Novelty to the Rescue — Everyday Kawaii

How do you get yourself out of a slump? For me, it’s getting creative and getting outside. I have been in a bit of a slump lately because of work and personal stress, so this past weekend I put together a new outfit and hit the streets of SoHo to beat the blues and get my groove back.

*Top: dazzlin; skirt: Ank Rouge; shoes: LODISPOTTO; bag: Kate Spade; hat: tocco closet; necklace: INGNI; socks: tutuanna.*

The result of this endeavor ended up being a combination of many brands—every piece in my outfit came from a different designer. One of the most challenging things about being a style blogger is staying current on trends. When you go on Instagram, you see many bloggers showing off their newest wares, often from the latest collections. There is a pressure to constantly acquire new pieces to compete or at least to stand out in this realm. Not to mention when you do go shopping, the stores and websites always pair new items with each other, so you feel like your outfit won’t look good or complete if you choose to buy only one but not the other.

In our culture of “more, more, more” and “things, things, things,” you could feel that you’re at a disadvantage or not as good because you can’t afford to buy every single thing. The flip side is having limited resources often force you to be creative. Our family’s Christmas tradition proves just that. My sister-in-law, an extremely frugal, responsible, and intelligent person, came up with the idea of making our own Christmas tree with only materials available at a dollar store two years ago. The first year, we tied some green glow sticks together and draped green crepe paper all over it. Last year, we strung together 40-plus green balloons to make our “tree.”

Besides saving money, we had a lot of fun. There’s something really empowering about creating something out of nothing and being able to turn your ideas into reality. Surprisingly, these budget-friendly trees really did hold together well. I felt the same kind of surprise when I put together this outfit because somehow items from a casual kawaii brand (dazzlin), elegant kawaii brand (tocco closet), sweet kawaii brand (LODISPOTTO), and edgy kawaii brand (Ank Rouge) worked really well together. More unexpected combinations.

This act of creating something out of things you already own allows you to experience something new without having to buy something new. It’s great that some people have that kind of job or are from that kind of family that they can renew their wardrobe every season, but it’s OK too if none of those circumstances apply to you. With creativity and daring, you can stand out in your own way.

Going outside also provides you with the opportunity to experience something new, even if you’re not really going somewhere new. When you step outside of your house, you also step outside of your world. Our own mind, not other people, lobs a lot of debilitating self-doubts and criticisms at us. Setting foot outside reminds us that there is a bigger or different world out there, one where the mean things we tell ourselves simply don’t exist and are not true.

What do you do to lift your spirits? Share with me in the comments below or on Instagram!