Then and Now: Sheer Beaded Blouse

The old me, revisited.

Is there a moment when you realize you’ve grown into a different person? Maybe it begins with something as small as a change in food preferences. Then you notice that you’ve picked up new habits and routines, or maybe you find yourself hanging with a different crowd. A shift in interests replaces old ones. Many things in life can spur change – some abrupt and traumatic (a bad breakup, the passing of a loved one), others dramatic (having a baby! relocating to another country!), but sometimes, the change is banal and happens gradually through the years that’s as natural as the changing seasons.

Urban Outfitters Beret (similar) | vintage blouse (similar) | Gap jeans (similar) | Sam Edelman shoes (similar) | LBD trench coat (similar) | vintage scarf (similar) | Dooney & Bourke bag (similar)

Call it growing up, or call it getting old, sometimes I feel like I’m going through a coming of age phase, if one exists for someone in their thirties. Climbing up that career ladder, green thumbing it in my new house, and settling into married life, coupled with more-homebody-less-homies means this is the most adulting I’ve ever done – and I know it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Just when I think I’ve got my personal style down forever, life happens. The change in my perspective trickles down to affect all facets in my life, OOTD included.

Whether it’s a fit and flare floral frock, a shifty business shift, or a brimmed hat bohemian lifestyle, I love taking my readers on a journey to different decades of dress along with a fashion history lesson. After blogging for six years, instead of visiting decades past, how about going back to the first year of Chic Vic?

Then: I first blogged about this 1950s blouse five years ago on my birthday, in the first year of Chic Vic. The tuxedo blazer I still have (a classic!), but the statement red pants have gone to the donation bin, and heels I no longer wear anymore. This is definitely an OOTD that I’ve outgrown.

Now: I chose to style this blouse with how I’ve been dressing lately – neutral colors, menswear-inspired flats, and a timeless trench topped off with my favorite Frenchie beret. Oh, and you’ll be seeing a lot more mom jeans on the blog, because, well, they’re awesome.

Sometimes I look back and have donator’s remorse, regretting selling or giving away some of the things I used to love so much. But I guess shedding my layers just means I gain more closet space to make room for a new and improved me. My sense of style will never be what it was when I first started blogging, but one thing remains constant: vintage undertones will always put the chic in Chic Vic.