We are at the end of the ODP! For some of my friends, they will be
relieved that they get to see me in something other then this black
dress. This little black dress has served me well over the last 31 days, but I am looking forward to a different look starting November 1st. The black dress is pretty worn out. I ripped a hole in the bottom and actually tore another two large holes along the seam on the bottom ruffle just this weekend. It is looking pretty see-through as well, so I am looking forward to wearing something else on Tuesday!
Here are the last couple of days of the ODP.
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| October 27th- Black Dress Red Cardigan Yellow T-shirt Bracelets Green Argyle Shoes |
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| October 28th- Black Dress Cream/Gold Cardigan Pink Silk Scarf Strappy Sandals |
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| October 29th- Black Dress Black Cardigan Pink Ugandan Bead Necklace 2 Jones Design Company Flowers Black Flats |
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| October 30th- Black Dress Brown/Tan Shirt (From my honeymoon) Cream Snake Skin Belt Pearl Necklace Brown Peep Toe Heels |
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| October 31st- Black Dress Black Cardigan Magenta Tights Heather Grey Hand Knit Scarf |
Thoughts on ODP
This year, I am taking away my love of accessories. The scarfs, hats, necklaces and shoes made each day completely different from the other. It reminds me to invest in classic, well built pieces as the foundation of my wardrobe and then add trendy accessories as my budget allows. This will allow me to have versatility without a stuffed wardrobe. Simplicity is the best way to maximize your wallet and creativity. I realized I do not have a lot of variety in shoes, necklaces or earrings and plan on expanding that part of my closet.
I've also discovered something about my style: I really like dresses! I loved putting on a dress every day this month. The feeling of being feminine was a great addition to each day. I carry myself differently when wearing a dress and I feel more confident as a result. That confidence translates into beauty to my husband and I received many welcome compliments from Craig all month. When I am confident about what I am wearing and how I look, I am more attractive to my husband. Confidence = beauty (at least in the Barber household!)
My love of dresses has reminded me of my love of vintage. The 1940-1950's is my style era for a dressier look. For my casual look, I love the 1970's. Not having access to my modern wardrobe made me think more about how I wanted to look each day. As I was searching for ways to change the look of my black dress, I stumbled upon several vintage blogs and felt inspired. I should dress in a way that makes me feel beautiful. It shouldn't matter what the latest trends are, if some skirt toots my horn, I should wear it, because confidence = beauty. Time to start scouting out vintage finds!
This year I learned a lot from watching the other women who participated. I enjoyed seeing what everyone wore and how they made their outfits unique or just sported the same dress every day with little adaptation. Every women did it for a different reason, but there has been a sense of togetherness that I didn't feel last year. This project isn't for everyone, but I am grateful to the other women who did the project alongside me.
The biggest thing I took away from the ODP was a weight loss! Looking at myself every day, trying on different combinations of clothing and accessories made me take a good, hard look at the frame that all of these things were hanging on. I wasn't thrilled with what I saw, and decided that I couldn't complain anymore unless I actually did something about what I saw. It motivated me to cut back on my portion sizes and stop late night snacking and make running and exercise a bigger priority. Because of this mirror staring, I lost 7 pounds this month and I couldn't be more excited! Now only 5 more to go to get to my pre-kids weight!
Good-bye, October Dress Project until next year!
(Yep. I'll do it again next year!)
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