What do you do when you are afraid of what a day might bring? You make the day afraid of you. That’s right — I put on my bravest skirt and my bravest face and I showed the day who was boss. Turns out this philosophy, that I just made up today, works.
Sometimes people ask me about having confidence or being brave enough to wear bold pieces and outfits. I never quite know what to say, as I don’t consider myself an extremely brave person (although I do have my ears pierced and I am a fan of roller coasters). If I’m wearing too much jewelry, an unconventional outfit or if I think that my skirt is just a tad too short, I shy away from places where I know people will stare at me or look at me funny. It’s just how I am by nature. Funny since I have a blog where I chronicle my outfits by the week and I throw them out there for all the world to see, right? Somewhere in between my nature and my practice, I’ve found bravery. And I think it happened when I bought this skirt.
Let’s be clear here — I get a lot of looks when I wear this skirt. Most of the time I can slink by and no one pays me any attention, but not with this skirt. It takes A LOT of courage to put this skirt on and not throw a jacket over it, or just go home for lunch and stay hidden behind my desk all day. It’s much easier to have bravery on my blog than to have it in real life. But today I put it on and I wore it. I wore it as I went to lunch with my husband, I wore it to the court to take care of a ticket, I wore it to meetings at work and didn’t feel like a shamed Peg Bundy. I wore that skirt and didn’t let the skirt wear me.
Today I could have rolled out of bed and put on my grey pants and a white shirt to blend in with the office crowd, because truth be told that’s what I felt like doing. But instead I put on a riduculous animal print skirt and ended up feeling confident and brave. If you fake bravery long enough, you will become brave and apparently…
….ferocious.
88 Responses
Aw you're adorable and you look great in that outfit.
I have a tough time wearing bold pieces so I should probably read what you wrote and take your advice… but instead i'll probably just keep wearing simple clothes and hide in a corner 😉
xo
Melissa
love the skirt. i saw it at Loft and feel in love with it. you rock it girl!!! i would def stare at you out of being jealous of your amazing styling skills! 😉 but i def know what you are talking about. oxox
Cute! I'm one of your newest followers…come check out my blog sometime! 🙂
It takes a lot of guts to wear animal print to the office…kudos to you! You rocked it! And where are those fabulous necklaces from?
This is a great post! And yes, you absolutely are ferocious!
Come check out my outfit overload post…6 outfits in one day (oops!)…possible 30 for 30 record? Haha. I totally lack your remix challenge discipline! Oh well.
Love, love, love this on you! I wanted to get the same skirt but couldn't afford it on my college budget [insert pout] but you are making me want to try more prints! 🙂
Remember way back when I wrote to you about being an older version of you? Well, have you look at my blog over the last few day? I AM an older version of you. I was right!!!!
Whenever you are tired of the skirt I know a good home for it.
I adore that skirt & how you've styled it!
I'm fairly sure all of us feel like that from time to time…we're only human, good on you for stepping out with confidence – you look great!
xo
This might be my favourite outfit yet! LOVE IT!!! Way to be brave!
great look, these items work so well together!
Daisy Dayz Home
That skirt honestly rocks, and kudos to you for wearing it to the office!
Love, love, LOVE this post! Both the outfit and the story behind it. You can definitely rock that skirt…so much so that I wouldn't ever think you'd feel the least bit self conscious about it. But that's just an outsider looking in.
wow I never would have thought those pieces would look good together, but I love it!
And I'm glad that you are brave enough to wear stuff like that, I feel way self conscious when I wear stuff that isn't the norm.
Plus every time I walk on campus I feel like I get some weird looks… a little disconcerting… But at least *I* don't think I look ridiculous right???
well i freakin' LOVE it. and it looks great with that chambray top. your husband takes some great pics!!! maybe you'll get discovered and they'll put you in print work for somewhere fabulous…
Okay, I want to focus on the awesome outfit, but first I need to compliment you on this incredible post. You said so much here in such a beautiful way. Kudos to you, Kendi!
You WEAR that skirt, Kendi! You WEAR IT!
I know how you feel. Sometimes I feel like the outfit I put on that day is so wacky I should probably take myself back inside and boring myself down a little bit. But more often than not, once I go out in public, I feel pretty effin' fierce. I think we should all dress to make ourselves feel ever-so-slightly uncomfortable.
I think the way you styled this skirt with the denim/chambray shirt gives the look such creativity and wearability. The necklaces add a fun quirkiness to it that makes the whole look work. Thanks for the inspiration!
http://articulatorylaziness.blogspot.com/
This is a great little lesson :o) i feel very similarly to the way you feel in certain social situations- it's important to step out of your comfort zone and be confident enough to know you look amazing!
Fake it until you make it!
Seems you've mastered that, at least in the area of bravery. 🙂
The skirt does make you ferocious, but in the best way.
Oh honey you shouldn't be scared, you're fantastic!
