• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Style
    • Summer Outfits
    • Spring Outfits
    • Winter Outfits
    • Fall Outfits
    • Ethical Brands
    • Style How To’s
    • Thrift Month
    • Trimm Challenge
  • Lifestyle
    • Reflections
  • #trimmchallenge
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact

the threads we wear

Summer Style: Why I’m back to dresses

07.17.19Summer Outfits3

Getting reacquainted with a younger version of myself these days and that younger version was all about dreaming, creating, and playing with all of the dresses… so refreshing!

I grew up on old movies and I remember the first time I ever saw Ginger Rogers dancing with Fred Astaire in an old black and white film. Her dress did a deep v in the back and came to a point with a big bow, and every time she kicked her leg out when they would dance her dress would float up in the air.

It was magic…

I think that was the moment when I fell in love with fashion because it made me feel something.

Later, I learned that Ginger designed all of her clothes herself, with the intention of how they would look when she would dance and that only made me more enamored.

From that point on dresses were my jam. In fact, I would go as far as saying that I feel my very best and most me in a dress (or at least something that is flowy), which is ironic because I wear predominately jeans these days.

Something I’ve been thinking about though is why I stopped wearing dresses and there were actually some reasons that made me learn about myself:

  1. Capsule Wardrobes – I got rid of all my clothes about 4 years ago and paired down to a capsule wardrobe so I did not see dresses as versatile as basic tops and bottoms, especially because I didn’t really like the plain neutral dresses that would go with a lot.
  2. Wanted to be taken seriously – This seems silly to me now, but I have felt most of my life like I wanted people to listen to me and take me seriously, and well… dresses (I thought) are just not the most “serious” of the clothing bunch.
  3. Dresses made me “too much” – I don’t want to throw anyone under the bus here, but there were people/situations in my life that made me feel shame about wanting to express myself with clothing (in a normal and healthy way). So at times, it would make me feel bad about myself to wear something that was more than jeans and a simple shirt and I’ll just leave it at that!

I’m sharing this with you because I think it’s easy to accumulate untruths about the way we should live our lives and what’s interesting is that something as simple as clothing can really tell us a bit about ourselves if we take time to think about it. At least that has been my experience!

Mine showed me that I had too many structures (not that some structure is bad) that I put in my life and that I cared too much about how people received me or if they would judge me, and frankly those are all things that I’ve let go of and I’m just so thankful for that!

Now step by step I’m working to build up the dress situation in my closet because dresses to me symbolize so many things that I am. Free, playful, tender, beautiful, feminine, and not afraid to be seen! And they also are my first love in the world of fashion thanks to all those old movies I watched growing up.

This dress and these boots, in particular, are old but I’ve linked a few midi’s and white shoes for summer right here so you too can channel your inner Ginger if you are feeling it:

Necklaces

Coin Necklace Set | The Queen Pendant

Dresses

Vintage Inspired Midi (responsibly made) | Midi (under 50) | Similar Midi to Pictured Dress (under 30)

Shoes

White Booties | White Mules (under 50) | White Sandals

Mmmk time for a quick dance party…

So glad to be back in dresses and so glad to be growing and changing with each passing day I can tell you that much!

Would love to know – what is something that you’ve stayed away from in your closet for a long time that’s just sooo you? And have you ever asked yourself why?

So much love,

Mary Beth

 

3

Related

Previous Post: « Reflections on Thrift Month + 2 bonus outfits
Next Post: Shopping the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale with purpose »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Deborah Matheny

    07.18.19 at 9:30 am

    Bright colors! So me but somewhere along the line I got it in my head that they were “to much”. It’s time to let it go and enjoy color again!

    Reply
  2. Deborah L. Matheny

    07.22.19 at 6:58 pm

    This looks like a fun option. Absolutely love the chiffon dress! And the boots are just EXTRA… 😉

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hello & Welcome!

THE THREADS WE WEAR is a personal style blog all about spreading love and compassion through pursuing style with balance and intentionality! I hope you follow along and join in on the conversation.

Subscribe

Enter your email & never miss a post.

visit the SHOP

Topics

Footer

LET’S BE FRIENDS :)

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

marybethrouth

 276    1378


  • Hello friends happy Monday! I’M BACK! And I’ve dusted off the ol’ blogging fingers to share a more personal look at what 2020 was for me.☺️ . I went through so much growth this past year personally (didn’t we all), and worked through old struggles of fear, and self doubt that surfaced from old childhood trauma. But I have come out stronger and more resolved to be the person I was created to be. . Opening up about that and a snap shot of the highs and lows of this past year on the blog. Link in bio to read
  • Challenge Accepted.✨To my fellow woman, you are beautiful because of... The abuse you endured that you do not let define you. The disease or condition you developed that you do not let control you. The scars you have from childbirth that you choose to see as a souvenir. The times you chose a kind word over a tearing down comment. The times you looked at her with admiration and did not question your own worth. The times you gave your body the care it needed instead of pouring from an empty cup. For the all times you loved when it
  • Now more than ever it remains my heart to support brands who stand for something, whether that be their ethics (how they treat people), sustainability (how they treat the earth), or ways that they choose to honor both through giving. ✨ . With that said I am elated to share this beauty of a watch with you by @nordgreenofficial who believes in “good health, a clean environment, and full education as a right for all.” With every watch purchased they give either 2 months of clean drinking water to one person in The Central African Republic, 1 month of education
  • Love is the driving force that promotes the deepest change. Love is what brings unity. Love changes us more than simply knowing something and acting on it. When you love someone you do everything you can to protect that person, see them grow, see them thrive. @rachel.cargle said it best when she said “action without empathy is simply performance”, and I believe empathy’s roots are in love. So I am praying, praying for greater love in my heart, and in every heart, a love that would drive us all to true sustained change and action on behalf of Black lives.
  • Standing with you #blackouttuesday
  • “I am sorry, I’m listening, and I’m ready to learn.” The stance @oshetamoore encourages white peacemakers to take in racial reconciliation. I am broken hearted with the evil that has hurt my black brothers and sisters for far too long but this time is not about my sadness, it’s about the pain the black community has suffered in for simply living in their own skin. And this MUST come to an end. . Because of this I will not be posting on my social accounts this week to amplify black voices and focus my attention on listening and learning from
  • Hi it’s me here. Just surfaced from a week of quarantining in the mountains at my family’s house and it was just what my little mountain lovin’ heart needed. In other news just found out that my FAVORITE JUMPSUIT OF ALL TIME is on a flash sale right now in different colors and since it has been such a great addition to my wardrobe and produced by one of my favorite ethical brands @tradlands I just had to share.✨#tradlands #tradlandswornwell
  • Some days you just gotta throw on your fav golden something’s and remind yourself of the good things in life✨ @modandjo
Copyright © 2021 ⸱ the threads we wear ⸱ Design by Love Riot ♡

Copyright © 2021 · The Threads We Wear on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in