The English language is a fascinating thing. Two words can mean exactly the same thing and yet one feels negative and one feels positive. Take the title of today's post for example. If you look up the words "rut" and "groove" in a thesaurus or dictionary they're listed as synonyms; they're even used to define each other on Dictionary.com
Yet, even though these two words are so closely related they're used to describe each other, they vibe differently. For example, If I say I'm in a fashion rut, people respond with, aw, I'm sorry. If I say I'm in a fashion groove, people respond with, hey, good for you. Rut implies I'm stuck repeating the same behavior, I'm bored with it and probably frustrated too. Groove implies that I've found a path that works for me and now life feels a little easier thanks to it. What's the difference? The difference is the way I feel about the behavior I'm repeating.
Lately, I've been wondering if I'm stuck in a rut. I began to wonder if maybe this style was still working for me or if it was time to change. After much contemplation, what I realized is that personally, in my private life, I actually think I'm in the groove. My style works for me quite well, to the point where my mornings are easier because I know that each day I'll be wearing a dress/cardigan/flats combo. It's my daily uniform and quite frankly, I still think it's darling. I get excited to wear my dresses and to mix and match them with different cardis, belts, accessories, etc. so that even though I'm wearing a dress for the umpteenth time, it feels like a whole new look each time.
So, if I'm happy with my wardrobe, my style and my overall look, what am I stressing about? I realized what I'm worried about is the blog/my social media style. Once I realized that, I felt...well, really silly at first for caring so much about social media and then beyond relieved that I didn't suddenly hate my clothes and have to start all over with a fresh look. And thank God, because my bank account definitely couldn't handle that.
I do wish that I had more time to create interesting and fresh outfits to post here like I did in previous years, but as it stands, between the renovation and going from part-time to full-time work, I really only get the time to take outfit photos once every couple of months and it's usually about 1.5 hours before sunset when I try to squeeze in as many outfits as possible in the same spot in my yard where I know the light will last the longest. That time frame doesn't allow for locations or even a lot of thoughtful accessorizing or hair/makeup changes. It is what it is. This is my life right now, and honestly if you don't like dresses and cardigans, probably best you just move on, because they're not going anywhere.
I think I'm in my groove. Yes, the Twee Girl phase was, like, soooo 2012, but wasn't Twee just reviving the 1950s/60s. Quite frankly I think this style is pretty timeless and it will serve me well as I age and as my life changes. I sort of feel silly for feeling "too old" to wear this style. If there's one thing I love, it's an older lady with fashion flare, and I won't mind at all if that's what I am or am becoming.
Outfit Info: YeMak Cardigan, Princess Highway Dress, Amazon shoes
