Yesterday I Felt Pretty

Really, really pretty, in fact. I went to brunch with my family wearing a navy fit and flare shirtdress, a pair of surprisingly-comfortable-for-their-height brown leather and wood sandals, an artisan necklace with colored stones (citrine, garnet and aquamarine) with matching aquamarine briolette earrings, and a chunky gold-link bracelet. It was a great outfit, and I felt coordinated, confident and beautiful in it. Plus, it was very 'me'. The dress was structured, the accessories eye-catching and unusual, and the shoes slightly incongruous; these are all elements that I love. I want to have more days like that. In fact, I want every day to be like that. For me, this is what The Style Project is all about.

Wouldn't it be nice to always have that little confidence boost that comes from knowing you look great? Even better, to make it look effortless and feel like 'you'? There are so many ways to get there. It may be a great pair of jeans or fabulous shoes. It may be a signature lipstick or silhouette. It may be the way you pull it all together. These are some of the things we want to explore here.

I had no plans to leave the house when I got dressed today, so I could have just thrown on any old thing. It seemed a shame to follow yesterday that way, so I opted for a well-fitting and comfortable pair of dark jeans instead, which I paired with a long-sleeved tee that really flatters my coloring. When I did leave the house, I added a couple of funky pieces of jewelry. It was no effort, but it did make me feel more coordinated. Then, today I felt pretty, too.

The Style Project

One night, midsummer, over wine we were feeling less then our best (Amanda was 9 months pregnant and Tori had a rough year) when we came up with a plan. A plan to spend a year exploring personal style in all areas of our lives. A plan to get it together whether "it" is a great outfit or perfect dinner party. Our plan revolves around a once a month girls' night focusing on exploring one element of style with a group of women of varied ages, shapes, and sizes. We think The Style Project will be fun and will leave us looking fabulous! Please join us and play along!

Personal Style

I've been thinking about how to start this blog for some time. The idea is, can one obtain a state of "cool"? I read an article about Ashley Olsen in the September 2009 issue of Marie Claire in which she states, "You're either born with a sence of style or you're not. Either you care or you don't." That's nice and all coming from Ashley Olsen with her two clothing lines and designer duds aplenty, but where does that leave the rest of us who grew up back to school shopping at J.C. Penny and Mervyns? I did care and I do care, but I can promise you I was not born or raised with any kind of style. I guess that leaves the rest of us trying to attain cool.