Soulful Style
It's hard not to compare ourselves and our lives to the people around us. Everyone falls into assimilation to some degree--it's human nature. The pressures of feeling like you have to "keep up" to "fit in" can be exhausting and excruciating. And the mind-blowing part is that if you take a look at who you're "keeping up" with, a heck of the lot of the time they're not content because they're trying to either uphold an image or keep up with the next level.
I went to an amazing class over Passover with Rabbi Binny Friedman called "What is the soul?" I won't pretend to try to give over his brilliance, but the ultimate take away for me was that the essence of our soul--who we are--the depth of our being--is what we want. Of course as we grow up, we are socialized to have specific wants, but then there are the wants that we are born with--the things that drive us and make us tick and make us truly happy. Getting to know ourselves is about getting in tune with those wants and embracing our individuality. Applying this incredibly deep message to fashion at first seems superficial, but what we wear is a reflection of how we're feeling and embracing a personal style is an easy way to express our internal self to the external world. We should ask ourselves, "What should I wear to feel like the best version of myself?"
I've always had an individual sense of style that has taken different directions at different times of my life from inspiration around me. There have been plenty of times when I dressed a certain way to fit in and it totally crushed my confidence because I didn't feel comfortable and I felt in a way like I was misrepresenting who I am. I will always choose the giant, blingy costume cuff over delicate diamonds and the Cartier love bracelet. Even if I had access to all the designer clothes in the world I would still shop at Zara, ASOS, and Forever 21 because I love to mix affordable trendy pieces with my longterm investment pieces. Putting together an original outfit that is unique to me gives me an incredible high.
Like most fashion-lovers, I absolutely adore Chanel. When my husband spent weeks moonlighting to save up for a nice gift for me for the birth of our second daughter, I requested this pink Chanel bag. The woman at Saks tried to convince him to choose something more "practical," saying the bag resembled a child's toy. He replied, "You don't know my wife. She will cherish this tiny pink piece of plastic for the rest of her life." The bag makes me so happy because I feel like it really represents who I am. It's bold and untraditional, yet classic. As corny as it sounds, it reminds me to stay true to myself and what I love and to go after what I want. I may always be the hot pink in a sea of black and that is totally fine by me.
Photography by Edelle Kenny
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