Today’s post is kind of going to be a hodge podge of thoughts about outfit photos—but this topic has been on my mind lately, so I figured it’d be worth writing about.

Last week and the week before, I posted posts that featured outfit photos—but I eventually took them down because I just didn’t feel like they were my best work. The writing in those posts was mostly just filler (they weren’t the type of post I’d want to read on a blog!) and I didn’t love the way I looked in the photos. Lately, I’ve been my own toughest critic when it comes to outfit photos—and I think it’s because I don’t feel as confident as I used to. I’ve gained about ten pounds in the last year and a half, and just don’t feel like the best version of myself as a result.

We’re all our own toughest critics and I am trying to be nicer to myself and wear things that I feel my best in. I love white jeans and this Cupcakes & Cashmere leopard coat always makes me feel like such a boss when I wear it. The day Jenn and I shot these photos, it was absolutely freezing—so my smile may not be as wide as it would be if we had shot these on a beautiful, sunny 70-degree day—but trust me, I love this outfit.

I spoke a little bit about this in one of the posts I deleted, but lately—and especially in the winter—I’ve found myself really gravitating towards all-black clothing. I love how chic an all-black outfit looks, and I love that so many of the black pieces in my closet are easy to mix-and-match and make a billion outfits. But when I look back at some of my favorite outfits on the blog, many of them are full of color—and I don’t really dress like that anymore and I kind of miss it. So as I am shopping for spring clothes this year, I want to be more mindful of choosing color and not just relying on black because its slimming/easy/timeless/goes with everything.

I’m sure some of you saw the two outfits I posted and didn’t even think twice about them. But since the Internet lives forever, I’m really self-conscious about making sure I only post photos of myself I like. Probably a little narcissistic, but I do think managing your online presence is important and I was just stressing out about having those photos out in the universe.

Since I just changed jobs, I haven’t been focusing too much on my diet lately—I make so many decisions throughout the day that when it comes to deciding what to eat, my brain just goes on autopilot and reaches for the familiar. But, I do want to make it a goal to eat healthier more of the time and drink less often, as I think making those changes will help me feel more confident again. I also eat out way more than I used to two or three years ago because I usually am so hungry after a workout class, I buy dinner out (granted, it’s usually a salad, but still! I’ve pretty much always eaten lunch out, so nothing new there, hah!). I still think I have a great exercise routine, and manage to stay active three or four times a week, even since starting the new job. I do over-index on cardio, as I’m pretty much only doing spin class right now, so I would love to find a way to incorporate more weight-training exercises.

Much like my life, this blog has always been a work in progress—and outfit photos are something I may do less since they’re leading to a lot of insecurity. Because this is a personal blog, I think there are real benefits to having photos of me on it—you can put a face to all the stories and posts on this little place on the internet. But there’s probably a better balance of ways I can just loop photos of me into the posts I’m writing, since, let’s be real—there are so many great fashion bloggers out there who kill the outfit game way more than me! I put together pretty simple, relatable outfits that I truly wear, and there’s definitely a place for that on this lifestyle blog, but maybe it’ll be less often. Stay tuned!

*** SHOP THE POST ***
Cupcakes and Cashmere Leopard Jacket—similar here, here, here, and here
Gibson Top—similar here
French Sole Flats c/o—similar here
Rebecca Minkoff Love Crossbody
Round Retro Oversized Sunglasses
Old Navy Super Skinny Mid-Rise Jeans

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Photos by Jenn Rogers