Pop

Flats: Old Navy

Charades pop skill.

Water hyacinth.

Name by a poet

I have a feeling this outfit is going to be a popular one. It just seems like it has all the elements that will make it attractive to the masses - a simple, effortless dress incorporating stripes and a unexpected pop of color in the shoes. Oh, and it's not entirely my style. Let's not forget that one. That's usually the best indicator of popularity.

I've found myself checking out the lounge section at Anthro a lot these days. I've purchased some real gems from there over the last couple of months at lower price points. I passed over this dress several times during my browsing sessions until it finally caught my eye a couple of weeks ago. It's not my usual style, but I thought I could work it into my Fall/Winter wardrobe with my brown Frye boots and a long mustard yellow cardigan. Speaking of which, if any of you know of a good mustard yellow cardigan, please point me in the right direction. I have yet to find one that appeals to me.

In the absence of a yellow cardigan, I decided to go in a different direction and settle for yellow flats. I purchased these flats for $7 from Old Navy last year, and I don't think I have ever worn them. They look like they would be comfortable, but looks can be deceiving. They rubbed a big ole' blister on the back of my heel. I was literally out of my comfort zone in this outfit.

These pictures were taken right behind my office building because I physically couldn't walk any further than that in these shoes. In fact, I pulled them off and walked barefoot through the parking lot until we got to our destination. I know you guys love the more "natural" shots where I smile with teeth, kick up a leg, or twirl around, so I tried to go for those kind of poses here. It's funny that you guys think these poses are more natural because, for me, they are awkward as hell. The truth of the matter is I'm a rather boring person. The last two shots are more "me." I know that those are the ones that looked forced, but in reality, it's the exact opposite.

I think it's very rare that a genuine "moment" is captured in a photo anyway. I know the popular trend in photos these days is natural and unstaged, but let's face it, if you know you've got a camera on you, you are going to be anything but natural. Natural to me is when someone manages to get your picture without your knowledge. Only then are you truly being yourself and more often than not, you are not going to have a big toothy grin on your face or be doing pirouettes. You're going to look worried, sad, mad, or just plain indifferent. I know my poses and my style may not be on trend, but it's more important to me to be myself rather than popular. So, you can expect more dull, lifeless poses from me in the future unless I'm in a really good mood. On those rare occasions, I might manage a pirouette while flashing a toothy grin all at the same time. ;-)