For as long as I can remember, any post-adulting dollars left in my bank account have been used to shop. Because traveling was always too expensive, my stress outlet became bargain shopping. I’m sure you’ve heard of retail therapy? If a store window has a “40% off” sign, chances are you’ll find me rummaging through piles of clearance items.  I mean, I need a break from adulting in some way…

One positive skill gained from bargain hunting is the ability to mix and match both cheap and expensive products. Who says you can’t rock a Target handbag with a BCBG jumpsuit? BTW, I purchased the jumpsuit on sale, thank you very much. Nobody’s got time for paying full price, am I right?

That said, the majority of items initially featured in this blog are things I’ve had for ages in my closet. I will do my best to link the brand names to my post. But really the hope is that my style will only serve as inspiration for finding your own. You don’t have to purchase everything I feature. Chances are you probably already own similar items in your own closet. Maybe you just haven’t figured out how to style it yet. I have many pieces like that inside my closet – items whose initial purchase decision I can’t even remember. Hey we all make mistakes. But the silver lining is that I now have a reason to style the “unstyleable” items in my closet collecting nothing but dust. 

When I first wore this out, I received so many compliments. But due to the anxiety caused by the unexpected attention it attracted, I couldn’t WAIT to get out of this jumpsuit. It also has a front opening in the cleavage area, which made me feel self-conscious about my lack of ‘boobage’. I felt that I was inadequately filling out that part of the jumpsuit. The back is pretty low too so wearing a bra is not the best idea. Notwithstanding insecurities about my chest size, I still managed to wear it. Of course, I felt like a disaster: my bra playing peek-a-boo through the front opening and over the low back. I made a previous vow to never wear this again. 

Well, never say never. As I turn 37 this year, it’s time to do away with all this past negativity. Who said bigger boobs are better than smaller ones? And who said I needed to apply these irrational standards to MY body? Oh right, I did. 

So F it. I wore it this time without a bra and was flat as an ironing board. But it sure beat rearranging my bra every 2 seconds so it would show less through the jumpsuit. And did I forget to mention I rocked it? Once you stop obsessing over what others might think, it’s much easier (and so completely liberating) to acknowledge and focus on my own comfort and well-being. 

How have you overcome your own insecurities about body image when styling?