I wore this outfit to attend my first official post-pandemic event a week or so ago and I loved it so much, I wanted to get better photos of it. I am a fan of this outfit for a few reasons:
-It combines both vintage and modern pieces. The skirt is clearly the vintage piece and the star of the outfit. An @etsy find from @lulutresors, it is home-sewn in the most beautiful lame brocade material (and the bow in the back just kills me). I paired it with a simple crop top and white patent leather @birkenstocks I loved how the fancy skirt looked when it was dressed down.
-I do not think I would have thought of this outfit on my own, but now that I have discovered it, it is a stylish, fun, and easy vibe to recreate with many other skirt/top combos.
-The fact that I did not think of this outfit on my own, brings me to point number three of why I love this outfit. SPOILER ALERT This story involves a bit of shade. Fashion shade if you will.
I was at the dog park one evening and a lady was there basically wearing this outfit. It was so cute. So cute, in fact, that I complimented her on the outfit and asked her where she got her skirt. This is where things got weird. Her face immediately changed, her light-hearted demeanor was gone, and she just stared at me without answering. I thought to myself that surely this lady cannot be offended at this and before I could stop myself, blurted out, “Ohhhh, I bet that skirt is vintage.”
It was at that point that she literally sighed, made the “tsk” sound, and begrudgingly answered, “Ummm, of course, it’s vintage.” She then called her dog and walked away. As she was leaving, I heard someone else compliment her skirt, but she sighed again and kept walking without stopping or even glancing their way.
I thought I had to be imagining the entire thing, but my teen came over shortly after this lady left and said, “was that lady actually mad that you asked about her skirt? It sure seemed like it,” so I feel validated in my read of the situation.
So, I copied her outfit. Head to toe. And photographed it for AFL. If that makes me shady, so be it, but I am the type of woman that is not only happy and flattered if another woman compliments my outfit, but I share any important details: if it was on sale; if it is thrifted; or if it is a new purchase, I will tell her where I got it and encourage her to get her own (especially if it is on sale!). I will also tell her if it has pockets, but that could be its own post.
Lastly, especially as I get older, I only want to spend my time with women who feel and do the same.
What do you do when someone compliments your outfit? Have you ever had a similar experience? And on a scale of 1 to RuPaul’s Drag Race, how shady am I being?
Photography by Breezy Ritter