Southern Style

We made it y'all, it's Saturday!  After an insanely long week, nothing felt more relaxing than sitting down to a big cup of coffee, some Taylor Swift, and a little blogging.  Enjoy!

Last Saturday was the day I'd been waiting for since I arrived at Ft. Gordon... I finally got to wear civilian clothes!  Being in nothing except for military uniform since June was getting complacent, so as you can imagine, I was pretty excited to finally get back in "proper uniform".  I ordered a new Shep Shirt the week prior, and couldn't wait to finally pull out my long awaited navy Norts, Jacks, monogrammed baseball hat and {of course} pearls and monogram necklace!  I did my hair in the cutest little side braid, got dressed, and headed out feeling absolutely incredible.

It didn't take very long before it all changed.  I realized that something felt different.   It all of a sudden hit me that the vast majority of people here have never seen gym shorts and a baseball hat paired with pearls and Jacks.  Sure I was in Georgia, but everyone else here was from all over the world.  What would be the perfect outfit for a fall afternoon in South Carolina now felt very out of place, almost tacky.  Almost everyone else was in the typical jeans and a t-shirt, but there I was, standing proud in my bright green Shep Shirt and my "initials" all over everything.  In a place where uniformity was everything, how did I manage to look so unique?

Then, it hit me.  That's the beauty of it all.  I love where I come from, and I love the lifestyle I have there.  I love my Norts and I love my pearls, and having my monogram on everything is what makes my style mine.  I love how we wear gym shorts with preppy designer sweaters, and I love how my one pair of silver sandals can match literally anything.  

I'm out in the real world now, not just in my home sweet home of the Palmetto State.  You can take me out of South Carolina, but you can never take South Carolina out of me.  In all of this diversity, I am the representation of the place that I love so much.  From my friendly personality to my prestigious manners to the accent I never knew I had, I'm showing the rest of the world what SC is, and that includes our unique sense of style.  And I absolutely love it.

So I encourage y'all, each & every one of you, to show the world who you are.  Show them where you come from, and show them what you're made of.  You're not going to stay in your home town forever, because you're destined for bigger and better things.  So wherever you go, go glowing with confidence and dressed to the nines, and never, ever, ever lose sight of who you are or where you come from, because that's what makes you you.

As for me and my crazy southern style, I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing, and I'm going to do it with pride.  Today's outfit plans include my favorite Carolina spirit jersey, leggings, riding boots, and {of course} pearls and the monogram.  That's my southern style, and I wouldn't have it any other way.