The moment I saw this jacket on Topshop's Twitter feed, I snapped it up. Well, I deliberated for about 4 hours because £125 is a lot for me to spend on a jacket, but then I snapped it up. I sent photos to my boyfriend too, and was both pleased and surprised when he told me that is was such a 'me' jacket. It made me question what my style actually is, and how I've always viewed it as pretty vanilla. But on reflection, I've been told throughout my life that my style isn't always 'normal'.
I remember being really young and in a Next store with my mum, her holding up the same top in both black and pink, as she tried to talk me out of picking the black one. I remember wearing a 50's style satin midi dress and chunky rose gold jewellery to prom while everyone was in floor length gowns with glittering jewels. I remember being asked in college why I was always wearing heels and why I never wore jeans. I remember being told that I ruined my nice sandals by wearing frilly socks underneath. I remember my style being commented on every meeting at my magazine meetings. I remember wearing my new favourite jumper a few weeks ago and my boyfriend telling me he hated it. (That one sounds cruel but I promise it wasn't!)
Quite clearly I'm not the most adventurous fashion blogger out there. I'm still a jeans and tee girl at heart (I grew to love jeans eventually), but I do like to have some interesting pieces in my wardrobe that I can incorporate when I'm feeling particularly sassy or edgy or uber-girly or whatever mood I'm in that day. I've always found that pretty ordinary to do, but it's only when I talk to other people or read comments that I see how scared some people are of trying something out of their comfort zone, or that is at least a bit odd to the general public.
Fashion is meant to be fun and it makes me a little sad when someone tells me "I love that outfit but I could never wear something like that!" It's easier said than done, but you shouldn't let your fear of not looking good to other people stop you from wearing something. At the very least you should try it on! I think the key to wearing slightly more out-there pieces is to pair them with simple outfits. For example, I like wearing this jacket with a classic black jeans and tee combo, or with a plain dress underneath. It's definitely one of those items that gets a few looks, but I think it's gorgeous.
I couldn't tell you the amount of times I've tried a million outfits on in one night, gone out, then looked at the photos months later absolutely horrified at what I chose to wear. Mistakes are meant to be made, and with fashion it's not something that will leave you with lasting damage. You can take clothes off (in fact it's very fun to) and you can switch up items or buy more or even alter them with a bit of DIY or tailoring. I think I've always naturally been curious to experiment with my style in small ways, but I still fully believe that it's something no-one should shy from. It's like dyeing your hair - you won't truly know if you suit it until you take the plunge!
So there you go, a bit of a ramble prompted by a mere jacket. There are days where I don't feel cool or like I don't know how to dress myself, but an item like this can change my outlook as soon as I've pulled it on. Here's my message: wear the clothes you want to wear, try the clothes you want to try, feel amazing.
P.S. This jacket gives me life. I love my painted ladies.