What does the word “bold” mean to you…
THE STORY
…According to dictionary.com, the definition is: 1. not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring; 2. not hesitating to break the rules of propriety; forward; impudent; and 3. beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action; imaginative.
I got to thinking about the word “bold” when Chico’s gifted me with the super cool “53 Years Bold” tee just in time for my 53rd birthday as part of their “How Bold Are You” Campaign. To some people, being considered bold is a bad thing (see “impudent” above). I think that in certain situations it has negative connotations, particularly for women. In my opinion, those “certain situations” are absurd. How can one consider being courageous and daring a negative?
I for one, am a huge fan of breaking the rules; for being imaginative and going beyond conventional limitations. If I were a rule follower, this blog would have never come into existence. If I were lacking in boldness, I would have never considered wearing my age proudly displayed on my chest for all the world to see.
I spent years and years of my life trying to fit into the “good girl” mold. If I was good enough at this, or good enough at that, or just plain good enough, then people would love me. Guess what? I wasted a lot of time trying to conform to what I thought others wanted. It wasn’t until I was bold enough to simply be myself and live my life the way I wanted to that I realized all the rest was nothing more than background noise.
So, how about you? Are you bold enough to be yourself? Bold enough to shout your age from the rooftops? Bold enough to live the life that makes you happy?
THE OUTFIT
Spring was here…until it wasn’t. As you can see from the pictures, a rather impromptu blizzard kicked up just as I was starting to take the shots. Since Winter decided to make a comeback the day I wore this, layering a long sweater vest under the kimono was a necessity; if not for fashion, then for survival. I love layering for the visual appeal, but at this time of year when the weather is so all over the place, layering is the key to staying comfortable all day long.
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times…there’s pretty much nothing a good kimono won’t dress up. Black pants and a tee aren’t exactly exciting, but add a floral kimono on top and some leopard pumps for a little print mix action and now you have something fun going on. Speaking of the pumps, if any of you are on the market for a pair of leopard pumps with a not too high solid block heel that are comfortable all day, then your search is over. And it doesn’t hurt that they are currently only $32.
THE TIP
When the season is in transition between Winter and Spring, go for several lighter layers that are easily removable as opposed to the bulkier layers you sported all Winter. That way if it warms up, it’s easy to take something off and if a surprise blizzard shows up you can always throw the additional layer back on.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Kimono: Similar; Pants: Chico’s (Similar); Tee: c/o Chico’s; Shoes: JCPenney
