outfits i wore to camp pickup
is camp pickup my paris fashion week? for me, yes.
“I’ll wear this for work in the Fall!”
“This is perfect for that upcoming wedding.”
“I’ll bring this on our next vacation.”
I’ll buy something for one oddly specific reason… wear it once… and then? Closet rot.
In the summer, I’m off from work, so naturally my wardrobe leans more athleisure, my lifelong safe space when it comes to getting dressed. I still fall back on my college comfort zone: a tee, comfy shorts, and rainbow sandals.
Bury me in that outfit and no one would question it.
But as I’ve gotten older and learned more about who I am outside of athletics, I’ve kind of morphed into this artsy person who is obsessed with style. That version of me is unrecognizable to some; but it feels familiar, safe, and very much like home to me.
So… WHY AM I SAVING ALL MY “SPECIAL” PIECES? What exactly am I waiting for? I’ve liked, reposted, and shared enough “WEAR THE OUTFIT!” posts… but I haven’t actually lived by them.
Something about dressing up for casual things makes me worry I’ll come off as strange, or like I’m trying too hard. And honestly? That fear of judgment still holds me back sometimes.
Yesterday, my 10-year-old son came home from summer camp. Naturally, I asked him, “What activities did you guys do today?”
He rattled off a few: bowling, soccer, basketball, and wiffle ball. I asked how basketball went. He couldn’t get a team for basketball, so he watched and cheered his friends on. Then he picked wiffle ball (he’s a huge baseball fan), but didn’t play, just watched again.
That’s when every bone in my body wanted to shout, WHY!?! But instead, I let him explain. Dr. Becky would be proud, I said, “Tell me more…”
And that turned into a conversation about how we can’t let fear of failure or rejection stop us from trying.
I shared that this blog was a dream of mine for a long time. I refused to start it for years and as I’ve said before (sorry to the OG’s who’ve heard this story), my husband finally said,
“If you want to do it, do it. Who CARES if people make fun of you? They ARE going to make fun of you. You have to stop caring what other people think.”
The four-shirted husband made a great point. And although he owns only four shirts, he’s the ultimate IDGAF guy. Which I truly admire.
After our chat, my little guy said, “Thanks for talking with me, Mom. I love you.” I melted.
But it got me thinking… (always scary when that happens). When it comes to my everyday life, the following statements are true:
Yes, I’m overdressed, because that’s what I love. It’s how I express myself.
Yes, I’m eccentric. It makes sense because I’m a damn Aquarius (!!!)
And yes, I’m trying hard because my brain goes 80 mph, and styling outfits, researching pieces, and putting it all together feels grounding, creative, and deeply meaningful to me.
So, it’s time to stop saving the “special” clothes for a wedding three months away. Perhaps only if it’s dry-clean only.
I’m going to wear the “special” clothes when I want, where I want, and actually live the advice I gave my son:
Other people’s opinions of you are none of your business.
Don’t let fear of judgment keep you from playing wiffle ball or showing up as your full, expressive self.
And the funny part? People have only ever been kind and complimentary of my stylistic choices. The negative voices are only in my head.
These are the outfits I wore this week………..to walk across hot turf in 99% humidity and pick up my kids from summer camp + one date night in the city outfit.
I’m going to break down each outfit and title it based on the “special item(s)” in the look.
You might look at these pieces and wonder, what’s so special about that? But for me, these are items I’d never typically wear on a casual Monday.1 They’re the kinds of pieces I usually keep tucked away for a professional day, something super fun or specific, or an “event” like a night out, a work-brunch look, or a party, something with a bit more occasion.
LOOK 1 - SPECIAL ITEM(S): romantic white top, jorts & mesh flats
OUTFIT NOTES
Concerns:
To what extent will my husband roast me for wearing jorts?
Are ballet flats for camp pickup too fancy?
Realizations: With a proper preface before revealing the shorts, my husband responded appropriately and supportive. The flats? A Prime Day steal that I can see getting a ton of use. Sometimes regular ballet shoes can be really hot and suffocating for my feet. Love the ventilation.
LOOK 2 - SPECIAL ITEM(S): black loafers
OUTFIT NOTES
Concerns:
Are loafers in the summer weird?
Am I really going to wear this outfit to just have to do more laundry?
Should I use a bag instead of sprinting out of the house with a wallet & keys?
Realizations: I felt MY BEST in this look. I do wish I wore socks with the loafers because I have some gnarly blisters upon the first wear. The number of times I’ve left my wallet in the front compartment of a shopping cart is more than I care to admit. So actually using a bag can only improve my quality of life. Fanny Adams would call this look “anchoring” your white outfit with black (top + shoes)!
LOOK 3 - SPECIAL ITEM(S): charm necklace + linen shorts
Concerns:
Is this charm necklace too much & screaming for attention?
Linen shorts mean more laundry. Will this cause more laundry?
Realizations: Laundry is part of life— enough cycles are done for all the others in this house it’s not a big deal to add mine. The charm necklace was born to shine, stop holding it back. Also in her most recent post, Kelly Williams recommends this wash spray by ByMatter and I am intruiged it may help alleviate some of my laundry anxiety.
LOOK 4 - SPECIAL ITEM(S): babydoll dress + red sneakers
Quick day to night outfit transition. I changed up the look slightly for our quick trip to NYC for a comedy show.
