Since I recently discovered Confident Twosday over at Why I Do Declaire, I thought I'd kick off this week's WIWW post with a note about how my own confidence is evolving, especially in regard to clothes and appearance.

Growing up, I did not have a very accurate idea of how I looked. I was 4'11" by third grade and got stuck in this mindset of feeling really tall and awkward, even though most of my classmates quickly caught up to or surpassed me. I wore a lot of hand-me-downs as a kid and was oblivious to how things fit. (This was the '90s, so you can imagine how attractive I looked!) The more covered up, the better! Jeans in summer? Yes please! Plus, for 12 years, I spent every school day in a uniform--"what should I wear" only crossed my mind every few months on a dress down day. But then, COLLEGE. Not only could I suddenly wear whatever I wanted, but I had a job for the first time and the freedom to buy my own clothes. And yet I still farmed out the "what should I wear" decision to someone else when possible, enlisting my bffl to pick out my outfits! Graduation forced me out of that habit, and I began to grow and develop my own style.

So while I post "outfit pics" on here, they are much more about the girl in front of the lens, who is finding courage and finally starting to feel comfortable coming out of hiding and doing what she wants, dressing how she wants, exploring what she wants, and posting what she wants. This space here draws me out of my shell. And I hope you, dear reader, have a space/outlet/hobby that allows the same.

Plus, taking outfit pics lets an ordinary girl of average height play model! And not only model but all the parts of a "photoshoot": stylist, set designer, photographer (sometimes). It's a fun creative exercise--and much better than picking apart all the reasons why I can't be a real model! :D

OKAY, that's enough feels for one day! Moving on to this week's pics...

Wednesday 8/12 (the day I re-discovered the sock bun--celebrate good times, come on!)