twelveofour

The truth of the matter is that I'm not very comfortable in short shorts, nor have I ever been. Even in high school, when I was at school for a solid 13 hours a day doing extra curricular things, like running my four track events, being the tennis team captain, AP classes, SAT this and that, and my legs were crazy fit, I still didn't feel like the short skirt/shorts vibe was ever me. It's not so much a self confidence thing so much as I don't think the entire world needs to see me in that light. That fleshy sexy light.

Yikes. I guess it's more of a control freak thing then, and maybe a proportion thing that I've always known to not work with my pear shaped body. Summer months have never been my favorite anyway. My entire childhood growing up in Los Angeles when it was hot as hell most of the year meant that I had two choices in the morning: what tank top, what pair of shorts. It was a boring combination that probably explains why I dislike summer so much when it comes to fashion and style. Ever since I moved to the Bay Area after college, I always enjoyed the chill of Karl the Fog and seemingly endless fall weather.

I digress! Anyway, short shorts and super mini things are always going to be a past road I never ventured down. Why? Because with my twenties in the rear view mirror I'm thinking it will never be a good time for me to wear hot shorts and feel like, "dayum, the world needs to see me in this outfit. Nick take a picture of me in this right now." Sure, I choose to have those moments privately, like when I'm on vacation or in the company of my closest friends, but on abnormally hot days in the Bay Area, where it's freakishly 90˚ for a couple weeks now, I need to be able to wear an outfit that is made for the heat and still feel polished. This (above) is that for me. I'm still wearing the jorts, but in a way that makes me feel more at ease, and honestly, kind of minimalist modern.

I admit my outfit is not a textbook summer looks you'll find in slideshows with "Outfits to OMG Copy Right Now," but I'm sure you'll agree that when it comes to summer and heat waves you just have to do what feels good to you until cooler weather comes around again. But hey, I'm not hatin'. If short shorts happen to be your thing and you feel like a million bucks in them, then dude, wear the short shorts. Life is but a blink.

mansur gavriel lady bag (large) | madewell jeans (size 29) | zara dress (small) | Newbark shoes (8) | pomwum bag charms | clyde hat | elva fields earrings | céline caty sunglasses

Boyfriend jeans are a staple in my closet not just because they are crazy comfortable, but because they feel like they belong on my body and in my aesthetic to the core. I can't say I'm a fan of the name "Boyfriend" jeans, with the implications that I am some sort of thief with no means to wear my own jeans and have no other recourse than to steal my man's pants. No, when I wear my baggy pants they are distressed, oversized, and completely my own idea. I know they're not the most body conscious pair of pants, mostly because they do nothing to feature any sense of a figure, and in some cases give me an unfortunate crotch appearance, but is it insane to feel more empowered in them versus a tight pair of skinny jeans? As if pulling them on somehow allows me to move more freely, unconstricted, and therefore more able and ready to handle whatever problem flings at me throughout the day?

Perhaps it is an insane feeling. But you know what? I dress for me. Some women find empowerment in lipstick, others in jewelry, or even in minimalism, so this is mine. Tomboys unite, be yo'self, etc.