Concerns:
I am 37, do I need to be wearing a dress this short?
Will I get pizza sauce on this dress and ruin it FOREVER?2
Are my red sneakers with crew socks strange (with a dress)?
Realizations: Do what the young pups do and just wear a pair of shorts under the dress. As my husband said, “It’s New York City — ANYTHING goes.” This was confirmed as I people watched from the restaurant.
LOOK 5 - SPECIAL ITEM(S): black ruffle tank & designer bag
Concerns:
Should I save this bag for nicer occasions?
Do I look like a soccer mom with an advanced set of soccer skills? (see this post for more context)
Realizations: With a little high-low touch (the bag) it just worked. I also loved the way the nicer top looked with the athletic shorts. It’s probably my FAVORITE summer contrast look. Sogole Kane has coined this type of outfit “fathleisure” (obsessed) and Katelyn Cnossen has truly mastered this look which has VERY much inspired my wardrobe this summer.
Look 6 - SPECIAL ITEM(S): lime green linen shorts + mesh ballet flats + evil eye necklace
Concerns:
These flats are a bit fancy to be walking across turf beads. Will they get ruined on throughout the daily journey?
Linen shorts saga— do I need to steam these?
I keep wearing the same sun necklace every day & my daugher asked me aggressively, “WHY DO YOU WEAR THAT NECKLACE EVERYDAY?”
Realization: The flats are fancier than my usual, but they’re not Jimmy Choo, Traci. They’ll survive a day of wear. If you can wear them all day at work in a school, you can wear them in real life. And steaming the shorts? It takes literally four minutes (and they just re-wrinkle anyway)….I’m just being very dramatic. Also, I have other necklaces I can wear, and clearly, I will let my 7-year-old daughter bully me into doing just that.
Look 7 - SPECIAL ITEM(S): cargo shorts + sunglasses
Concerns:
I made my husband throw out all of his cargo shorts a few years ago. This was quite a point of contention. Am I a hypocrite?
Are these sunglasses “too much?” they’re quite different than my usual Ray-bans.
Will people soon start to think I’m trying to get an Adidas sponsorship?
Realizations: My husband will forgive me, but he’ll still be gently asked not to break out the cargo shorts. If Adidas athleisure is what I’m enjoying right now, then I’m leaning into it. Honestly… does anyone care other than me? My husband did say my sunglasses were giving “California Highway Trooper.”
It made me think of a random video I saw of Jenna Bush cutting her hair into a super-short blunt bob. I thought it looked adorable. Think White Lotus bob energy. When she shared on air what her young kids said, it was something like, “WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? I DON’T LIKE IT!” Her husband whispered to her afterward, “[They] don’t know fashion.” And honestly? That tracks here, too.
Also— This look was 100000% inspired by one of my favorite style gurus, Abby Arad (!!!)
ELLE WOODS MOMENT
No one handed me a medal for stepping outside my comfort zone and feeling trendy this week… but I felt great anyway!
The more I dressed up and wore things outside my comfort zone, the easier it became to show up as myself without overthinking. Laying out my outfits the night before (KEY TO SUCCESS) honestly made getting dressed feel fun.
Remember, NO ONE liked when Elle Woods toned down her style to fit in at Harvard. She lost her spark. It wasn’t until she reclaimed her identity that she truly thrived.
A few little extras of things I’ve been loving recently.
Face Towels: First, take a minute and look at the way I opened the box. SMH. I have been using them instead of drying my face with a towel has drastically improved my complexion. I’ve been using them consistently for about two months now.
Moisturizer: I’m a huge fan of Tatcha’s Dewy Cream, but sometimes it feels a bit too thick for daytime wear. I like this one because it’s a lighter, more wearable day-time version.
Serum: Another Amazon Prime Day steal, my skin loves it. If I could only use one serum on my face it would be this. Of course, do your own research if you’re interested; all skin types are different.
Before I go, I’d love to quickly share a post that I found incredibly meaningful and think will really resonate with many of my friends here!
Emily Grady Dodge wrote a Substack post titled, A Permission Slip. It’s about giving yourself permission to keep things simple, quiet the inner critic (so on brand with today’s post), and find confidence in being authentically who you are. I feel like Emily’s post and mine both encourage us to release our self-imposed limits and embrace our true selves without apology.
That’s all for today! Thank you for taking the time to read my work, it truly means the world to me. If you take anything away from this post let it be,
“Don’t let fear of judgment keep you from playing wiffle ball or showing up as your full, expressive self.”
Let’s Chat:
Do you actually wear your “special” pieces—or are they closet rotting?
What’s the most “extra” outfit you’ve ever worn to do something wildly casual?
In my fancy pants xo,
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Don’t worry, I did NOT wake up and immediately put jeans on like the four-shirted-husband is known to do.
For those wondering, I did in fact get pizza sauce on it. It was a minor meltdown, but I’ve since recovered. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
When did simply getting dressed every day become being overdressed?? These outfits are all fun, casual, and perfect for mom life. You rocked it! Just because we're not showing up in leggings and a tee doesn't mean we deserve the stink eye haha.
I feel SEEN. tbh, if I saw you in these outfits at pick up, I'd immediately kick myself for not wearing the "good shirt" and would want to be your friend!!!