its going to take time, grace, patience, and honesty with what I’m actually going to wear after I bring it all home and hang it up in my closet. There have been a lot of instances where I’ll think something is SOO cute in the store, but never end up wearing it. Maybe that’s because I’m not confident in styling specific pieces, or it always feels like it’s missing something when I do try it on, and MAYBE I just also don’t feel good in it too. I want to avoid trending fashion and follow what I feel called to wear, what feels good to be in, and pieces that I am actually comfortable in for long periods of time.