Lulu*s Travel Style Diary: Stockholm

Alternative titles being “Summer Staple: The White Crochet Dress” or “How to Make Short Legs Look Even Shorter – And Not Care About It.”

Seriously, is there anything more summer-appropriate than a white crochet dress? It can be dressed up with strappy sandals for a summer pool party or dressed down with dirty motorcycle boots for a day of exploring a new city. But best of all? It brings out your tan — which I definitely did not have until I put on this BB Dakota Lynchburg beauty.

Now for the ugly truth. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been envious of girls with super long legs. My I-feel-ugly-because-my-legs-are-so-short-that-I-literally-look-like-Pillsbury-dough-boy-which-makes-me-really-really-really-insecure-about-myself frustration has always deterred me from wearing dresses with flat shoes. If you think I am being irrational, so be it. Contrary to what it may look like, I am not fishing for compliments, nor do I need affirmation of my looks. I am simply stating a fact, much like “The sky is blue; the grass is green; my legs are short.”

We all have fashion “rules” based entirely on our insecurities, but all those rules fly right out of the window if you are traveling and living three months out of one tiny suitcase. Traveling has a scary side to it, and it’s called gaining perspective. So on this warm, sunny day {a beautiful rarity in the Scandinavian countries}, I paired a white crochet dress with dirty motorcycle boots, which have carried me {literally} from Italy to Sweden and all in-between, and I was reminded of a quote by Diana Vreeland, who once said, “You don’t owe prettiness to anyone. Not your boyfriend, spouse, partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don’t owe it to your mother, you don’t owe it to your children, you don’t owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked ‘female.'”

If you read my tirade against post about beauty in Milan Photo Diary: Our Unhealthy Obsession With Beauty, then by now you’re probably thinking that I’m instigating some sort of anti-pretty campaign {or suffering from really, really low self-esteem.} By no means am I saying that you cannot be pretty, if you want to. Pretty gives you confidence, temporarily masking your insecurities. But in the grand scheme of things, when you look at the hierarchy of importance, pretty is nowhere near healthy, happy and content. So what if you are too short to wear a dress with flat shoes? So what if you are too pale to wear bright colors? So what if you are too unfashionable to be a fashion blogger? Belt it out with me: If it MAKES you happy-y-y-y, then it can’t be that ba-a-a-ad.

Shop the Outfit »

1. Dress, c/o Lulu*s // 2. Boots, ALDO (similar) // 3. Sunglasses, thrifted (similar) // 4. Watch, DKNY (similar) // 5. Bracelets, ASOS & TJ Maxx (similar here and here) // 6. Lipstick, Maybelline