"The greatest fear in the world is of the opinions of others. And the moment you are unafraid of the crowd, you are no longer a sheep, you become a lion. A great roar arises in your heart, the roar of freedom." ~ Osho (Courage: The Joy of Living Dangerously)
What started out as a day where I thought I would be body shamed and told I was wearing a "tablecloth" actually turned out to be one of the best days of my life.
I have secretly loved gingham for a long time but never had the courage to wear it. I always felt uncomfortable at the thought of wearing a print where I knew someone would have something to say.
The opinions of others can be a pain in the ass and can really make you feel crappy. Yeah, I said it. People can be mean and it's not just strangers. Family members, friends, neighbors, hell, that lady at the bus stop... someone always has something to say about my body, my health and what I wear.
I love prints but have not always been as confident in wearing them as I am now. It took a lot of work on myself and how I let the opinions of others affect me.
Over time, I realized that many opinions are fueled by a person's personal feelings about the thing they are giving their opinion about. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME AT ALL.
Shocker!!!!
And I have a choice in how I let the opinions of others affect me in my life. I can accept their opinions and let it limit me or I can basically wear what I want and do whatever I want in my life. After being limited for a long time, I chose the latter. You can't live your best life if you're letting others limit you and affect how you feel about yourself.
When I went to Los Angeles with Alysse from Ready to Stare, I vowed that I would live my best life during this trip. And I did! I wore a two-piece swimsuit on the beach, I wore white and now I wore what some would say is a "tablecloth".
Well, I call it magical. And seriously, I am in love with this Gingham Fit & Flare Dress from Lane Bryant so I don't care what anyone says.
We started the day by visiting Little Damage in downtown LA to try their Black Roses ice cream. It's $7 ($6 plus $1 for one topping) but well worth the experience. We stood on line for like 30 minutes and then met up with some of our blogger friends to indulge.
It tasted alright but it's not something I am eager to try again. It tasted perfumey to me but hey, you only live once, right?
Then the rest of the day was spent at The Plus Bus Boutique for our closet sale during their Birthday celebration. It was an amazing day spent with amazing people in an amazing dress.
Plus, Alysse and I were twinning! She had on Lane Bryant's Gingham Belted Skirt with their Chambray One-Shoulder Top. Alysse is not someone who wears full skirts so she definitely stepped out of her comfort zone. I love how she made this look her own with the top, which is her style. She wore Lane Bryant's Faux Suede Mule in tan while I opted for some pull-on sneakers, also from Lane Bryant. (Mine are sold out but there's white ones still available)
So when we spied this heart mural wall while getting some elote the night before (shoutout to the Elote Man!), we knew we had to return and take some pics there in our gingham fabulousness. How fitting that we posed in front of a wall of hearts and love, wearing a print that people would surely body shame us for. How's that for sticking it to the "man"!?!
Next time someone tells me I can't wear something, I am going to keep walking and decide for myself if I want to wear that style. It is my body, my rules and my style.
And always have a kickass friend beside you as you live your best FAT life.
You can shop my look below:
Click here to read about Alysse's gingham experience and see more of what she wore from Lane Bryant.
Plus, Alysse and I were twinning! She had on Lane Bryant's Gingham Belted Skirt with their Chambray One-Shoulder Top. Alysse is not someone who wears full skirts so she definitely stepped out of her comfort zone. I love how she made this look her own with the top, which is her style. She wore Lane Bryant's Faux Suede Mule in tan while I opted for some pull-on sneakers, also from Lane Bryant. (Mine are sold out but there's white ones still available)
So when we spied this heart mural wall while getting some elote the night before (shoutout to the Elote Man!), we knew we had to return and take some pics there in our gingham fabulousness. How fitting that we posed in front of a wall of hearts and love, wearing a print that people would surely body shame us for. How's that for sticking it to the "man"!?!
Next time someone tells me I can't wear something, I am going to keep walking and decide for myself if I want to wear that style. It is my body, my rules and my style.
And always have a kickass friend beside you as you live your best FAT life.
You can shop my look below:
Flower Crown - my own
You can shop Alysse's look below:
Chambray One-Shoulder Top from Lane Bryant
Chambray One-Shoulder Top from Lane Bryant
Stay tuned to our blogs for more of our California adventures! And don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see even more photos. @readytostare @fearlesslyjustme
Click here to read about Alysse's gingham experience and see more of what she wore from Lane Bryant.
*This post is in collaboration with Lane Bryant but all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post also contains some affiliate links and I'll earn a small commission if you shop through them. This is one of the ways I can continue to bring you inspiring content. Thank you!
What a great dress! Looks really comfy too. Like the way you made it casual with the slip on sneakers.
ReplyDelete