Clothing.

As of late, I've been utterly bombarded with compliments on how great I look and how professional I appear.

:) Of course it makes me feel good.

But really, it's an extension of some smaller goals I've been setting. It's all part of my master plan of Project GYST.

These smaller plans included taking the time to do the little things, like putting away my clothes every day so it's much easier to find (so simple but effective), clearing my closet of clothes I don't wear anymore, and getting in the habit of taking care of my clothes better. No matter the amount I spent on my clothes (sometimes a heck of a lot), in my haste to get from one task to the next, it may have been forgotten for ages in a pile. On that note, I'll make my 2nd trip to Goodwill soon to donate some of my clothes.

In addition, I love looking clean and professional. Everyone deserves to look like a million bucks, and I've heard some people say, "I just don't like the way it strips you of that individuality, you know, the uniformity of business attire." To that I would say, business attire can constrict you if you let it, but there are many many ways to be creative, fun, playful, classy, and professional, all in one.

And that's the beauty of it. To maybe have a ruffled black blouse and a pencil skirt with a silk scarf to make it really fun and chic. Or having statement shoes to distinguish an outfit. Or accessories such as jewelry can make all of the difference, while the clothes can be supplementary. Also, with clothes, the universe opens up to so many possibilities when you consider texture, fabric, length, cut, the fitting, tailoring options, layering, etc.

Fashion is not homogenous. This is my style, and it may have been influenced by the fact that I am a business major and I've worked in a corporate environment, but there's nothing quite like having a skirt suit on with fabulous heels and feeling this electric power in your veins. Of course, one would never wear an outfit like this without proper hair and makeup, so when you project yourself into the world, how can anything bring you down? The answer: nothing.