Dressing for Success

     On a recent job interview I partook in, I was asked "what does success look like for you?" And let me tell ya - that one stumped me. Growing up I had this idea of "success" and how it looked; it was your typical married at 24, kids at 25, successful career before that outlook on life, that realizing now, a lot of girls my age had. But as I am on the other side of 25 now as a freshly turned 27 (wow... i'm old), when I was asked this, my answer was not the same as it was when i was 18. 
     Being successful to me now means being happy and content with my life, even if there is no ring, kids or picket fence. It means being comfortable where I am at, but also not needing to make things happen. 

     You are probably wondering "Mik, how does success work with fashion?" Well, with my definition of success, I want to be happy + comfortable in my skin and with what is on my skin, whether its shorts, shirts, dresses, etc. You won't be happy or comfortable in something you do not like wearing. As I was growing  up, I was never really into fashion. Nice shirts were too itchy, I didn't like showing my legs or belly or arms (although looking at photos in the past, it was definitely not something I should have worried about), and do not even get me started on dresses. Don't get me wrong, I liked looking cute, but would never turn down a time to just wear workout shirts and big shirt.
     As I have gotten older and have spent time figuring out what I like and what makes my happy, my style has changed. It could be the influence of people around me but I think a huge part is, I am just finally looking at myself in a better light. Even with the pandemic and the first year, not really being able to go out much (hi, bad immune system), I think that was sort of the big shift I finally saw. Now, I still have those little moments when I second-guess my outfit, but most of the time, I am pretty happy when I walk out the door. And it shows. 
     So I wanted to share with y'all some of my top favorite outfits from the past couple of years:

Spring Break 2022 aka the only day I got off during the week - I am a huge fan of bralettes recently and pairing it with an oversized fishing shirt I found at Goodwill and my high waisted shirts, the only thing missing was a boat I could relax on.

Long sleeved crop top + destroyed jeans = go-to fall look when it decides to drop to a nice 60 degree weather. These are some of my favorite pair of jeans because they can be paired with a shirt, tank top, crop top, etc.

On the rare occasion I go out, I like to look + feel good. This off the shoulder, wine colored long-sleeve pairs perfect with my destroyed jeans that are slowly taking over my closet.

Off-the-shoulder options are some of my favorite pieces just because there is something elegant about them. Add in a flowy dress with a slight up the side and this girl is very happy. I have become a fan of dresses in the past year so finding this piece and FINALLY being able to wear it was a win for me.

It is definitely not all about dressing up. Some of my all time comfortable, confident looks are ones that include biker shorts and a big shirt.

when we went to Florida for my 27th birthday, I knew I wanted to expand on my wardrobe a bit since I was going to a place where I wouldn't know anyone. I could test out outfits there to see if I really liked them. Spoiler: I loved them. The crop top and clothe shorts were one of my favorites and I felt so confident in it, even when it started storming. It also helped I got someone's number in it soooo.... Keeping up with the clothe shorts theme, my animal kingdom Safari inspired outfit was perfect, even if there was no safari and it ended up storming so we got drenched. Best part of that outfit? My Lion King shirt I got for $5 at Dollar Tree!

Right at the start of the pandemic I started to be more confident and comfortable in my clothes, even if it meant just a pair of joggers + graphic tee. If I am just running a quick errand, you can bet this is my repeat outfit.

Oversized button downs are some of my favorite pieces because they are so versatile. They can be worn as dresses, especially if you have a nice bit you can use to cinch it at the waist. Or you can just tuck it in to your favorite pair of jeans. Or even tie it up and wear it as a crop top. 

What I learned most the last couple of years is that it doesn't need to be designer for it to look fashionable. And you don't need to dress up all the time - sometimes your favorite pair of jeans, a tank top and a baseball jersey, unbuttoned, can be the perfect look for a spring day.