I recently wore this jazzy orange one shoulder number by Solace London to an Indian wedding reception at a beachside hotel. I’ve never been to an Indian wedding before but I assumed it was a great excuse to wear a bright pop of color and not feel out of place and I was not wrong. I felt totally comfortable in my orange one shouldered gown and had great fun, the entire event was the kind of extravaganza you see in movies and what I found most inspiring was the bride and groom’s “meet cute”. Apparently, their families had known each other their whole lives but they had never really noticed one another and neither was looking for a relationship, both focused on their careers. Then one night after a large group of all mutual friends had gone out, their credit cards had gotten mixed up (same color, similar names) and they had to meet up to switch them back. Cue fireworks and they lived happily ever after. How freaking adorable is that?
What struck me the most is how true that is. This is something that has always at least been true for me. When I am searching for something, struggling to control some aspect of my life- it slips through my fingers every single time. When I want something so badly, I am praying and begging for it to happen, it never does. It’s like the more I fight against the hands of fate, the more the universe laughs at me. Kind of like when I was a kid and I would try and punch my sister. She would put her hand against my forehead and my tiny arms would swing and swing but never reach her. It would infuriate me.
But when I am just happy and living my life, working towards my goals at a focused pace and not yearning…. life hands me what I never even knew I needed on a freaking silver platter. Sometimes it’s so unexpected I actually say “Oh, no thank you Universe, I really don’t want that. Not in my plan, no thanks.” And the powers that be have to knock me over the head with their gift until I get it. And it usually ends up being the best thing that ever happened to me. But it’s 100% of the time never been the thing I thought I wanted, the thing I asked for, the thing I planned. Isn’t life funny like that?
Sometimes I get smug and I think I’m SOOOO smart and I think I outsmarted fate or I get snooty I start to think I am the one controlling things…. that’s when the Universe likes to come along and knock me on my ass. Take me down a notch and remind me to be humble. That I control nothing. That all I control is how I react to whatever life hands me. Is my heart open? Am I being kind? Am I giving others compassion before judgment? And If I’ve gotten a tad uppity, life won’t let that last very long before it shows me who is really boss.
My dress in these images is by Solace London, I’ve tagged it along with some other fabulous one shouldered dresses below (It’s on sale for 50%off bitches!!!!). I think the trick to wearing a one shouldered pop of color successfully is pretty simple- you have to let the color and the sexy collar bone be the fuss, you don’t need much else. No ruffles or trim or beading or anything else- just the color and the shoulder. It’s enough. And the drape has to fall just so, make sure the fabric falls well on your body, don’t compromise on that. Plenty of inexpensive options with good draping these days. With bright colors, keep your accessories neutral and to a minimum. A nude or metallic heel, a cuff or drop earring, and you’re good to go. Let the dress do the talking. Also I didn’t bother to retouch any of my arm flab or wrinkles out of any of these photos, these are seriously #nofilter because I am lazy af this Monday morning… so excuse me very very much, but that’s just my face. And I have arm jiggly fat, sorry. And blotchy legs. So forgive me my trespasses or whatever the Bible verse says, mkay?
