The Wrong Alice

Hand dyed dress, originally from Forever 21. Key necklace, American Eagle. Watch, Timex. Headband, H&M. Handbag, local fair trade shop. Shoes, thrifted.

     The elements in my outfit Monday just screamed Alice in Wonderland to me. The watch, the blue dress, the key...everything just came together. Of course, that was somewhat intentional because of my upcoming Alice-inspired photo shoot. But a line from the most recent Disney/ Tim Burton adaptation of the classic tale also perfectly suited some thoughts I have been having over and over again in regards to fashion and style. 

      Throughout the beginning of the movie, multiple characters refer to the Alice in question as "the wrong Alice". While it might be a bit of a stretch, this definitely makes me think of the act of dressing for others vs. dressing for yourself.

      It's hard to truly say that others' opinions don't matter when I'm pretty much counting on others liking my style for the success of my blog. In this new "fashion democracy" that the Internet has created, everyone is not only entitled to their opinion about style, but they are encouraged to share it. I really appreciate the power this has given us to determine trends even in a world still dominated by designer fashion. While the discussion of popularity pretty much directly correlating with how many designer goods are showcased on one's blog (with a few notable exceptions) is an entirely different debate, I still have to ask when taking my outfit pictures...am I really dressing for myself?

     When it comes to the daily act of putting together outfits, I have come to decide that my answer to that question is yes! While I am fully aware what on trend items and keywords will get more votes on websites like Chictopia, I don't let this stop me from sharing what I truly wear- what you see is a true reflection of my style, whether or not it will "go viral". I try very hard to maintain a level head- deciding when to embrace trends, particularly blog trends is never an easy thing to have perspective on when over saturation comes into play. However, the resilience I attempt in carving my own sphere of influence leads me to believe that I just might be "the right Ashlyn". 

P.S.- I forgot to mention that yesterday (coincidentally) marked another huge milestone for me...my three year anniversary with Reid! We are celebrating this weekend and I can't wait to see what he has up his sleeve.