{"id":2878,"date":"2021-12-29T23:37:44","date_gmt":"2021-12-30T07:37:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shirscribe.com\/?p=2878"},"modified":"2021-12-30T14:49:40","modified_gmt":"2021-12-30T22:49:40","slug":"the-beauty-of-fashion-but","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shirscribe.com\/index.php\/2021\/12\/29\/the-beauty-of-fashion-but\/","title":{"rendered":"The Beauty of Fashion…But"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Bought these shoes around May of this year. Swore they were going to become my new go-to shoes whenever I left the house (apartment). I’ve only worn them twice. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fashion is definitely a form of beauty. It\u2019s also a form of self-expression. I try to make my style about a bit of both. I used to really be into fashion, especially when magazines where more of a thing. I\u2019d flip through magazines, get inspired, then try to replicate not so much a look I saw, but the mood of a look, if that makes sense. I mean I guess I wanted to recreate the look as well, to the extent that I could \u2013 those clothes in magazines are tre expensive. But there\u2019s also a mood that goes along with each look: is it giving me fun, playful, studious, sexy, sophisticated? That\u2019s more so the aspect of fashion that I gleaned from magazines then tried to project with my style. Those things need not come at a high price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a time when I had really good style. A time when I would even get compliments on my style. But now, it\u2019s trailed off somewhere, and I don\u2019t know where it\u2019s gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A look at the clothes in my closet is so uninspiring. So much so that a couple weeks ago I decided I was going to do something about it. I went shopping.  I have to admit, that trip to the mall was pretty great, and that\u2019s saying something, because I\u2019m not really into shopping. As a big girl, shopping has always been frustrating for me. I remember when I was in high school, trying to find outfits for parties or school dances was torture because so many stores only went up to size 12. I was a size 14. That relegated me to the women\u2019s department where I tried my best to put something youthful together out of their matronly selections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shopping was never a one and done experience for me. I could never just go into a store, find something and be out. No, I had to go to several stores before eventually settling on anything halfway decent that fit. When all else failed, I wound up at this plus-sized store I found in the Hawthorne mall (not Lane Bryant). I don\u2019t remember its name, but I hated going to a store strictly for fat people. I did, however, take some solace in the fact that the clothes were at least trendy. By the time I got to college, probably even before, I stopped shopping there. To this day, I still don\u2019t shop at the plus size stores. I only shop at places where skinny people can go too. Like if you have my pants in a size 18, you better have them in a size 2, too, then and only then I\u2019ll buy them. Judge me however you wish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Things have changed immensely over the past 20 years. Plus sizes are now more plentiful, but they still can be hard to find. However, I am happy to say that was not the case on this particular mall outing. Ya girl had choices, and there were sales. I\u2019m talkin\u2019 ev-er-y-where: 40 percent off at The Gap, an extra 50 percent off the sale rack at Banana Republic (that\u2019s always there, but hey). I was so motivated by my finds that the next day I also hit up Old Navy, TJ Maxx and Ross, and came away with a few more things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I got home. And days went by. And I saw my credit card statement. And I thought to myself, do I really want this shit, need this shit? Are these clothes truly an example of my style, or an impulse buy? Furthermore, does it even make sense to keep this stuff considering the tight budget I\u2019m on?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this year during the summer, I bought some Sam Edelman sandals I\u2019ve been coveting for at least five years, but couldn\u2019t afford. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever paid more than $60 for shoes, and these were usually $180.\u00a0 When Christmas 2020 came around, I saw them on sale online, and after applying a coupon that I scoured from the web, I got them down to $83. Still, that was a lot of money for sandal\u2019s I\u2019d hardly even wear, so I let them sit in my shopping cart until they disappeared. When summer rolled around, they went on sale again. This time $120. I didn\u2019t want to pass them up again, so I bought them. Have yet to wear them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sam<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

And therein lies my dilemma. I don\u2019t know. I\u2019m still trying to figure it out whether or not I should keep the clothes. I\u2019ve worn two of the pieces already, so I have to keep those, but the rest is fair game to return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the items I bought by the stores they came from. Should they stay or should they go?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Gap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n