Why Cashmere & Cowboy Boots?

There are times in life when a person just knows that what they are doing is right; and when I woke up one April morning and put on a floral sundress, an oatmeal J.Crew Magnifica cashmere cardigan and my brown cowboy boots I knew that it was the right look for that day. It seemed that my outfit really rocked the boat that day. In addition to the fifteen students who stopped and commented on my ensemble, three professors also felt the need to provide their thoughts on the subject of my perfect spring outfit.

If this had happened to me a year earlier I would have probably had a nervous breakdown, but not today. Much like my sense of style, my sense of self had also undergone a major transformation from just four years earlier when all I wore was Abercrombie tee shirts and cheap jeans. With the help of some new boutique shopping websites, the opening of the Lord & Taylor Warehouse store as well as some well kept hand-me-downs I could now rock my look proudly on campus, on camera and even when dressing my classmates for interviews and presentations.

This being said, it was not the first time that some snarky students in their drab sweats and oversized tees or a disheveled professor had tried to rain on my parade and on this day I was not standing for it.

The dress was purchased a year earlier at the local American Eagle Outfitters in the mall. In an ironic twist, I bought it on the recommendation of a stranger, a young girl who picked it off the rack and handed it to me saying that I would "look like a princess" in the pink floral frock and that one day she "wished she could look like me". With a compliment like that, how could I refuse?

The cardigan was one of my favorites, a hand-me-down from my aunt's sister-in-law, that goes with everything and makes for the perfect jacket on a mild Pennsylvania spring day.

The boots are possibly my favorite shoes in my well organized closet. The brown, leather American Eagle web exclusives were bought Fall 2009 but have only gotten better with age. The stacked heel turns them from a western necessity to an on the town need.

If you cannot tell I am quite proud of my outfit. Not so much the outfit, but the fact that I wear and have been wearing sundresses and cowboy boots with cashmere long before Taylor Swift won the world over with her tunes. While this outfit gained controversy, I realized that if I had to pick one ensemble to define me as a person, it would be this. The dress is feminine and retro, but modern and classy at all times.

The boots have character, but tease on-lookers with their stacked heel. Not only this, but they are practical and yet impractical all at the same time.

To finish the outfit, the cashmere sweater...with sleeves rolled to the elbow and hanging unbuttoned on my back. It is serious but adds an element of consertivative-ism to the dress and boots while being so comfortable and approachable all at the same time.

This is the outfit that is most like me. An attack on this outfit was an attack on me...and yes, I silenced the haters with the help of an ally. She explained that this outfit was perfect for me to wear on such a wonderful April afternoon and that not only should I wear it, but that it looked great on me and that I would be less than intelligent not to have worn it.

Needless to say the professor who had dissed my look walked away rather quickly after that comment...and has not commented on my style sense.

I find that mixing the pricy with the expensive is the best way to go, giving all your outfits a classy yet attainable look. While NEPA might not be the most fashionable or wealthy place in the world, there is no reason that a person cannot look their best and let their style shine.