Missing South Beach

I’m fascinated by the way things change and evolve, yet some intangible essence of ‘my’ life stays very much the same.

There is a familiarity in waking up in this skin, each layer of which has been more or less replaced in a few months time.

If our skin cells shed and regenerate at a rate which replaces itself in a matter of months, and our bone cells do the same in a matter of roughly 7 years, what is it inside us that actually stays the same from birth to death?

The mind, not to be confused with the physical brain (which also replaces each and every cell in time,) is that intangible something that science can’t pinpoint, define, or observe.

Spiritual types would call this the soul I guess.

I have noticed I feel the same way (or “some type of way”) about fashion.

Certain loved articles of clothing take on a soul of their own.

I’ve even found myself naming certain garments in my head, like the Espagne dress, the Blues dress, the Elf shorts, and the Honeycomb boots… all of which I will share with you in due time.

The names are inspired by the way they look, where I acquire them, and whom I come to associate them with.

Although I strive for awareness and remaining disconnected from material things, I am sentimental and creative by nature and so these objects become little ornaments that inspire me to feel and remember and grow.

Maybe someone out there feels the same?

So I wore this outfit to the office in the interest of comfort and very little more: anything high-waisted and a crop-top is my current go-to cute & casual formula.

I had worn flats to work for obvious reasons, but needed to switch to my new Michael Kors chunky heels for this shoot.

Totally love these shoes… with muscular calves like mine, a thick heel is far more flattering than stilettos– not to mention easier to walk in.

Luckily, chunky heels are super hot right now so every girl should take advantage.

We scrambled to get to South Pointe Park and get a few good shots before the sun set.

The flowy high-waisted shorts (by some no-name brand) were an amazing find from TJ Maxx in that they are totally different from anything I have in shape, color, and texture.

They fit like a glove and were under $10!

I can think of a million ways to style them and see myself wearing them to death.

The green turtleneck crop top from my beloved American Apparel was another experimental piece that is outside of my “comfort zone” so to speak.

I got an extra-small and can hardly fit my head through the neck hole, so that may be part of the reason I’m not typically thrilled with this top, but it has served me well.

Pairing it awkwardly with these shorts was too tempting!

I found the turtleneck to be largely unflattering however, and I’m so used to bearing my neck and shoulders.

All in all I don’t see the sleeveless-turtleneck-crop-top trend gaining any steam, but it’s a quirky change of pace.

You can get them in any color of the rainbow at American Apparel or in some other funky textures and patterns:

Would you ever pair a sleeveless turtleneck crop with airy high-waisted shorts like I did??

Risk is what keeps us young, isn’t it darling?

Photography by Matthew Pluznick