First things first, I bought this shirt for $10. That’s right for less than an adult-priced movie ticket, I got a super cute shirt. Second, I never pay the adult price at the movie theaters. How do I get away with this, you ask? Childish good looks and a college student ID. (One time I got carded to see a rated R film. I was 23. Insult not taken, but the discount was.)
Not to beat a dead horse, but I’m going to beat a dead horse. After my post the other day, well Tuesday to be exact, I looked up the definition of perfect.
Perfect, adj.
: conforming absolutely to the description or definition of an ideal type.
Conforming? Blech. That’s just the word I was avoiding all along. To conform — do I even need to look up that definition? In my mind the definition is to be usual, expected, boring. Why in the world would I want to be those things? With use of my deductive reasoning skills (thank you 4th grade), I’ve come to one conclusion: Perfect is boring.
If I were to define what my “imperfect” means, somedays it would be wrinkled, tired, sarcastic, worried, drained. And other days it would be quirky, unusual, creative, energized, carefree. Imperfect is anything I want to be. See? Perfect is boring. Deductive reasoning wins.
Consider the perfection horse dead and beat.
75 Responses
I have that same shirt, and I also got it for $10! Isn't it awesome?!
I love your styling of it. Very sailorish 🙂
adorably imperfect outfit and post.
love this look. so classic and the background is perfect! great colors all around.
norma
norma-inthisworld.blogspot.com
I love the red shoes with this. I would totally wear this. And yes, I agree, people who try to be perfect are boring. We should always be striving to be our best selves, but we'll never be perfect so we should just embrace the imperfections and appreciate them for the individuality they give us.
modest-apple.blogspot.com
Cute cute outfit!
Just Better Together
I love your hair pulled half back like that! It dresses up the look. Totally agree on this perfection issue.
Pocket of Presh
I need that top! And you're absolutely having a good hair day:)
xx
love, love, love… and you are right, perfect does sound boring! I'm over it!
very lovely and imperfect outfit, cute shirt ^^ love how the shoes add a pop here.
That necklace is amazesauce. Can I ask where you got it?
I have the same shirt and with the quick change of nude instead of red suede pumps we were twinkies yesterday. Also I've been having the perfect/imperfect debate a lot lately. I've decided imperfection is respectable. Anyone who is willing to fail or be judged in midst of doing what they wanted/believe in etc is mighty acceptable in my book. Cheer to be imperfect!
Ramblings of a Small Town Girl
Those may be the most flattering jeans ever. You look great!
Great outfit, so comfy to buy groceries, to go to the cinema, etc… love the straipes and the red shoes 😀
Love your necklace! Also, perfect is boring. I'm quick entertaining when I screw up. 🙂
Agreed! Those Jeans are fabulous!
You make comfortable look so chic! Great Outfit Post.
XOXO
Yours Truly
http://www.lahteadah.blogspot.com
Love the top. And what a great deal! Old NAvy always comes through in the end with great sales.
That necklace slays me. As does your wicked sense of humor.
I still hold tightly to my college Student ID. I'm 24 now…I'm sure I can get away with it for a few more years. But now there is only ONE theater near me that still does "student prices"…what's THAT all about!!?
~Bevin
So cute! Love this whole look.
hahaha!! you're way cute and funny! I love your sense of humor, and Oh how lucky you get to buy a super cute shirt for such a cute price! 😉 Love love love it!
<3
Cati
Hey Kendi, I completely agree with you. Perfect just isn't what it's cracked up to be anymore. No one should aspire to being perfect, it's boring. We need to be ourselves, flaws and all.
Shortly after reading your posts I came across this one about perfection. Isn't it crazy when the blogging stars align? It's nice to know that someone else feels the same conflict of perfection vs. self acceptance and happiness.
here it is: The Perfect Protest – http://bohophotography.blogspot.com/2010/10/perfect-protest.html
and –
http://www.ordinarycourage.com/my-blog/2010/9/26/the-perfect-protest.html
That shirt is a steal. I really love it! To beat your really dead horse, I totally agree with you "fashionable" tends to go towards sticking out and not looking like everyone else. I love being imperfect…even if it means wrinkly eyes in the morning.
