What I Wore: Versatility

Today’s What I Wore is brought to you by a word that is important in so many areas of life- versatility. On a daily basis, we’re expected to stretch ourselves pretty thin. Between work responsibilities, personal life, and even wardrobe, you’re probably much more versatile than you give yourself credit for.

My career is definitely the area where I’m expected to “wear the most hats”. From 8-5, I’m a pencil-skirt-wearing, manual-writing, technical-drawing corporate graphic designer. I go to our warehouse and get my hands dirty, cutting open boxes to inspect product (while wearing the aforementioned pencil skirt and utility gloves… #glam). On evenings and weekends, my time is spent creating content for the blog and getting messy in other ways- cooking, cocktailing, DIYing, thrifting, and whatever else I’m into that week. I also need to be a photographer, editor, coder, social media strategist, and occasional model (that’s the one I’m worst at…aca-awkward). Each area of my career requires me to utilize a lot of my strengths, but also some of my weaknesses. And though it can be exhausting, I believe that the combination of both is what keeps us growing.

Jacket: similar. Dress: similar. Sunnies: here. Booties: similar. Bag: similar.

Relationship-wise, versatility is something that I’m always trying to improve. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it a million more times, Dillon and I are so different. Because of how opposite we are, it’s sometimes difficult for us to see a situation from the other’s perspective. A perfect example of this happened while shooting the photos you’re looking at right now. I take all photos for the blog that I’m not in, but often ask Dillon to help with those I have to be in. If you could be a fly on the wall watching him shoot a fashion post for me, you would wonder how we possibly function together on a daily basis ? Dillon: “Are we almost done??” Me: “Dillon, it’s LITERALLY been two minutes. Do I look weird?! Tell me what to do! How does my arm look?!” Dillon: “I have no idea! It looks like an arm, Amanda. Posing advice is above my pay grade”. This cycle goes on for about 45 minutes until I finally claim we have a few useable photos (out of about 400). It may sound like this is a test to our relationship, but we always end up laughing and making fun of ourselves the entire walk home. This doesn’t only happen when we try to collaborate on my hobbies, don’t get me started on my last disc golfing adventure… ? What I’m getting at is that even though we don’t share a ton of interests, we do make an effort to be versatile and support each other’s hobbies, even if we don’t understand them. Bickering aside, I am super thankful that Dillon is willing to help out so much with the blog. And I do my best to understand his mechanic jargon, even if I did just learn how to replace my windshield wiper fluid 2 months ago ?

Now, let’s talk about the outfit. This night I was dressed to go out for a date night in Milwaukee. The restaurant we went to, La Merenda, is a tapas style place with an adorable outdoor patio that has a not-too-formal-not-too-casual vibe. (Side note- I love this place ? if you’re in the area please try it!) The look was perfect for this occasion, but I’ve also worn every piece that I have on in so many different ways. I bought the little red dress before my New Orleans Trip last month, and have already worn it 4 times since. It’s easy to dress up or down depending on how you accessorize; and red is a color that effortlessly switches between seasons. Leather jackets are a go-to piece for me. They make me feel put together yet comfortable. This one in particular definitely shows some personality; it’s one of those pieces that is just fun to wear. My black booties are probably the most worn pair of shoes in my closet. I pair them with tights in the winter and shorts in the summer. They’re so comfortable and have held up for over 2 years now. Lastly, these basic black sunnies and small crossbody are both staple items. I can wear either with sweats to the grocery store or on a fun a night out.

So, versatility, it’s kind of a big deal. Try things at work that don’t come naturally to you, make an effort to do things your boo shows interest in, and buy clothes you can wear for multiple occasions. It’s not always easy, guys, but we can all learn from it (and make more cute outfits)!

Thanks so much for reading! ? Outfit details are tagged above. If you have any thoughts on versatility in your life, comment below. Or if you’re using this as outfit inspiration, tag your photo with #347Style I would love to see them!

Xo Amanda