Love the post, and the outfit! It would be very easy for that skirt to wear you, but kudos to you for wearing IT. 🙂
Cute!
xoxo
Stacey Kay
"Runway Inspiration, Vintage Decoration"
http://www.goodwillhuntingg.com
I feel the same way when I wear animal print! I wore a leopard cardigan today – the good thing about having kids is that I let my 3 year old wear a Disney costume to Target so I knew no one would be staring at me 😉
Thanks for the inspiration today, Kendi! Last week I took a job in a (very) small town and today I made it official by signing papers on a house: I am moving from a large city to a small town of 50,000 (16,000 of whom are my potential students). What I've learned during the house-hunt is that people here dress…well, like they're coming or going from the gym. And I don't want to lose my commitment to dressing fabulously (for myself if no one else!).
It's comforting to know there are others out there who can share these interests — online if not in-town!
It's TRUE! If you fake an emotion, you can take it on. That works with good and bad ones, so it's great that you're focusing on positive outlooks. You're an inspiration there, Kendi!
I love the skirt!! You are a brave girl to wear it 🙂
Oh my goodness, I ADORE this outfit! It might be my favorite outfit of yours EVER. Seriously. I love it. You are beyond fabulous 🙂
I feel much the same way, Kendi! But I'm glad to see you are taking style risks when faced with conservative, staid, or just plain casual environments. You're an inspiration to us all, girl.
You are hilarious! I love reading your post everyday and wished I was as funny and witty as you….lol
Debz hugkisshugkiss
Yay for bravery! There are definitely days when I'm feeling unwell or insecure that I throw on the most run-of-the-mill outfit I can so that I don't draw attention to myself, but on those days, I end up wallowing in self-pity. If I force myself to be more daring in my choices, however, I normally kick those blues. I agree with your "fake it till you make it" mentality!
(You look great, by the way.)
You are a true inspiration. I seriously struggle with taking risks with fashion – even more so with age. I love this outfit and how you totally rocked that skirt!
I love this skirt on you! And it's so true that clothing can really change one's mood and one's outlook on the day. Whenever I feel like that I might be up for a challenging day, I throw on my brightest colors.
I recently started blogging at http://www.thriftythreadsnyc.blogspot.com. If you'd like to see any of the colorful outfits that I put together to face the day, please feel free to stop on by!
you rock that skirt. i know how you feel though, people stare way toooo much and need to just get over it, cause you look great!
you are so cute! i love the necklaces. and this skirt looks awesome on you!
one of my favorite outfits of yours by far. 🙂 it reminds me of the j. crew catalog outfits…very cute! and i'll be happy to adopt the leopard skirt when it's ready for a new home. i even have a name picked out for it…it's new neighbors from the closet are really nice too. haha
suzanne
http://www.refinedchic.blogspot.com
kendi- you totally pulled it off! i love everything about this outfit, especially the piled on necklaces. you look amazing!
You can pull it off! You look amazing.
X
VERY well writ & well said. I enjoyed reading your thoughts. Plus ya looks good 😉
What a great look! It's definitely bold, but that's what makes it so amazing. I'm working on being more brave with my outfits. Sometimes, I just don't want to stand out, but then…why do I buy bold pieces without wearing them in public. Thanks for the post…if I pretend to be brave…I can become brave too. =)
Great post. A philosophy which applies perfectly to all aspects of life (including skirts).
Love the story Kendi and the skirt! You showed us all – you totally ROCK.THIS.SKIRT! It's the one I want to steal from you if I could be 6" taller.
xx Vivian @ http://diamondsandtulle.blogspot.com
I think the skirt is excellent and in no way reminds me of Peg Bundy (though I do vastly appreciate the reference). Putting on your boldest outfit definitely gives you courage to conquer the world, and I think that's part of what style and dressing up boils down to, in the end.
Hey kendi, just found you through jill at good life for less. LOVE this animal printed skirt and your blog. Your pictures are stunning and you sure do rock out those outfits!! I might have to join in the fun
I have the SAME skirt– I fell in love with the way it fit me in the store, and then realized just how bold it is after I got home. Thanks for giving me the courage to wear it instead of returning it!
I seriously adore this outfit! I saw the mini-image in my bloglovin and instantly thought 'oooh, that looks cute!' and clicked to see – I was surprised to read what you wrote – no need to shy away in this getup, you look amazing! And still totally work/life appropriate! Love it!
super clever. i like this one. i can definitely work my closet with this 🙂
workyourcloset.com
Oh! I love how you do your pictures with the arrows, plus they're super good quality and cute. I love that skirt and those necklaces. :)) cute cute!
I'm wearing the exact same skirt right now. Not even kidding. Great minds think alike- I knew I liked you!
LOVE the skirt. Love love love. You rock it so well. I know I'd stare at it too, but only in envy.
–Katie
http://www.redlipsandbardothair.blogspot.com
That skirt looks great with the denim! And the layered necklaces are the perfect touch!
Good for you for being brave – I feel the same way sometimes and just have to suck it up!
