I have two little sisters. Middle Sister is eleven, and Baby Sister is nine. They could not be more different; Baby Sister likes running around and bouncing off walls and collecting things, while Middle Sister likes reading and making bracelets...
And, above all, fashion.
So when Middle Sister heard I had a fashion blog, she genuinely flipped out.
"I wanna see!!" "Where did you get all those clothes?!" "I wish I had clothes like that!" And on. And on. And on.
So, being the rad older sister, I told her that, if she wanted, I would let her pick any song she wanted, I'd make an outfit for her, then we'd see if we couldn't find something like that to buy so I could feature her on the blog.
She about died.
She first wanted Speak Now by Taylor Swift, but I whined and said I just did a Taylor Swift song, so this is what she ultimately chose.
Now back to our regularly scheduled blogging.
This is an absolutely gorgeous song. The whole thing is a plea to God, asking him to let us see people the way he sees us. I think there are only a few songs that I've ever listened to that have really changed the way I view the world, but this is one of them.
Now, for this post, I decided to include several variations of the same basic piece to show that any song's fashion can be interpreted a little differently to use what's available to you. It doesn't have to be this exact top or jacket or whatever it is (Middle Sister gets super-antsy when she thinks things aren't just right).
I started with a basic tee with a heart graphic on the front. I wanted a little more than just a plain old heart, though, so these ones all have an interesting visual effect going on. To me, it conveys the idea that no matter what we try to do with them - scribble them out, erase them, lock them up - our hearts still show through to their maker.
A high-waisted pencil skirt works nicely for a couple of reasons. One, it's a subtle reference to the professional "black suit" Brandon talks about in the verse, and two, it works with tees in any fit (flowy, tight, whatever). I like black and gray, but any dark neutral would work here.
Next, I chose a sheer black vest to go over the tee. Lace works really well because it adds some understated visual interest, too. But mostly I'm just kind of obsessed with lace. This represents all of the dark things we use to cover up our true selves and honest brokenness, but really we're just as transparent as before.
I knew I wanted a pop of red as an allusion to the "bright red tie," so here it is in the shoes. Red shoes are just fabulous anyway. Pumps like the one on the left are really cohesive with the overall look of the outfit, but I think TOMS, with their phenomenal "One for One" campaign, better fit the message of the song. Looking at others the way God sees them means that you heart should break for the less fortunate, and if it's as simple as buying a pair of shoes to provide some for someone else, then so be it.
Finally, peacock feather earrings add a boho, earthy feel. You can go as subtle or flashy as you want with this. This is a reference to the distractions we add to make ourselves more attractive to others, and more obviously, these peacock "eyes" are a literal reference to the title of the song.
Now, for the special guest! Here is Middle Sister's take on this outfit.
We found both the tie-dye heart tee and the black lace bolero that she's wearing at Ross. The red clutch (her idea) was something she already had, and the skirt was a hand-me-down from me that I got in London. We had trouble finding peacock earrings, so I suggested she use red heart studs that she already had. The shoes were/are mine (yes, we wear the same size shoes, I have small feet okay?!) that I got as a hand-me-down from one of my best friends a couple of years back. I also let her borrow my red lipstick for the picture.
Middle Sister wasn't sure how well the shoes matched with the overall outfit (I thought they were cute, personally), and she was concerned how well they translated to the middle school environment (fair enough), so we tried it with her black TOMS and it worked equally well.
She rocks.
