The SLC is very honored to have the beautiful, stylish MJ from EthicalStyle post today on her experience with the challenge. Thanks a billion, MJ! :) Read on for a zen-like perspective that may very well get you to reconsider joining if you shied away earlier! It's never too late! Either way, MJ shares why she jumped into the challenge feet first! Read on:
When I first read about the Summer Light Challenge, I immediately thought to myself: “Bring it on.” The timing was perfect, as I’m not terribly inclined to overdress in the heat. But it also dovetailed with my latest preoccupation: changing priorities and how they have affected the way I approach shopping.
Full disclosure time. I’m 28 years old and I've been an avid shopper since high school (my mom can verify this fact – back-to-school shopping was a very big deal for me, even though I wore a uniform). Few things give me more pleasure than the smell of new clothes and the commitment of cutting the tags off a purchase. I love fashion and how it’s a manner of self-expression. Truly, under the right circumstances – a bad breakup, a new job – it can be downright transformative.
But between writing for EthicalStyle for going on two years and getting married last fall, I find lately that I'm more content with what I have instead of chasing an ever-evolving version of myself. I don’t know that I want to say that I've matured, but I've definitely become more comfortable in my own skin.
It’s certainly helped that I’m not in much of a shopping mood these days. Part of it, certainly, is that marriage makes me feel more responsible and less inclined to spend some double-digit percentage of my paycheck on clothes. But as collateral damage of the Great Recession, some of my favorite places to shop are no longer in business (most notably Martin and Osa, a brand that introduced me to soybean sweaters and the lion’s share of my polished casual basics).
I guess you could say that fashion used to be the way I demonstrated my personal evolution, and after a few years of tinkering with it, I’m now in a place where I don’t feel I need to reinvent myself every three months. Is it possible I’ve evolved to a point where I am actually happy with how I look?
I remember being in college and feeling like this day would never come. I would grab my lower belly and lament how poochy I was, despite being an athletic size six. I would change my hair color with my mood, from Punky Bleach’s banana yellow to Clairol’s simmering dark espresso. I bought way too many clothes at H&M during this era, trying out a variety of fashion styles from preppy to punky as if they were boyfriends I never took seriously.
MJ models her 4th item - the color-blocked dress from Crossroads
Yet as I’ve entered my late 20s, I’ve felt myself settle down like a house into its foundations. Having seen what my body is capable of and how much my husband loves it now matter what shape it’s in, I refuse to ever again tell myself that I’m fat; in fact, I’m currently training for my first triathlon. I’ve stuck with the same shade of blonde since 2008, breaking my own personal record. And I’m comfortable with the idea of limiting my closet to ten pieces for a whole summer. Because now I know it’s not the dress that wears the woman.
My 10 pieces:
Dark-wash trouser jeans from Martin and Osa
Ash grey skinny jeans from a thrift shop on Lake Tahoe (only $6!)
Khaki “Aviator” skirt with cargo details from Martin and Osa
Colorblocked tank dress from Crossroads, my favorite consignment shop in Los Angeles (pictured)
Dressy black tunic-length tank by Vince (doubles as a dress if worn with leggings)
White v-neck tee from J. Crew
Black three-quarter sleeved organic cotton Henley from C&C California
Dark grey ruffle-front tank top from J. Crew
Orange and white striped nautical tank top from Martin and Osa
Oatmeal-colored vintage jersey hoodie by Splendid
-- M.J. Prest
Editor-in-chief
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