New Hat

I don't often wear hats, mostly because I'm afraid of the dreaded "hat-head" when I take it off (I have the type of hair that immediately fills with static or gets a strange ripple across the back).  But I keep seeing this hat around and I was just positive it would suit me.  Technically it's a cap, it has a lot of different names one of which a military cap.  During the summer I couldn't find what I was looking for (cotton/twill), but then the other day at H&M the winter (wool/polyester) version popped up and I was sure to buy it!  H&M call it a flat cap but if you look up a flat cap, it's similar but not quite the same.  Maybe it's just the female version.  Needless to say it's super cute!  I wore it the first opportunity I could, and my niece's soccer in the middle of December was just the right excuse.  I'm sure it helped keep me warm, hat's are there to serve a purpose.  But I have to be honest and say I wore it purely because I liked how it looked, how vain of me!  Sure times will arise that I'll actually use it to stay warm, giving me more options than the one white knit beanie I own.  Actually I own other hats, but I don't think I'll be wearing the leopard print cuffed hat I bought in the 90's that's still lurking in one of my drawers. 

Which reminds me, why do we keep these things?  Anyway, I just wanted to show you all my new winter hat, and the one I hope to find during the summer.  Speaking of summer hats, I still regret not buying a straw cowboy hat with seashells I fell in love with while dress shopping in 2006!  This doesn't happen to me often, but it was one time I wish I hadn't taken the cheap road and put the hat back on the shelf.  Maybe the next time I'm back in Florida I'll find another one.  And if there are any men reading this post, I promise you there is a difference between the two hats pictured besides the color, ha-ha!

New Dress

Being in fashion is not important to me, I'd actually prefer to look a little different than other women I know.  Conforming is not my thing!  But occasionally things happen and I buy something that's considered trendy... usually on sale at the end of the season so technically it's no longer in fashion, oh well.  We had planned a trip to Ireland this weekend, but a chicken pox scare forced us to cancel our trip.  Prior to the trip I had ordered quite a few dresses from H&M but since we decided not to go I didn't bother to open the bag.  Then last night unexpected dinner plans popped up and I needed something to wear.  I generally never wear new clothes unless I wash them, much less wrinkled ones straight out of the bag but I had no option (actually I own a lot of dresses but I felt the need for a new one).  I tried on around 6 dresses and in the end let my husband pick.  I knew it was too wrinkled, I tried to iron it but with no avail, and yet I let my husband talk me in to wearing it out.  While it was still daylight I hid between my husband and my purse, and of course sunglasses that don't actually hide a thing but make you feel concealed.  It was a friends birthday and she was shocked to see me out in a dress.  I wear them more than she realizes, but in the 8 yrs we've known each other she can count on one hand how many times she's seen me in one.  It was nice to know everyone thought I looked so nice considering how uncomfortable I was.  By nightfall (and on to a fav bar), I came out of my shell a bit and didn't mind the attention the neon pink dress was bringing, and to be honest the flowing skirt made dancing around fun.  I still have a few other dresses in the H&M bag that I might try on again and consider keeping, but then again I live in The Netherlands and it's rarely warm enough to truly enjoy a dress.

Clothing Style

My clothing style... casual, sporty, preppy.  I don't think there's a name for it because I myself don't even know my style anymore.  It was so simple when I lived in Florida, it was hot hot hot, so that meant less what better.  Less was also easier.  A fun tank top, a pair of denim shorts, flips-flops, maybe some jewelry and I was done.  I didn't live in NYC or LA, I didn't have to think about being trendy or stylish.  Plus I weighed a lot less (a lot younger), making it easy to buy clothes and look nice in everything.  Then I moved to the Netherlands, where I consider the women to be quite stylish/trendy (not all of my friends agree, I would never survive where they're from).  For years I refused to buy clothes here, their style was far from mine.  Over time I started to give in, even though I look ridiculous in most of the Dutch clothes.  I've figured out a way to combine the Dutch and American clothes so that when I leave the house I still have an ounce of confidence left.  One of the biggest issues I have with style/trends is it's impracticality.  As you might have read in many of posts, I walk a lot, and everywhere.  When it's an hour round trip to take my daughter to toddler swimming class, do you really think I'm going to bust out the heels?  I get sweaty, it rains often, do you think I want to risk messing up any of my nice clothes or jackets?  I have a 2 1/2 yr old - I get dirty often, I'm home a lot, and I'm constantly cleaning or running errands; most trendy clothes just don't suit these situations.  Plus, I'm frugal (cheap), I don't want to wear my expensive clothes to run to the grocery store or to drop my kid off at school.  So this leaves me wearing jeans and cotton shirts most everyday.  I went to a birthday party recently and as I looked around at the Dutch women they were all dressed in some version of the same outfit.  A blazer or short leather jacket, a scarf, skinny jeans, and some type of ankle length shoes.  The scarf; I don't understand how they all do it, it would drive me crazy, I would feel as if I were being choked the entire time.  And the skinny jeans; it took me forever to understand this trend, I like loose fitting jeans and dare I say it, boot-cut.  But like I said, I occasionally try out the trends, and for the life of me, I can't find a pair of skinny jeans that fit me right.  I have decent legs, you'd think skinny jeans would suit me, but I also have a decent size midriff thanks to having a child and my eating habits.  And in order to get the pants to fit my waist, the legs end up being too loose.  My sister-in-law loves fashion and trends.  She looks nice, it looks fun, but there are few outfits of hers I would ever wear.  She tries to help me, she'll dress me up, put me in front of the mirror and wow, I look ridiculous.  How does an outfit that looks so trendy on one person look so silly on me?  It's not that I don't have the confidence to wear it, it's just not me.  I went to a party over the Christmas holidays, I gave in, dressed a bit more on the Dutch side, everyone noticed, everyone complimented me... and when I got home the first thing I did was strip it off because I was outrageously uncomfortable.  I put on my jeans, a tank top, a zip-up sweatshirt (all American Eagle, the only brand I truly love), and I could breath and relax again.  I'm not blind to style and fashion, even though my outfit choices might appear that way sometimes.  I look at websites and store fronts, they have so many great ideas.  But they also have so many layers and accessories.  I'm not on the thin side, and I'm constantly hot, layers are the last thing I want to wear.  My mother loves shopping, fashion, and make-up, what happened to me?  Don't think I'm not vain, because I can be.  I might be dressed casual but I'm always clean and have on make-up, I wouldn't leave the house otherwise.  (There is only one day a week I leave the house without make-up, toddler swimming  class days.)  I wonder if I'll ever find my style again... it's not just the move here that's changed my views on style, I'm getting older, what used to be acceptable no longer is.  Sometimes I flip threw my clothes and wonder how it's possible to own so many t-shirts with logos (long & short sleeve) or so many polo's, where are the blouses?  I try, and I try, I order a million things from H&M, keep one thing and ship the rest back.  H&M is one of the few places I shop in the Netherlands, mostly I count on my birthday or Christmas and the jeans my Mom mails me!  I keep telling myself once I have a car and will not be forced to walk everywhere my time will come... I'll be able to dress impractical and stylish, and will not have to worry about being hot and/or the climate conditions.  But until then, everyone is just going to have to deal with my boring, "relaxed" style.  I found a picture from dixi3chik/Polyvore, it's the closest thing to how I dress (and unbelievably, it's considered country, wow, didn't see that coming - my husband's probably chuckling right now).