Keeping it 100

Hey guys! I know it's been a while since I've written...August has been insane in the best way possible: concerts, vacation, friend and family time. August is usually my least favorite summer month because it means my favorite season is almost over, but it has been my favorite this year. Another good thing that happened this month? Today marks my 100th post on my blog account @riotxpearl! I can't believe it happened so fast. I truly do enjoy sharing my outfits with the online thrifting community and in turn appreciating everyone else's treasures and how they style them. I'm so glad that I decided to start blogging because it helps me "shop my own stash" and find new and exciting ways to appreciate what I have and discover new ways to wear pre-loved clothes and accessories.

Since this is a milestone post, I decided to be serious for a hot second.I read so many articles on fashion and style (Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar, and Man Repeller are my favorite resources) and amidst admiring the goods, I've noticed a disturbing trend, both in print and online. There seems to be an influx of articles on how women should dress: what's "appropriate" and "inappropriate", what you should "stop wearing one you hit X age", and what you "should wear for X body type". I'll let you in on a secret: It's all bullshit. This narrow-mindedness is exactly what sucks the fun out of fashion and makes it totally utilitarian and just plain boring.

I used to work at a Plato's Closet several years back. I thought it would be just awesome because I used to shop there often, but amazingly, it totally sucked. Everything that I once loved about fashion, the creativity and varying styles that you experiment with, was met with skepticism. I was constantly being told that I should add/subtract things to my outfit, that I didn't dress "edgy" enough, that I should see how X employee was dressing and take hints from them. I was so confused, ever since I started shopping for myself, I had always gotten compliments on how I presented myself. The attitude honestly made me feel like I was back in grade school, where everyone was a part of a certain clique, whether you were a "prep" or a "goth" or what have you. The people that I was told to base my style on was NOT me at all: it was either really trendy or that Lana del Rey-ish/Anthropologie-esque fashion that is popular right now. I'm not knocking either one of those styles (they look great on some people), but they're just not something that I would gravitate towards. And you know what? THAT'S OKAY.

Not everyone has to like what you like, that's why the fashion world has so much to offer. My style truly does vary from day to day: one day I'll wear a pink dress and high heels, the next I'll wear sneakers and a band tee, then the next I might wear a mini-skirt with combat boots. I don't like thinking that I'm confined, especially in such a creative field. If I wore something with a skull on it at PC, it was like a riot ensued because that is just simply "not my style". What that actual F. It amazes me how many people still act like this, too. Like once they hit 30 they have to give up their graphic tees and funky shoes...you can pry those from my cold, dead hands. You'd be surprised at all the articles circulating that say women should gives these up...it's ridiculous.

Thrifting has inspired me to step out of my comfort zone many, many times, and for me, it has paid off. I'm a lot more creative and I have many more unique pieces that I treasure. I love having a closet of clothes of every era and every style. I suck at painting and drawing, so fashion is my way of expressing myself. I love having a different theme to my look every day and I plan to keep it like that, no matter what my age is. I know this was long, but I just wanted to give a little PSA to my fellow-fashion lovers to keep doing you :)