Stuck in a Style Rut: Guest Blogger @readwriteteachstyle!!

Hi everyone!

I am Krista, a middle school English teacher in the St. Louis area, and thanks to Megan, I am guest blogging today. I hope you enjoy!

Ever been in a style rut? No, not the “I’m going to wear sweatpants everyday” type; rather the “this is my uniform” kind. Two years ago that is where I was. I owned the same tops in all solids; the same pants in four colors, black, khaki, navy, and gray; and wore basic shoes that my husband had dubbed my “old lady shoes”. I pulled out some version of my uniform everyday for work and trudged off to teach. No one knew I  was stuck, even me. I was always in a bad mood, often buying stuff I loved on the rack but never wore because it was not my standbys, and honestly had a low opinion of myself.

Fast forward a year.

New city, new job, new outlook. Due to my husband’s job we moved to St. Louis. I was lucky enough to find a great teaching job, but the dress code was a little different now, and my sad uniform of casual solid colors did not fit with the expectations of my new administration. Of course no one ever said anything,  but I could tell just seeing how everyone else looked so pulled together.

I needed a change… and fast.

Here comes the internet to the rescue! First, I started pinning looks on Pinterest, then clicking the links through to see the blogs where these looks came from and realizing that these people were shopping where I shopped and making it work. So I started simple with some cute dresses, a little pattern mixing with scarves, and some leopard print flats. From blogs I found Instagram, and the fun really started. Instagram opened up the world of style challenges, and my style mojo was found! I worked through many challenges, some thrifting, and a serious closet clean out to discover that I did have a personal style hiding behind the boring, frumpy uniform I had created. I love patterns and skirts and scarves and fun jewelry and cute flats and layers.

I started dressing with my newly rediscovered personal style, and the change was amazing. I was excited to get dressed every morning; I smiled more and complained less. I stopped buying random stuff and started creating outfits.  There was something more to it too. I am not saying clothes are everything, but my self-esteem changed as well. The more comfortable I felt in my clothes, the more comfortable I felt about myself. The more comfortable I felt about myself, the happier I was. The happier I was the more likely I was to take better care of myself.

And two years later, the rest is style history. Check out what my personal style has become on Instagram @readwriteteachstyle; I love to continue to be inspired by people like you.