Are We Still Dressing Up?? COVID Edition Part II

Out of all my friends, I seem to have the most discipline when it comes to actually sticking to morning routine and getting dressed up everyday.  Trust me, this is a very conscious effort.  For my own mental stability, I have to stick very closely to my morning routine, which includes at a least 4 mile run, shower, and full SOSNU outfit…all by 9 a.m.  So when I hear my friends who work from home talk about rolling out of bed just in time to log in, or those who are working in underwear and tank tops all day.  Honestly, I have to check myself and make sure I am not casting judgment in their direction.

One huge factor that definitely sets me apart from my group of friends is that unlike them, I have been “working from home” for the past 4 years.  I left Corporate America and started freelancing long before lockdown, so my daily routine has been several years in the making.  This global pandemic didn’t turn my lifestyle and daily routines on its head at all.  So I didn’t have to really adapt too much, unlike every one else in the world.     

outfit details - dress: H&M (here, here); shoes: Nike (here, here); earrings: vintage (here, here); eyewear: Firmoo (here, here)

Working now as a full time, fashion business owner has a lot to do with my attitude towards clothing.  I love clothes.  They are around all the time.  There is always loads coming in, and orders of clothes shipping out.  All of my contributions to other publications are articles about fashion.  The creative content I contribute to clients and brands are all fashion related, so I guess it goes without saying that I get a kick out of getting dressed everyday.  I will say that every outfit isn’t vibrant and fully styled, but it’s a full outfit nonetheless.  The shoes are optional, of course.  Another thing about getting dressed is that it’s a tremendous mood boaster. And if I am in a good mood, I tend to be more productive and prepared during the day.  When I look good, I feel great.  And when I feel confident and great, I have the audacity to be bold and more courageous with my work.      

All and all, it boils down to the individual.  I am someone that thrives in systems and routines, so getting up and getting dressed has been something that I’ve never stopped doing since I was a young child.  I got ready everyday for grade school, then college, then working in corporate America, now working for myself.  I’ve never allowed myself to sway to far from my daily routine, maybe it’s just how i’m wired. I know that in order to have that fully optimized day, I have to dress the part no matter what.

“I want to challenge you all to try getting dressed every day for a week, and see if it’s effective??”

Vintage Twin set

Hey guys!!! So happy to be back posting. I’m here to share a “something old” piece that I’m really excited about. It’s a vintage twin cardigan set. The colors are beautiful, and it’s made with the most lush poly blend ever.

outfit details: twin set (here, here); jeans: H&M (here, here); booties: Charles by Charles David (here, here)

I paired my fun print, vintage twin set with a new pair of straight leg black jeans that I recently picked up from H&M. Even though H&M doesn’t always hit a high note with me, I will say that it’s one of the best retailers for popping in to buy BASICs.

“Honored to have my brother, Mainstream Images, shot these pictures for me. He is one of my biggest supporters and suppliers for my business. He actually gifted me this lovely vintage twin set.”

Switch Up

Hi Friends!!! I hope you all have been well, and of course it's my prayer that you got a few moments to do exactly what you wanted to do this week.  We actually got out and took a few pictures in a different part of the city.  I wanted to switch up my usual landscape for a more urban, cityscape, and I really loved the locations we scouted.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love being photographed out in nature, but I certainly appreciate a good switch up.  And speaking of switch up, I took a bit of a different approach to taking this outfit shot.

The way Something Old, Something New started was as a photo journal. I would simply use this platform as a way to document my daily outfits.  This was the way style blogging started for many bloggers.  However, for the more serious bloggers things aren't so sporadic.  Pretty much all content is pre-planned and scheduled out weeks in advance.  I tried my hand at this by emailing my photographer a day and time with a few details about how I wanted to shoot several outfits all at once.  These practices are key to being more consistent and organized; however, it is my belief that you lose a little bit of authenticity, and at the end of it all you are very tired.

outfit details - sweater (here) (here); cardigan (here) (here); skirt (here) (here); socks (here) (here); boots (here) (here); pouch (here) (here)

My best outfits are my unplanned ones.  The pieces that I pull based on how I feel are the ones that I look the best in.  The outfit tends to do the talking for me.  They express my exact mood and feelings, and that's important.  

Are you a person that likes to plan out outfits a week or two in advance??  Or are you sort of like me, an emotional dresser, and allows your clothing to speak to you.  Chime in below in the comments, let's talk about it.