Wahhh? $10? Maybe I need to run into an ON today. hrmmm… Love your post. Blech. Perfect IS boring. And we all come to your blog everyday to check out one of the most un-boring and witty bloggers. 🙂
xx Vivian @ http://diamondsandtulle.blogspot.com
i have to admit, miss kendi, i'm feeling very jealous of your looooong legs today.
you look super-cute.
Kendi, I love the shirt! I wore a similar style the other day from Banana Republic that I got on crazy sale. Aren't those finds the best? Your hair looks really cute today :0)
wow, I love that top! I can't believe it's only ten buckaroos. It looks way fancier! Clearly I need to make a stop off at Old Navy one of these days – they also have the most darling cardigans for super cheap as well. Super score!
You look great, and I love your necklace!
I got that same shirt, except in grey! Awesome outfit, as usual!! And your hair is looking particularly pretty today!
And thanks for looking up the definition to perfect. Why do us perfectionists find ourselves trying to conform – when what we really want is to stand out? Maybe because standing out is a risk, and all risks are scary.
Small Time Style
Who knew you could wear that jazzy necklace with a shirt like that? You can so define what works!!! Think your face probably lets you get away with stuff the rest of us would be criticized for, however. You are so gorgeous!!! But some do think we could be related, right?
So glad you've conquered the perfect/imperfect issue.
Silver Crown Styles
Love the Breton stripes!
very "jcrew" love it!
WOW! So glamorously Parisian! And I love your hair!
I like the shop links! Although.. now i want to shop…. haha thanks!
Love this look! Classic and chic!
you look absolutely beautiful! even more than usual. maybe it's the hair? the simple classic look? your surroundings? the lighting? am i creeping you out yet? well, you do look super pretty.
that top is from Old Navy?! no way it looks so cool!
ADORABLE! And yay for imperfection.
Cute top! I love deals like that. And I really love all of the talk going on in the blog world these days about the beauty of imperfection. It is the new black. 🙂
That necklace is to DIE for!
love the crispness of this outfit! so simple, but there's so much attention to detail. you look fantastic!
Love the pop of color in the shoes.
When I was 23 I got carded buying a R-rated movie….at Walmart. Ridiculous.
Perfect is definitely boring. Now if it was just easier to be ok with that!
what an adorable outfit. i love the 1970s retro feel – like ali macgraw in love story….
(ps i'm hosting a vintage purse giveaway on my blog – thought you might like to check it out. i think it's totally you're style : ) http://cailenascher.blogspot.com/2010/10/vintage-purse-giveaway-it-could-be.html
one of my favourite outfits of yours to date!
This is totally an outfit I could pull off (and I've already called Old Navy to see if they have that top in my size. It's perfect!); I love how simple this is. Great for a weekend date!
can i just tell you how much i love this outfit? i honestly wish i could look like this every day. in the spirit of your recent posts, i feel totally wrong in saying this but it seems so perfect! 🙂
One of my favorite outfits, the necklace is gorgeous.
I did a post with this shirt in it the other day too! I absolutely love it. I have worn it twice (and maybe I put it in two posts?) since I got it. Shhh, don't tell. 🙂
-Cassidy
Loving the stripes with the red shoes. Especially love the necklace!
And perfect IS boring. I'm slowly learning that my fear of not doing things perfectly is keeping me from doing anything at all. It's better to just do, make a mistake, learn from it, and move on. Then at least you're doing something! But that sounds a lot easier in theory than in practice.
everydayelembee.com
I think that the addition of the necklace and red shoes make this outfit anything but "plain and simple"…so cute!
MixandMatchFashion
LOVE this outfit, Kendi! The necklace is such a great add-on. I agree – perfect is boring. Imperfection is interesting and dynamic.
