Why Fashion Rules Are Lame and How You Can Save Yourself
Is it just me or does this full moon and transition into February make you want to order that cheetah bikini and book that Balinese yoga/meditation/chanting/hippie-mama retreat that you’ve been wanting to go on with your bestie? Okay, guilty as charged, it’s just me. ;-)
Spring has not yet sprung *technically* here, in the San Francisco Bay Area, yet it sure feels like it. Our family’s beloved beehive is buzzing, the California poppy seeds (that my 4 year old daughter and I Amazon-primed and then haphazardly chucked along our hillside—because let’s face it, who has time to actually KNOW how to garden?) are teasing us with buds and summer feels like it is close enough to see albeit not yet to touch.
The excitement of warmer days ahead makes one feel like it is time to dust off your favorite sassy summer clothes. Therefore, let’s get real about my true feelings regarding clothing.
My favorite customers are those who I have had the pleasure and fun to meet in person. Festivals have gifted me the joy of interacting with some of the liveliest of customers. One of the true gems of creating one-of-a-kind/small-batch clothing is that I get to witness, time and time again, that it is not the customer that finds the piece of clothing but rather the piece of clothing that finds the customer. And, therein, lies the magic.
Sometimes, when I look at one of my pieces, I imagine who might buy this item of clothing and call it their own? I am always delighted, surprised, and in awe by who buys what. This insight is what drives me to keep doing festivals, year after year, despite the hunger of customers to enjoy speedy access to online shopping.
What I have learned from selling clothing at festivals for so many years is that you never really know someone until, when faced with endless prints and styles, you see what item of clothing calls to them and awakens their spirit. This insight into what color, boldness, wackiness, and level of boob-ness that they are willing to reveal is like a peek into their soul. Each and every purchase that I have had the honor of witnessing affords me a moment of Zen-like awe because I can see the true spirit standing before me and not just the outward appearance that they try to portray to the world.
Behind the layers of professional clothing (*insert, yawn*), mommy uniforms of yoga pants and whatever shirt that is clean (believe me, I get it AND I am a fan myself), and perfectly matched, curated and Instagram-worthy outfits (*insert, double yawn boring*) lies a woman who really wants… I mean REALLY WANTS, to shed all of that BS and just wear something light, flowy, colorful, bold and fun. And, you know what? I believe that she SHOULD.
We deserve to wear what we want. We deserve to have the confidence to be as bold as we want to be and we deserve to be comfortable while doing it. I mean, come on, 5-inch heels and G-strings? These items were designed as a means of torturing women. Seriously, free yourself, ladies. Just don’t do it.
I think matching is over-rated, the daily pressure to look “good” is spirit suppressing, and that trends are for people who don’t have the creativity and or courage to wear what they really want. Am I coming off too strong? Like I said, maybe it’s just me… or maybe, it’s the full moon. ;-)
I realize that you might be surprised that a lady (I use this term loosely—I consider myself more of a wild woman) who has two clothing brands would go on a rant about all things fashion but nonetheless this is me. Welcome to the wild world of Namaste Aloha. Our sole mission here is to create clothing that unleashes your wild side, makes you feel free, and makes YOU (I mean the REAL you) shine. And, the real you…? She deserves to wear goddess hippie pants to stuffy PTA meetings and a revealing sexy wrap-dress to her love’s holiday work party. It’s a wild world out there, people, and it would be a shame not to allow ourselves to be free in it.
Never does a summer go by when you won’t find me outside mowing my front lawn in my vintage muumuu and my dirty rubber garden boots. Or you may spot me sipping a glass of white wine in a Hawaiian-print swimsuit (soaking 6-inches deep in my toddler’s 4-foot wide hot pink plastic kiddie pool) while my neighbors slowly drive by in both horror and confusion (because, yeah, it’s just me in there and my toddler is at preschool). I believe that outfits don’t have to make sense and that people should not limit themselves when it comes to having fun. Don’t be scared to bend the rules, break the mold, and buck convention. By doing so, you give someone else who sees you the permission to do the same. And, therein, one fun outfit at a time, we can promote change, cause a revolution, and encourage each other to really be who we want to be. As they say in French: “être et paraître” which is “to be” versus “to appear to be”.
The moral here is that I hope that you all can have fun, do as you please, and wear what ignites your spirit. And, if you chose to buy one of our company’s lovely treasures, I thank you for gifting me with the pleasure of getting to know YOU (the REAL you) that much better.
On this Valentine’s Day, I offer you the chance to be your own favorite Valentine. Why wait for someone else to buy you that special something that you have had your eye on? Harness your inner power and buy YOUR OWN damn Valentine’s Day gift. Boom!
Goddesses buy themselves their own gifts. They wait for no one, get shit done, and they don’t need someone else to tell them that they deserve it. Seize the day—that is why they call it the present. ;-)
Sending you lots of love,
Audrey
Audrey Acosta (Creator of Namaste Aloha & Audrey Acosta Designs)