Learning to be Myself

Posted on June 12, 2019February 7, 2020 by Melissa Harrison

I can’t believe it took me 31 years to realize I should just wear what I like. I shouldn’t be worried about showing too much; if someone has a problem with my cute crop top or unlined bra, that’s about them, not about me. I shouldn’t ask myself if my love for campy fringe is too much… too much for whom? and of course it is, that’s what makes it camp! This outfit might not seem like much of a statement, but stepping out in it, and feeling more confident than ever, was a big step for me and symbolic of the changes I’ve been trying to make for myself.

Maybe it’s the roller derby – and spending the last six months feeling my body become stronger and faster – but I felt great in this: the first crop top I have ever purchased. I wore it to a barbecue and didn’t feel the usual need to cover up or apologize for my female figure, like I’ve been trained to do since that summer my legs grew several inches and the boys noticed before I did.

I fell in love with the perfect black fringe and brightly coloured pom pom trim of these sandals the second I saw them last summer, but didn’t buy them because I was worried they would be too bold to fit in with my current wardrobe. When I saw that they were on clearance this spring, and about to slip through my fingers, I realized that I was being silly and if I loved something that much, it was obviously part of my core style. I have since worn them so often, they have found a permanent position on the little mat by my front door because of course they suit me.

I’ve had to learn, over the past two decades, to trust my taste, learn to stop fretting over other people’s expectations and opinions about my body and the way I choose to decorate it (because it’s super weird that they feel the need to tell me, anyway) and, really, learn how to be myself.

TopAmerican Apparel
SkirtSteady Clothing

All photos by me.

Fleeting Seasons

Posted on May 22, 2018May 18, 2018 by Melissa Harrison

We seem to have skipped spring here. We had snow falling right up to the end of April then switched suddenly to 20°C weather with no going back. All the plants have burst into life. It seemed like the magnolia and fruit trees would never get their flowers until they were suddenly there. Then, I think due to the sudden start to summer, they had all fallen away and been replaced with leaves within a week.

I thought I had lots of time to photograph my beautiful crab apple tree in bloom, but the petals all fell away before I got the chance. It feels very representative of the way life has been going since I became one of those very busy adults. The seasons and the weather slip away before I knew they were here.

That’s why, this summer, I’ve got a list and big plans to accomplish everything on it. I’m going to spend time with the people I love at the cottage, and spend as much time as I can swimming, even if my only companion is the dog. I’m going to sit on patios in pretty dresses, drinking radlers, shandies and cocktails. I’m finally going to find a good place for breakfast/brunch in this city that I’ve lived in for nearly a decade. I’m going to put lots of vegetables I’ve never grown before in my garden. I’m going to work hard and spend as much time as possible outside on the weekends. I’m going to say yes to the things that make me nervous and no to the things that make me sad. I’m going to thoroughly enjoy this summer before it slips away!

Top Banana Republic
Skirt ModCloth
Necklace Emery & Opal
Hair Flowers H&M
Earrings very old

All photos by me.

Complete Collection

Posted on February 2, 2018March 13, 2018 by Melissa Harrison

I’ve always wanted to be one of those people who is organized enough to own a favourite piece of clothing in multiple colours. I never seem to be on the ball enough to go back and grab the same style in a second hue or print after falling in love with the first. I’ve also always wondered, while watching others do it, if this makes good wardrobe building sense.

I bought this skirt from ModCloth a couple of years ago, in yellow, and immediately loved it. I love the colour, the cut, the way it moves and the way I can style it to suit every season. I get compliments nearly every time I wear it and it’s always the first thing I toss in my suitcase when packing for an adventure. I’ve already had to mend it twice and will be utterly heartbroken when it dies.

I’ve been aware since I bought the skirt – and agonized over the colour choices – that ModCloth sells the style in a rainbow of colour options. I’ve kept the notion that I might buy it again tucked in my back pocket but never thought I would pull the trigger; the fashion world is so vast and life’s too short to explore the same place twice, right? But then I saw my beloved skirt on sale, in red, and decided to see what this complete collection thing was all about.

Let me say, I’m so glad I did. I love this skirt as much as the first! The neat thing is, I already know exactly how to wear it… because I sort of already owned it. It seem to me to make good sense when assembling a wardrobe, even on a budget. You know it’s going to work with your overarching style, and match the other pieces already in your collection, because you’ve previously tested it. The longevity of the new investment seems solid too. The risk of the new piece falling out of style or you falling out of love with it are low when the rewards of old one have been so great.

I think I’ve been converted to this way of thinking and shopping. Maybe I’ll become one of those people with the gorgeously curated closet holding a full rainbow of their favourite pieces.

Skirt ModCloth
Sweater H&M
Stockings What Katie Did
Jewellery old

All photos by me.

Sophster-Toaster

Red Skirt

Learning to be Myself

Fleeting Seasons

Complete Collection