giggles and glamour : anchors away

Being an aspiring fashion guru, the question gets asked all the time, "What inspires you, Windom?" The list goes on and on. My answer would vary from my quirky family to the overly talkative produce attendant at the local market to Milk's Favorite Cookie, the all powerful Oreo. However, when forced to sum up my answer with one word, I would be able to confidently respond with"travel." Whether it's a spot of where I've already ventured, or somewhere I've yet to mark off my bucket list, I'm constantly being energized by the allure of our world.
My earliest travel memories take me back to places such as the beach, Big Cedar Lodge (Branson, MO), and to my mother's old stomping grounds in tiny town Carrolton, Mississippi. These recollections provoke emotions of happiness and many, many smiles. The laid back, haphazard feeling of the ocean makes for a cool toned, relaxed ensemble. Big Cedar Lodge radiates coziness and warmth. There I remember falling in love with horses and emerald green and rust hues as well. My Mississippi memories are flooded with slices of watermelon and my Aunt Mary Winnie (no joke, there) getting tickled by her own stories. From my maternal roots I've developed a love for floral prints, red lipstick, and peanut butter pie. All of these early expedition memories inspire the fashion choices I make today.
In 2011 I was lucky enough to land a spot on a school trip to Italy. We flew into Milan and roamed (pun intended) all over the entire nation. Being the future art history major that I was, I tried my hardest to take in every detail: every brush stroke, every stone carving, every flora aspect that I could. If the surroundings weren't enough, the people and the language were the cherry on top. Italians have such a casual way of dressing, yet it says, "I could take the world by storm while riding my moped in my McQueen. Watch it." They were super glam with perfect, dark manes. While the majority of Italian I used was asking where I could find the bathroom, (Dovè il bagno?) I was surrounded by tongues that spouted off the beautiful language. I truly believe that the best way to learn about a culture is to be planted within the culture; have the art, the people, the language poured into you. Needless to say that I owe majority of my fashion inspiration to that Italy trip. I hope to return one day very soon. And there are many, many places to mark off of my bucket list!
I don't limit my inspiration and ideas to places I've already seen. In many cases I'll pick out an outfit and dream up a scenario when the ensemble would be absolutely "perfetto." Even if I'm taking a trip to a simple grocery store, there is no problem pretending that I'm about to jet set off to the northern shores of Greece. "Travel" can take you to Paris, Rome, Turkey...but it can also take you to the town over for a day. With fashion, physical traveling is fun and very inspiring, but don't forget to let your mind travel as well. You'll never know where you, your mind, and your favorite hand bag will wind up. Bon Voyage!