I meant to post one of my backlogged posts today. But then this dress happened. I suppose I should have styled it yesterday for Cinco de Mayo, but when I slipped it over my head I realized it smelled like an old building in the worst way (confession, I tend to wear my thrifted clothes at least once before washing, unless they look or smell dirty…), so I soaked it (I didn’t want to risk the washer) and hung it to dry last night so that I could wear it today instead. (You can listen to the story behind this dress in yesterday’s thrift haul. It starts at 13:45 if you don’t want to watch the whole video.)

Do you ever have those days where you can’t find the perfect pair of shoes to go with your outfit, so you just say “forget shoes!” and instantly feel better? That was me, today, as you can see. I am dying for a good pair of retro red heels, but I haven’t found that perfect pair yet (I’d love something like Kara’s heels here), but someday when I do find them, I’ll be able to wear a “proper” outfit with shoes and all. Then again, as a farm girl, this is completely a comfortable outfit for me.  (Update: literally five minutes after deciding to peek at Modcloth while typing, these heels were 70% off, and I’ve had my eye on them for months, and the last one was MY SIZE. So… that was lucky.)   I grew up running around barefoot in the grass and dirt and rock driveway; I grew up with callouses and dirt and feet that were not dainty and pretty, and if I’m honest, I should tell you that I still get those callouses and dirty heels. Though I’ve grown up and have babies of my own, I still love having bare feet. I love grass between my toes, mud squelching under my heels to cool them, and dust pounding up as I run barefoot and fancy free in the sun.

Though I’ve grown into a sense of vintage style, I will likely  never leave behind the farm girl within, who doesn’t care if her feet are not baby-soft because a day in the sun with no shoes, gardening, playing, exploring, is better than never letting my toes relish the grass for fear of callouses and stains.

So when I kicked off my shoes in frustration after photographing a few shots and not liking them, the day instantly felt better. Despite the knowledge of spiders hiding in the wet moss, despite the tufts of cut grass still laying in the lawn, despite the sticks that pricked the arches of my feet with a careless step.

A little sense of carefree is what makes my style feel more like myself, I think. A bit of fun thrown into the femininity, a shot of humor in an otherwise “serious” outfit, a bit of imperfection added to keep it from being too staid.

Vintage Oaxacan dress, thrifted (similar 1 // 2) | bracelet, gift | earrings, Renaissance faire | flowers, thrifted | lips, NYX Eros

And that’s what I love about fashion. There are very few real rights and wrongs. Nobody mandates that shoes have to be part of an outfit, or if they do, you can ignore them. It’s okay to break the rules if you want to, or make new ones, or follow them all. Mix clashing colors, pair jarring patterns, wear lipstick and no shoes, and just… have fun.

Most of all, though, don’t be afraid to wear what makes you happy, because you will never be brave enough until you just jump in and do it.

I hope you are all having a fantastic week! Happy Wednesday!

P.S. have you entered Shaped by Style’s Etsy card giveaway yet? You SHOULD.

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