Monday, June 25, 2012

I love Paris.

I have always been interested in France and the French culture. I don't have an explanation for why, I just do. I first noticed my love in middle school when I chose French over Spanish. I've always thought the language was beautiful. I stayed with it in high school and even college. I took my first trip my first year of college. I was a young lover of travel and had the most fun on our 2 week tour in Paris. I will never forget the passion I suddenly felt as we arrived. We had already been in London for a few days but Paris felt like a whole new world. I loved the fashion, the culture, the art, the food, the architecture. From then on I was hooked. I went back to France for a semester abroad, this time to Nantes. It was a quiet and beautiful seaside town which only furthered my love of France. I don't have another trip scheduled yet but I've certainly got one planned! I can't wait to share the city I love with the one I love.

I call myself a functionalist.

I don't mean it in any particular subject like politics or religion, I mean it in a way of looking at the world, the things in it and living. I believe the best things in life serve multiple functions that make life easier. I look at every situation with a plan in mind, how will I go about this task so that it accomplishes my task and saves the most time and money? I don't typically buy something that doesn't accomplish more than one function, at least these days. I use to buy whatever I liked, whether it suit my needs and style or not. If I liked it I bought it. And I didn't try things on or take them for a "test drive". I have learned so much throughout the years, it's scary! It makes me cringe to think how much money I have thrown away on things that weren't deliberate purchases that I donated or gave to friends. My closet was absolutely busting at the seems and I still felt like I had nothing to wear. It didn't help that I was also a pack rat. One day a flip was switched and that all changed for me, and thank heavens it did! And I don't have a clue what made me switch. I still have my little stashes but I have them for better reasons now. And I clean out my closet about every six months. Doing that over the years has gotten me from a closet so full I couldn't even see what I had to one hanging rack with lots of room and dresser drawers with stuff I actually wear (and can find). I am still well at the start of my wardrobe and fashion journey but I am so excited and passionate about it. I am learning so much, not just about fashion and how to curate a well intentioned wardrobe but also about my sense of self and how to reflect on the outside how I feel on the inside. Reading blogs, a few in particular, has really helped me get an idea of what look/style/feel I am going for and how to accomplish it. I decided to give back to the blogging world by trying my own hand at it. I am not claiming to be any kind of expert or really have much knowledge at all on the subjects of fashion, style or even blogging but I love all of them so much that I thought I'd combine my passions and share what I learn along the way. I hope you enjoy The Functionality of Fashion.