Empress Academia

A blog is more than just a way for me to share outfits, it's a keepsake of sorts.  I look back over the years of my life and see so many changes recorded here: laughter and tears, failures and triumphs, beauty and ashes, and of course, I can see the evolution of my own personal style journey.  I started this blog just as I was starting to discover my style.  

For most of my life I wore, not what I loved, not what looked best on me, but what was easiest and easiest to hide in.  Mostly I did this because I was afraid to look nice because I thought I wasn't pretty enough, special enough, and just generally not worthy of looking good and feeling good about myself.  After all, no one else ever thought I was special or worthy, so why would I think so about myself?  Then something changed.

After my children arrived I spent years pouring myself out in educating them and caring for their every need.  In loving my children I learned what true love is and I began to see the world in a different light.  If I wanted the best for them because I loved them, then didn't the people who loved me feel the same way about me?  If I wanted them to be confident and see how wonderful they were, shouldn't I be modeling confidence and self-worth for them?  Suddenly I had to get serious about my self-talk and turn it all around if to set the right example.

So, after a lifetime of insecurity and negativity, I decided to take as much care of myself as I wanted my children to take care of themselves.  Physical fitness and nutrition, creating a social life, and yes, getting a personal style were all a part of being the kind role model I wanted my girls to have.  The fitness part was pretty straight forward, the social stuff has gotten easier over the years, but I still struggle, and when it came to fashion I was lost without a map for the first few years at least.  But, with patience and persistence, I can now safely say that not only do I love my style, I am totally comfortable with its versatility, flexibility, and its constant evolution.

Since there are so many facets to my style, from twee dresses and cardigans, to vintage victory rolls and swing skirts, to this academia style outfit, I don't like to be locked down in one category.  That's why I love versatile accessories that can go with fashion flow of however I'm feeling on a particular day like these Square Toe Flats from Empress.

With fantastic arch support and a square shape for maximum comfort, these buttery leather Mary Jane flats are both dapper and delightful.  Their easy slip-on design means I can grab them and dash out the door looking polished.  Plus, this classic design means they are incredibly adaptable to all my favorite style trends.  Don't believe me?  Check out my next post and I'll prove it.

Shopping Info: Square Toe Flats $110 from empressaustralia.com