Lindsay 🙂
lindsaytothejean.blogspot.com
I love this! I actually just bought that exact same shirt! Now I want to go get some red shoes to wear with it.
http://andohsofancy.blogspot.com
I totally heart you kendi 🙂 Such a cute outfit, and i'm totally with you – no need to strive to others definition of perfection. You're great as is my friend!
I am also 23. I also got carded (recently) to see an R-rated film. What the heck, man?
Go You! Be as imperfect as you can be and I shall join you! I love your style, and I enjoy that you embody all of those "imperfect" definitions. Please keep blogging so I can keep reading! Also, I think your outfit today is AWESOME!
Kendie you are imperfect in all of the right ways! Wrinkled is comfy, tired means you work hard, sarcastic is funny, worried means you care, and drained means you were fabulously busy! Cheers to not being boring : )
And I love this outfit! The pop of red shoes is great!
-Samantha
http://sincerelysamantha.com
People tell me I look like I'm 17 ALL the time. Now when I tell people I'm married, I get this puzzled expression. I keep telling myself that when I'm 40 and look in my 30s, I'll be one happy camper!! Ps cute look!
-Kristen
http://simple-happinesses.blogspot.com/
And we all wanted to be perfect in elementary school? Blah!
I love your hair like that! It's super lovely.
Yeah girl! Now you know that's my kind of price! Love boat neck shirts. I have one I love!
LOVE the statement necklace and shoes!!
Plain and Simple…is simply gorgeous:)
Enter my Wendy Hammer Designs Purse Giveaway♥
Statements in Fashion Blog
Me encanta! Qué pena que no entiendo bien todo lo que dices…
I love your outfit!
Okay, so i actually just got that shirt myself, and it is pretty see-through. Are you wearing anything under it?
I love this outfit! Love it!
I have a similar T-shirt (but with long sleeves) and two light-weight sweaters that are a lot like it. (Why two sweaters, you ask? Because they were originally $40 and I got them at Gap on sale and with a coupon for $10 each. And I figured I liked them so much and they were so cheap I'd get two so they wouldn't wear out as fast.)
I usually wear my shirts with navy twill slacks from Old Navy. I have big hips, so I'm afraid to wear skinny jeans.
But your jeans don't look too skinny… what style/cut are they?
Has anyone ever told u you look like Mary-Louise Parker from Weeds? Saw the trailer from the new movie RED , seriously thought it was you. lol
I have this shirt and the all black version also for $10. I did a Kendi and paired my stripes with a floral scarf. 🙂
Trista — I got my necklace from Forever21. I left a link up in the post so you can easily find it!
Jenny — I am not wearing anything under it besides undies. Now that I look at it, it's a bit see-through but I didn't notice it right away.
Christina — They are the always skinny cut at Gap, but they are about a year old and Gap changes their jeans styles like ever 6 mos it seems. These are not low-cut by any means, which I think is more flattering on my body. My hips are pretty straight, but I really like the way Gap fits.
Daniela — Yes! I've gotten Mary Louise Parker a few times. I LOVE that compliment!! Even though I don't totally see it, hehe.
I really like the necklace that your wearing! I've been looking for an affordable version just like that! Going to f21 now…
Love this look! Your hairs is looking great! And about The perfect thing…couldn't agree with you more. Perfection = Conformity. Thanks for putting that out there in the blog world! I'm hooked to Your blog!
Cool, thanks Kendi. I had on a black bra when I tried it on, but figured it I had a nude one on it would probably be fine. 🙂 It's so cute! I got the hot pink striped one. Not very subtle, haha.
I hate to burst your bubble, but your hair is looking perfect in these pictures.
Katelyn
I really like your hair and your necklace.
I seriously went to Old Navy just to get this shirt. I think this outfit is adorable!! Plus, you really can't beat the price! I snuck outta there with that shirt and a dress for a grand total of $18! Can't beat it!
Kendi! Totally had a SWF moment and wore something very similar to this after seeing your post. I swear I don't do that every day. Hope all is well!
you look gorgeous!! love that shirt!
-Kristin
atasteofthis.etsy.com
kristindeleon.wordpress.com
i love, love, love this outfit! nautical stripes get me every time!