{ Scenic Overlook, Route 17 }
Zara Sweater (similar) | Old Express Leggings (similar)
Spratters & Jayne Leg Warmers | Ugg Clogs (similar) | Zac Posen Bag c/o
When ShopStyle asked me to partner with them to support Dress For Success this holiday season, one of their requests was that I announce the partnership with a post that included a few shots of my “power outfit.” And I thought about this, because I know what I “should” put up: a photo of a great suit, or maybe a really beautifully cut cocktail dress. But those have never been my power outfits; not even close.
When I was in high school, I wore really bizarre stuff. Thrifted old man-style pajamas from the Salvation Army. Chartreuse chiffon prom dresses with bedazzled necklines. And my personal favorite: a purple crushed velvet robe with long Galdalf-y sleeves that trailed on the ground (oh yes I did – and if you asked me if I’d seen The Craft once or three thousand times I think you know what the answer would be). And while my mother definitely gave me some despairing looks when she spotted me in the mornings, she also never said a word (well, for the most part; the chartreuse prom dress ended up being the one that broke her when she saw me wandering off to my 8:30AM class in it). I suspect that the reason she didn’t stop me from wearing exactly what I wanted to wear was that she knew then what I know now: that it takes time to figure out what you feel good in…and that “what you feel good in” is a thing worth trying to figure out.
Especially when I’m not feeling my best – tired, or under the weather, or just uncomfortable in my own skin for whatever reason, as we all are from time to time – I’ve discovered that there are certain pieces of clothing that I can just put on and that I know will make me feel at ease with myself and the way that I move through the world. And sure, we may just be talking about a grey sweater that’s starting to pill at the cuffs and a seven-year-old pair of studded leggings (both of which are pictured here, because no matter how many years pass I will never be able to let them go), but to me these items symbolize something much bigger.
A dress, a coat, a pair of pants: they may just look like a few pieces of fabric put together in a particular way, but I’ve always believed that they have the power to be more than that. Because the right clothing – by which I mean the clothing that’s right for you…it matters. It makes you stronger, braver, and gives you the opportunity to feel – and be – transformed.
100% of the sales from Ramshackle Glam on Dec 8-9 will go to Dress for Success, and ShopStyle will be matching my contribution. (To see who else is participating in the initiative, click here.)
So: now’s a good time to tick off those last few items on your gift list, if you still have ’em. For inspiration, check out my gift guide for the ladies (including some stuff for kids), Kendrick’s Gift Guide for Guys, and my Home for the Holidays guide.
