Palazzo Pants

We don’t know who we are until we see what we can do!

Are you someone that likes to try new style trends or do you like to stick to those that make you feel comfortable?

One of my favorite trends right now is the Palazzo pants trend. I love it because it’s like wearing pants and a skirt at the same time. So for those of you out there that prefer pants – we got you! Or, for those of you out there that prefer to stick to skirts – we got you too!!

I have found such a wide variety in some higher end stores, and those stores that are a little less expensive. The pair I’m wearing in this post I was so excited about because I found them on clearance, and they were such a great deal (am I the only one that loves it when I can tell my husband that I have SAVED us so much money 😉 ? ) – similar pair linked here

I may not have talked about this but my 2nd oldest son is graduating High School this year and we just had his Senior pictures taken. As he was deciding what to wear for the pictures (he is very particular about how he looks, but he kind of got stuck in black and white thinking), he had a really hard time trying to decide on an outfit. He wanted to do two outfits, one more casual and one in church clothes, but for the church clothes he was having a hard time. I had recently bought him a pair of light blue pants, and a vest that was a darker blue color. He wasn’t convinced that the two went together, so was trying to explain to him that a contrast is sometimes even more classic than trying to match too closely. He begrudgingly wore it and the pictures looked really great.

He was having such a hard time because he believed that in order for the outfit to look good, that it had to match completely. I tried to explain that the new rules are that we create our own rules and not everything needs to “match” (it’s actually way more fun to NOT match!)

Speaking of that concept, I had some fun mixing the floral with the pinstripe, but had I been stuck in an older, more traditional way of thinking, I don’t think I would have even tried it.

Here are some ways that I decide my outfits – I have found that when I am unsure about something I seek a little guidance from others that are already doing what I want to try…here are a few of mine, just in case you need a little inspiration:

1. I try things on that at one time I might not have worn together and walking around my bathroom & bedroom a little to see how I feel wearing them. If they make me feel conscious or not great, I decide that the look doesn’t work for me on that day.
2. If I found something and decided not to wear it (as in tip #1) I will try it another day, a sunnier day, a day when I am feeling differently about myself and life, and try it again. I have found that just because I don’t like something on one day, it doesn’t mean I won’t like it EVER…it just means I wasn’t ready for it at that time.
3. I pick out a piece that I love and want to wear and find another piece with a color that is a contrast or compliment to that first piece. For example, Pink and Red are great compliments to each other, and a great way to get bold. The Navy sticking on my pinstripe top ties into the pants because the outline of the pattern is also in Navy.
4. If I am having a day where I am not feeling like being really bold or like trying something new, I will stick to something I know I have worn before and I am comfortable in, and I add a pair of bright shoes (because I can always feel good in bright, sassy shoes).
5. There are days when your audience requires that you are a little more conservative, then pattern mixing become a little more difficult. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t add a statement scarf, necklace or even a pair of tights.

The key is that no matter how you dress, the styles you like and how you are wanting to be remembered, you make sure that YOU feel comfortable. Dressing for yourself is so important because it allows us to take the focus to how we act and what we accomplish rather than how we look.

I believe in starting off the week great – so be the energy that you want to attract! HAPPY MONDAY.