Yes! Great job! I've noticed that works too. But it's hard to work up the gaul to do it sometimes. Of course, now that my day job includes me and my husband sitting in our extra bedroom, the brave outfits are more about me actually getting dressed and putting on make-up! Ha!
"I wore the skirt and didn't let the skirt wear me". That's the ticket! I honestly believe that you can wear anything if you own it and make it true to your style. I, for one, LOVE this skirt, but I have a leopard Tahari pencil skirt that I would wear every day if I could.
"Kendi 'Juicebox' Peepers…. here to show the day!"
That skirt is fantastic. I love how real and honest you are about feeling a little nervous wearing certain things around certain people or in some settings.
I do, however, think that you have an uncanny ability to determine exactly what is appropriate for specific occassions and you always dress just so.
You should always be brave, because you are always appropriate and inspiriing.
I LOVE this look. I had a comment the other day about animal prints and classy in the same sentence (implying they usually aren't). You've definitely proven them wrong in this outfit! I really love everything about it and would DEFINITELY wear the same thing.
Work it, girl. Seriously… I took one look at this and thought, "Wow she looks fan-freaking-tastic." You are always spot-on to me, but this look is really striking. I think it's the sexiness of skirt paired with the more casual shirt and ponytail, polished off with that gorgeous necklace.
Also, your legs are AMAZING. I love that you are tall and wear shoes with height. *applaud*
(Sorry to gush, but you are really one of my favorite fashion bloggers.)
I wear a brown and black leopard skirt just like that all the time to work, and I get looks occasionally…but I just hold my head high and smile!
Sassy sassy SAUCY!
Rock the inner animal in you grrrrl – Yeah, I did it. Sorry:)
xTL
http://www.hippyhappytink.blogspot.com
Touché !!!
You wore this perfectly !
yes sometimes i feel funny wearing the things i do around here, too, especially when i feel too fancy.
however, were i your officemate, i probably would refrain from staring too much, lest i be clawed.
Kendi you are way to adorable – I love this outfit. When I saw that skirt in Loft I totally fell in love with but thought I couldn't pull it off… you're making me change my mind!
I really needed this reminder (and humour) today. Thanks Kendi.
I have to say that this is my favorite outfit from your remix so far! I love it! I am definitely jumping on the bandwagon for the next remix!
it's not easy for me to be brave in what i wear, or really in anything… haha! so reading this post was an inspiration! 🙂 & you look great in this outfit!
That skirt is awesome… Love your ferocious photos 😉
Melanie@UnravelledThreads
ok WHERE have you been all my life?
I guess right here. huh. interesting.
I'm not sure how I got here… but
I'm glad I did. You may add me to your list of stalkers for which you will need a restraining order.
xox
Emily
I love it. I have very similar pieces and I am totally going wear my version of this outfit tomorrow.
love the new header… and the ferocity. xoxo
Very brave and ferocious indeed! Dress braver, feel braver… I think you're on to something! Also, is it bad that your remixes make me want to shop??
Fake it 'til you make it… that's what I always say. Not that I am some big faker or anything, just helps me get over the hump sometimes. But this outfit is just fabulous. I mean, really. LOVE it!
heya, have you seen this? sorry if it's a re-post, i haven't read through all your comments:
6 items or less for one month! insanity!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/fashion/22SIXERS.html
I'll admit that I bought a bold zebra print skirt at the beginning of Spring and have yet to wear it for the same reason. You really ARE brave!!! You obviously look great as per usual, and I now feel inspired to be ferocious and wear my animal print skirt once the challenge is over :)!!!!
This has to be one of my most favorites ever. I love what you've been wearing lately!
flnw.blogspot.com
i love your brave face!
you look amazing, a fierce outfit for a fierce attitude. Glad you were able to show today who's boss, I love that last photo!
It looks great on you! (both bravery and the skirt)
I bought some leopard print leggings the other day, and am terrified of them! What was I thinking? They're even a little shiny -to draw even more attention to them. Eek! I'm going to wear them though, some day, some how. Any suggestions on how to style them?
You are a star, I thank you for your twinkle. You have inspired me more with this post then you know…
Love it!
Your shoes actually are helping me go out of my comfort zone next week.
this outfit is definitely ferosh! love love love it ;p
leethroughthelens.blogspot.com
oh my goodness, i want that skirt!
I adore this post – so well said and very inspirational. Thank you for your honesty and your take on bravery.
I adore that gorgeous skirt with that blouse and the layers of necklaces. Such a chic look!
I don't know how many times I can say that you crack me up, but maybe I'll start sending you e-mails about it soon. You are just too funny!
Also I totally believe in that philosophy as well, I always wore my best clothes to exams, to give myself that confidence I didn't always have naturally.
Crazy what a little ol' skirt can do!
I can't get enough of this skirt. Love the chambray paired with it!
Love this entire outfit. It SO works. Totally cute!
That skirt is amazing and that outfit looks so put-together and professional and pretty and stylish, especially with the necklaces. Don't let the un-stylish haters get you down.
You pull this off in style! Nicely done.