I wanted to touch on something personal before getting into this look. For the last several years, I’ve had this ongoing battle with something that’s very similar to psoriasis. It comes and it goes, but when it comes the flare ups can get really bad. It’s mostly on my legs or thighs and sometimes I even get it on my hands and stomach. This is probably TMI, but I can even get it on the sides of my butt. It first happened a year after my father died and the dermatologist said that it was brought on by stress or a traumatic event in my life. So crazy how that can cause something to happen to our bodies. When it first appeared, it was BAD. I mean so bad that I could not wear shorts or anything showing my legs. Well, I still could have but I was super self conscious of it. I had actually just started blogging around this time and remember feeling so discouraged that I had to limit myself to what I was wearing. In time and with medication it went away completely, and then with no warning it just came back and it was bad again. This has been happening for the last 5 years. I notice when I am stressed the most or when the seasons change [typically winter and summer] that’s when it starts to flare up. Two years ago I was in Miami for Swim Week and it suddenly came back. I got so self conscious to put on a swim suit because I knew how noticeable it was and let it ruin the rest of my trip. I went through the same thing last year and it was one of the reasons why I stayed away from the beach. Back in February when I was in Sweden, I remember getting out of the shower the first day we arrived and my legs were completely covered in red marks. Thankfully I was able to keep my legs covered on that trip, but it was upsetting and frustrating. Battling with skin issues is not the end of the world, but my point in sharing this is that in many ways it did mess with my self confidence and I did allow it to interfere with doing certain things like putting on a swimsuit and hitting the beach. I’ve FINALLY learned to just accept the fact that this is going to happen for the rest of my life. It sucks, but it will never go away completely and it’s just something that I need to be OK with. Thankfully right now it’s barely noticeable when I show my legs, but even if it weren’t I would still be wearing shorts regardless. Instead of always trying to hide it and cover it up, I am learning to embrace these flaws and accept them because now they are apart of me. It’s been a struggle over these last several years with my self confidence because it’s something that I am constantly aware of. I know I am not the only one who has held on to an insecurity or the only one to battle skin issues, so if you have experienced something similar I hope in time that you too can embrace it. Don’t let it hold you back.
What I’m Wearing
Top: Forever21 | Shorts: Dynamite [old, similar style]
Shoes: Schutz [similar here] | Bag: Lany | Bracelet: Kara Ross
Choker: H&M [also love]
Ok, let’s lighten up the mood now, shall we? On to this look! I love this off-the-shoulder top so much because of the lace detailing. I bought it several weeks back and even took it on my trip with me, but it was another piece that I just did not wear. It was also another piece that I instinctively wanted to style with white denim, so I figured I had to do something completely different. It’s so hard though when my mind literally gravitates towards specific items. Not sure why this always happens! These shorts are an oldie but a goodie so I knew that they would be perfect. The combination of blush with neutral tones just feels so fresh and feminine for summer. I decided to stick with this color palette throughout the whole outfit and I’m happy that I did. The caged sandals were a way to add a bit more dimension and I like how the bag created an even softer feel to the look. Overall, I just love these different shades together and think they blended really well. Super chic, just the way I like it.
Hair Tip: Try letting your hair airdry and then curling it with a wand. I’ve found that this creates a more natural looking curl and it adds more volume.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by today. Happy Thursday loves.
Naty, I struggled with the SAME issue for years as well and had in the SAME areas as you. My mother-in-law, who is from Guatemala, insisted on bathing me in grounded oatmeal and lemon every night for seven days and it went away on my body and hasn't returned since, that was about 7 years ago. It did burn like crazy and I did cry, but it was worth it. The patches were huge and real red and I, too, avoided shorts and anything that showed my legs, so I definitely know how it feels. Then, a few years ago, it came back, but only on the palms of my hands. It would get SO bad that I would itch like crazy, until I bled. It wasn't until 2 years ago, when my mom, who has been said to be high risk for breast cancer, since she has a vast amount of fibroadenomas in her breasts (doctors are still monitoring and some have dissolved b/c of her diet) that she started to look into holistic, all natural, organic and non GMO foods and convinced me to change my diet. My husband and I decided that we wouldn't eat either dairy or meat for a while. I stopped for a full year and now, I only eat it dairy at most 2x a week, chicken once a week and red meat once a month, if that and they all have to be all natural, no antibiotics from Whole Foods or Mrs. Greens. I know it can be really hard b/c a lot of the good tasting foods have all the dairy and meat, but perhaps you want to cut back on them and see if you notice a change in your skin. Since then, my skin has been 100% clear of these patches. If and when you do consume dairy, I suggest it to be organic, no antibiotics, etc. When it's not, all those hormones that they inject into the animals to make them larger to cut cost on meat production are transferred to us and can alter our estrogen and other hormones, causing all sorts of issues. Sorry for the book I'm writing here, haha, but when I read this post, it immediately reminded me of myself! As for your outfit, you look gorgeous as always! I adore that off the shoulder top, the color is so pretty and I adore the details. I hope you have a great weekend ahead, beauty!
XO,
Jalisa
http://www.thestylecontour.com
Thank you SO much for sharing all of this with me! I think I might try the oatmeal and lemon to see if that helps make a difference. That is amazing that it has not come back for you and making all of those adjustments. It's definitely something for me to look into. Happy that you were able to relate to this post! xo
As always you're rocking those nude shoes . I definitely need to find the perfect nude heels for me . Thank you for sharing your story with us , the best thing we can do is stop worrying about those little flaws that me us unique
X,Abril
The color palette
Thanks so much girl and you are absolutely right!
Thank you so much for sharing your struggle with your skin condition. I have been dealing with an issue that has drastically limited what I can wear, which is really, really upsetting as a fashion lover and blogger! I'm still trying to find the right medication/product that will lessen the severity of my problem, but hearing what you have to say and seeing successful people going through similar situations and thrive in the end gives me hope! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Also, adore the color palette of this look. 🙂 The blush has been one of my favorite shades for a while!
-Angela
http://www.bluebyangela.com
It is definitely a struggle girl! I hope that you are able to get it under control. Don't let it stop you too much though. I allowed it to for such a long time. We just have to try and embrace these flaws. xoxo