Whitney à la mode: Stepping Out

One of the reasons I started Whitney à la mode was to motivate myself to look at my closet and use my wardrobe more creatively. In other words, I wanted to get out of my style rut! I think that this goal is more about the journey than the achievement. No matter how well I master remixing my clothes, I can always look at what I have in a different way.

I'm writing this post as a motivator more so to myself today than to anyone else. I feel that I've fallen back into a style (and therefore a blogging) rut. Part of the problem is exhaustion due to work. I think I mentioned before that I've taken on more responsibilities this year and they have left me feeling drained of all my creative juices.

The other factor to blame actually sounds like the opposite of a problem at first: I really like all of the pieces in my closet!

I know, I know, this is great, right?

YES! This is something that I've been working towards! The problem, though, is that I like my pieces so well that I can get away with boring and repetitive combinations. As a result, I haven't felt excited about getting dressed lately. This really isn't me and this certainly isn't à la mode behavior! It's time to step out of the box!

Two of my favorite bloggers receive inspiration credit for my first step out of that box! Last week, Maricel layered an open button-up and an open cardigan over a shirt. I thought to myself, "Why haven't I tried this before?" So I did! And I liked it! Layering is one of my favorite ways to add interest to an outfit so double the layers is double the fun in my book.

Over at Putting Me Together, Audrey is putting together weekly challenges to encourage all of us to use our closets more creatively. This week our task is to wear a bright color. Done, done and done! As much as I love color, this was a bit of a challenge this week since I've been so drawn to neutrals lately. I liked the outcome so much, though, that I've been reaching for more and more of my vibrant pieces.