What DO I Wear?!?! 2019 Fashion Favorites

“To me, fashion is ceaselessly fascinating because it is an expression of self.” ~ Anna Wintour

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A Fashion Favorites Recap

While I am excited to start on my 2020 What Do I Wear posts, I thought it was fitting to do a recap of some of my favorite fashion trends and outfits, as well as reflect on the last year. I think it is safe to say that 2019 is the year I came out of my safe comfortable fashion cave and decided to walk along that high wire in not just five inch heels, but pointy stilettos at that. To say I am obsessed with graphic tees is a huge understatement. And I have been rocking animal print like I was born in it, two trends which before 202, I never would have worn.

I definitely pushed MY boundaries when it came to what I was wearing. Instead of being shy and uncomfortable, I owned it and I felt like I gained even more confidence. Clothing has always been a way I express myself and you can usually tell what mood I am in, but it is also my armor, and I gained a LOT of new armor this year, by going outside my comfort zone.

Not only did I flaunt my spots and stripes in the form of animal print, I also embraced rompers, was sassy in graphic tees and Amazon and my closet became best buds. I also became more conscientious of fashion waste, ethical companies, and sustainable fashion, which admittedly can be hard to do at times. It was a year of growth, or perhaps minimizing as I said good-bye to a lot of “friends” by either donating or selling, since I moved, as well as always, discovering new ones. Clothes help create memories and I made many new ones.

Amazon Fashion 

Amazon and I go way back with buying clothes, long before they expanded and created Amazon fashion. It has always been my go to for buying sneakers, flip-flops, and shoes in general. In recent years, I have expanded to jackets, scarves and finally shirts. While some of their products are misses, many of them are great quality at extremely affordable prices. One of the keys to shopping Amazon is reading the reviews, and I know if fellow blogging friends are recommending certain products then they are must haves.

The Orolay jacket was one of my favorite finds from Amazon. I was able to buy it ridiculously discounted on Prime Day, and while it has the hype of being #thecoat all Upper East Siders wear, it is well worth all the buzz. It is so warm, while still being chic, it comes in a ton of fun colors as well as the classics

Another Amazon Favorite this year, was this super simple, yet so versatile off the shoulder maxi dress. I wore it to the beach, to the coffee shop, hanging with the kiddos and even a night out. It was so comfortable, and the best part about it? It had pockets!

This Lanzom hat was another must have this season. It is a perfect Biltmore dupe, at a quarter of the price, but still amazing quality. It comes in a bunch of different colors making it match with pretty much anything in your wardrobe. The vast assortment of bands around the brim, adds that extra pizazz while still shielding your face from the sun.

Rompers

I have never been a huge fan of rompers. I have documented my romper tribulations, as I searched high and low for the perfect romper. Having found one, and been converted, it seemed I was destined to only own that one, until I discovered Pink Lily. I was nervous at first, especially since I was buying online, BUT after reading reviews, (I cannot stress this enough!) I ordered accordingly and ended up With not one but TWO rompers that I rocked all summer long. I literally felt like I was wearing Pajamas when I wore them, they were that comfortable.

Animal Print

This was the biggest shocker of 2019, as it was one of the biggest trends I choice to embrace after loathing it for years, and lord, I can not believe how much I have embraced it. Almost half my winter wardrobe (which honestly right now does not take much, because I sold most of it in the spring) is comprised of animal print. I lean towards the more subtle patterns, that aren’t so in your face, here me road, but there is no doubt I am wearing animal print guys! Only took me thirty years!

Camo

If being a converted animal print lover (that totally made sense, right?) was the gold medalist of biggest surprises of 2019, camo got a very close, photo finish silver medal. I just might abhor camo even more then I do animal print and was steadfast on not buying anything no matter how popular it is. Alas, Pink Lily (lawd their marketing guys!) came once again won me over, by selling some of the cutest camo clothing and actually making it feminine AND fashionable. I finally caved and bought a subtle, but still came sweater dress that is super soft AND had pockets!

Buffalo Plaid

Since I grew up in the mountains, flannel was extremely popular, yet not very fashionable, so it was another trend I preferred to pass on. When button down flannel shirts were the it trend a few years ago, I refused to cave, perhaps I still had to much PTSD, but I did not jump on that bandwagon train. Fast forward to this year and as I mentioned sold all of my clothes, I decided I had already pushed my fashion boundaries, what was one more? Also I was doing Blogmas, and buffalo plaid screams Blogmas. I ended up not only buying buffalo plaid PJ’s, but also a buffalo plaid vest that I will rock until it turns seventy degrees, it is so warm and cozy and is definitely one of my favorites of 2019.

Graphic Tees

I can’t say I ever abhorred graphic tees like I did camo and animal print, but they were always to casual, boxy, and oversized for my frame and tastes. The last couple years in New York taught me to adapt as I had to wear them for work repping various broadway shows and companies. They grew on me, and I realized depending on how you style them, they can be versatile as well as quite fun. For the holiday season, I bought several that were so full of Christmas cheer, I smiled every time I rocked them.

Oversized Sweaters

It doesn’t matter whether it is 2020, 2019, or 2010, I have always adored oversized sweaters and this year especially, (perhaps because my wardrobe and I were in desperate need) many stores were carrying them. Not only are they warm, and the ones I got super fuzzy! But they are also incredibly versatile. From being worn with leggings, to rocking them with tights and booties, they keep my snug all winter long while still being stylish.

Confidence

This year I gained a lot of confidence and appreciation for my body. The irony was that, I was going through a lot and appreciating my body was the last thing on my mind. My coping mechanism has usually been to destroy it, when I am stressed, and yet, I can say this was the most confidant I have felt in a long time. As much as I love fashion, there are times when I shy away, instead of embracing it, but 2019 was the year I embraced it all, from rocking bikinis, and crop-tops, showing off my legs (always an insecurity of mine) and letting my inner fierceness soar with animal print. I tried everything.

Heck, I even attempted an incredibly dark shadow root, which while not bad, I will definitely NEVER EVER do again. Clothing is a way to self express yourself and it is definitely mine. As my style changed this year, so did my life, as I closed out one huge chapter and am beginning another, my fashion choices reflected that. As I am taking chances in my every day life, so am I with my wardrobe. I can not wait to see what 2020 brings, though be warned, I still say hell no to shoulder pads!

What was your favorite Fashion Find or Fashion Discovery of 2019? Are you excited for a particular fashion trend of 2020?