Visual Motion & Rest

I like to think of getting dressed in the morning as an art form.

After all, we do it every day, and it can be anything from an experiment to a masterpiece. It seemed reasonable to name it with all the nobility it deserves.

I say "nobility" because getting ready for your day, trying to take control of how you feel and look, seems like a particularly human thing to do.

You don't see dogs or birds or worms deciding what they're going to wear tomorrow; trees, flowers, and vegetables don't agonize over hair cuts or color pallets; spiders, mountains, and rivers aren't concerned about what will look best in a photo at the coffee shop.

In other words, it's just us.

And, being us, we tend to like things we do to be enjoyable and produce something good and beautiful.

Today I want to build off of the idea of art that we built last Monday, and discuss how to look at our lives as a balance of motion and rest. 

So what do motion and rest look like in the fashion world? What does it have to do with hair, color, and shoes?

Allow me to tell you.

Motion in fashion is something "busy" or "warm" or "flouncy".

Rest is something "simple" or "cool" or "structured".

A piece with a lot of motion would be an indie/peasant skirt made out of tears of red and brown fabrics with different floral/swirling patterns. The whole thing moves and breaths life into whatever air it swooshes through.

On the flip side, a piece with a lot of rest is a simple, grey tee-shirt dress that has clean lines, fits nicely (not too loose, not too tight), and brings an air of calm with the wearer.

Both are beautiful, but both are different and both say something different about the wearer, about the occasion, about their mood or determination... The implications are endless!

So here is where our notion of art comes in.

You'll notice that many items of clothing that you either find attractive or not mix visual motion and rest in different amounts and in different ways.

For example, a white peasant blouse combines motion in its tassels, lace, and ruffles, but rests in the color white, bringing a touch of cool elegance.

Again, a red, form-fitting dress brings motion by highlighting your curves and the warm color but brings rest with no frills or embossment, or embroidery. Simplicity often speaks volumes.

Try looking at clothing this way - You'll find that it quickly becomes intuitive and that you probably feel strongly about how much motion and rest ought to be mixed. 

This is where personal preference comes into play and here is where you become the master artist of your style.

>> Maybe you love the idea of everything in your look being balanced and complementary.

>> Maybe the idea of sold pieces and simple lines makes you cringe.

>> Maybe the idea of loud prints and wild textures makes you barf.

Whichever way you are, you should take that into consideration when you dress in the morning. Your life satisfaction rate will go through the roof!

So let's give this a shot.

Be your own boss, your own master, your own artist.

Inspiration:

If you want to wear silver jewelry (cool tone) try wearing a little blush or something in the warm-color family to pull out the rosy tones in your skin and bring some balance into the picture.

The opposite is true for gold jewelry (warm tone), at which point you would want to wear something cool to supply contrast.

Another balance would be to wear a muted top with vibrant and shiny statement earrings.

Or if your top or dress is busy, wear studs or something simple and clean.

If your hair is in a messy bun, a solid black tee and a simple gold pendant necklace with studs make the hair look purpose full and beautiful.

As you go, you'll know whether or not you like a balance that walks the midline between motion and rest, or whether you like to hang to one side or the other. Have fun with the self-discovery and find what makes your soul sing!

Remember that you are a masterpiece, and that no one can make you as happy and satisfied with yourself and your life as you can.

So make a tiny change and see what happens.

Then let me know how it goes!

Tag me (@rlstories or #rlstoriesofdress) in a comment or picture on Instagram so that I can celebrate your new mastership of the art-of-getting-dress! ;-P

Best of luck, my darling women!

Love,

Laney <3