Summer Stripes

As you can see, we shot content this week and it makes me feel like I am back, you guys. I’ve admittedly been a bit burned out around here (for longer than I’d like to admit) and honestly I’ve been very impatient with my brain in all of this. Burn out makes you feel like the smoke at the end of the candle, just wafting into the air with no real purpose other to show that something here was once on fire. I haven’t really wanted to shop / get dressed / shoot outfits, etc and that is a scary feeling for someone who has created a career out of those three things. (I am also clearly versed in depression and I know it’s not depression because I have drive for other things in my life. So on the mental health front, I’m great! The career front, not so much.) I’ve tried to just tell myself it’s okay to pause —  if it comes back to me, it will come back and if it doesn’t, that’s a sign to change. But lately, this feeling has been sneaking up on me: I’ve been missing creating content like I used to (that’s a sign!). I asked B to shoot (another sign!) and I was able to easily put outfits together (yet another!), and within minutes of shooting it felt like home again. I am not saying I’m all the way back, but I am saying I am feeling more like myself. I present this outfit with a lot of excitement, even if it’s a standard Kendi outfit. Nothing crazy inventive here, but I felt really good in this outfit. This skirt is one of my favorite buys this spring, so I’m happy to share this outfit with you. (More details below!)

I know we don’t ‘talk’ (aka me typing / you reading )about this much but there has been such a weird swerve the past few years not only with style but within this industry. As a style influencer for sure, but with influencing in general. I’ve found that as the job has required ‘more’ I’ve pulled back to give ‘less’. As the industry moves away from static content and more into short form video, or rather entertainment over editorial, I have found myself at a loss. While I am funny and can be entertaining, it’s not my passion or my interest. Content like that doesn’t come easy to me because I simply have no desire for it. Short form video is also not in my wheelhouse I’ve realized. It brings to mind the TikTok trend with the song that says ‘all that work and what did it get me…’ when I think about working for 15 years on perfecting my content, just for the direction of content to change. It’s also a strange place to be when you’ve been good at something and then you suddenly are not. Coupled with my co-pilot focusing full-time on his career (and absolutely killing it I may add) and wanting to pull back on consumption a bit, I’ve been in a huge place of transition this year. I’ve tried hard to really reflect on what I want to do and what I do here in general. I think I’ve been focusing so much on the industry changing and how I’m not great at those changes, that I’ve kind abandoned my own little piece of real estate I have on the internet. To go with that analogy, I was so busy watching someone else water their own grass I let mine die.

If there is one thing that I know about myself and my time on the internet is that I prefer to do things my way. Finding confidence to do this in the midst of an actual, real burn out has proven to be difficult. But this week I feel better, even like myself again. I feel like the candle might just burn again.

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This outfit is just pure Kendi in my mind. I’ve always loved a skirt — which aren’t always top sellers, did you know that? But I love a skirt, especially a midi skirt in this silhouette. I feel like I should be in the middle of a European vacation in this outfit. (This skirt WOULD be a nice skirt to take on vacation, by the way.) This skirt is actually on sale with an extra 25% off at Madewell this weekend! I am in the 10, fit is TTS and comfortable to wear. Find it here!

My tank is old Agolde, but I found a very similar one at Nordstrom. If you haven’t a nice white tank in your closet, find one, get one. It’s a must have for summer. A layering dream, I’ve worn this gal for years and it is always in my suitcase in the summer. Even just pairing it with a simple skirt or denim shorts, it looks chic. I think it’s the high neckline, actually. It elevates the basic tank a bit. You can find this one from Nordstrom here!