Dressing for the Feels; Collecting Over Time

Picking pieces from a vintage shop, a thrift store, flea markets, antique malls, or wherever you happen to stumble across them, you don't always know what they'll become. Sometimes you simply recognize something and think, I'll figure out how to wear that.

The sandals? I found them half buried in the sand on the beach years ago.

The loose, ropey sweater reminded me of fishing nets, and living by the ocean, that felt right.

The graffiti tote instantly brought to mind some of my favorite '80s artists—raw, colorful, expressive. It had attitude before I even carried it.

One by one, these pieces found me.

Collected over years.

Accumulated almost by accident.

And somewhere along the way, they stopped feeling like individual finds and simply became... me.

Today happened to hold two different moods.

The morning belonged to the beach with Harris—the striped shorts, braided flip-flops, a tank, the loose fishnet sweater, salty air, and an easy rhythm.

The afternoon belonged to the vintage boutique—Coach leather, watercolor prints, vintage jewelry, darker eye makeup, and just enough rock and roll.

That's the perfect balance for me.

I live in a seaside town, so beach casual will probably always be part of who I am. But every now and then I love leaning into a mood with a little more city edge—a little more downtown brunette than barefoot beach girl.

I don't really dress for decades anymore.

I dress for the feeling.

And I love following wherever that feeling takes me.

🖤