This is a story about how wide calf knee high boots saved me from being in a rut when I got dressed in the morning!
If you’re having a hard time getting dressed right now, you’re not alone!
I never thought I would feel this way about getting dressed. Back in March when quarantine began, I kept telling myself that I wouldn’t miss an opportunity to put on actual clothing—instead of plus size sweatpants. I longed for the days when I could get dressed for work or to go out to dinner with friends, but now that I am doing those things regularly, I rarely ever have a good time putting outfits together—let alone getting dressed. But I am not sure exactly why I now hate getting dressed and become so discouraged as I get ready for almost every occasion, but I have a couple of theories:
- I got so used to the convenience and comfort of sweatpants and plus size yoga pants, and now nothing else feels quite as comfortable—obviously.
- My body has changed. I have gained weight, which means that my clothes fit a little tighter than usual. I am totally okay with this and I accept these changes. But when clothing doesn’t fit right, it can be discouraging.
- I find myself in a constant battle with wanting to wear fashion-forward styles or new and bold trends, but I think my over-optimism about how these trends will translate on my body leave my confidence suffering.
Channeling confidence through clothing and knee high wide calf boots
Being someone who relies on clothing to boost my confidence, I knew that I had to really sit with these feelings and come up with a game plan to get myself excited about getting dressed again. While I have spent years cultivating confidence and breaking away from the mindset and boundaries that told me what I could and couldn’t wear, I realized that I may have to re-build that confidence to get back to the fearless relationship I had with clothing. How would I do this? I went back to the basics.
Instead of trying to shoot for the stars with every look I created, I reached for the basics and foundation pieces that made me feel good. For me, that was a pair of stretchy skinny jeans, a loose-fitting sweater, and a pair of knee high wide calf boots. Like every girl ever, I love Fall specifically for fashion. I mean, what’s not to love about plus size sweaters and wide calf boots?
Creating the perfect plus size outfit
Before I put on the outfit you’re looking at right now, I was so worried about creating the perfect look. I was trying on skirts with tights and ankle boots and sneakers, and I kept piecing together outfits that I hated, which lead to a huge pile of clothes scattered across my bed. I was feeling so uninspired and my confidence plunged. But then, I saw this color-blocked plus size sweater that I got last fall from Chic Soul. To keep things simple, I went for a pair of black plus size skinny jeans—rather than blue wash denim (if you are feeling overwhelmed when you’re creating an outfit or you feel like nothing is looking good, try opting for a monochromatic look).
And to top off the look, I added my favorite knee high boots. Side note: I always worry about how to keep knee high boots up as I wear them throughout the day, but these Riko knee high boots from Eloquii stay put!
But just like that, I finally had on an outfit that was so easy to create but still did wonders for my confidence. Moral of the story: Sometimes it’s all about simplifying things (creating a monochromatic look) and bringing it back down to the basics (like jeans, a sweater, and some boots). Try not to over-complicate things, especially if you have noticed that you have been hard on yourself lately.
SIZING INFO: I am wearing Torrid’s Bombshell Skinny Jean in a size 18, which is my usual size, and it fits perfectly! I am also wearing a sweater from Chic Soul that is no longer in stock, but I have included some similar style of sweaters in the shop widget below!
