Rachel Zoe coat, old sweater, Gap jeans, Doc Marten shoes, hat from South Korea, Delphes Paris star necklace, Tiffany & Co. lock necklace 

Shopping mid-December in Bozeman, I saw this blue coat. At the time, I was in a hurry, looking for Christmas gifts, and *trying* not to find or buy anything for myself. But then I got home and couldn’t stop thinking about the dang coat. Do I really need another coat? (I live in Montana, so I will probably always answer yes to this question.) Can I wear it enough to justify the purchase? (I probably put at least 5-10 outfits together in my head.) Will I luck out and find it at the respective store in Helena. (You guessed it, yep.)

I am honestly really happy that I went back for it. You know those pieces that just excite you and inspire you and just make you feel like, well, “you?” This is definitely one of those pieces for me. Until recently, I bought many things because they were on trend. I mean, I still shopped the sales and frequented the thrift stores to find them, but I really didn’t know what my style preferences and inspirations really were. However, I’m starting to see patterns in the things I love, recognize decades and time periods whose silhouettes and styles I am drawn to, pinpoint the things that inspire me, and notice the things that just feel “right.” And, the thing is, when you’re collecting things that you really love, whether it is clothing or antiques or various other things we tend to collect – you can’t go wrong, really. It will all come together because it all feels like you. I still follow the trends and love and buy some of them, but if they don’t feel like me, then, well, I just don’t buy them. It just wouldn’t “fit me” right.