Songful Style Link Party #20 | “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri
About Songful Style
Songful Style is an ageless style challenge series hosted by Suzy of The Grey Brunette, Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, and Marsha of Marsha in the Middle. For this series, each month we will share a song with the lyrics and video and we invite you to use whatever aspect of the song that inspires you to create an outfit.
It is similar to Style Imitating Art where we use artwork to inspire our outfit creations. Except Songful Style gives you lyrics, music, video, and album artwork to inspire your fashion creativity. You may even find inspiration in a memory triggered by the selected song. It is all open to your own personal interpretation and just a fun way to discover new music and get a little bit more creative with your wardrobe.
Anyone is welcome to join us on a permanent basis or you can just play along without any obligation to do anything other than feel inspired. We are flexible and fun and just want to find more ways to play dress up because it’s what we enjoy doing!
We will be posting on the last Monday of each month and will announce our song choice for the following month at the end of each post.
Being an avid fan of The Twilight Saga, Suzy chose Christina Perri’s 2011 song “A Thousand Years” which was written specifically for the first film in the series, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1. You can find the details about the song and the artist in my post, Songful Style | “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri.
Much of the sartorial inspiration that I provided in that post focused on Christina Perri’s style including the gorgeous black gown she is wearing in the video. But when it came time to style an outfit for this post, I was downright stumped. I’m sure I have a black gown in my closet room somewhere. In fact, I probably have two or three black gowns. But I really wasn’t feeling like getting all fancied up.
I decided to look to Bella Swan for inspiration instead. If you are not familiar with The Twilight Saga, Bella is the main female protagonist, a 17 year old living in Forks, Washington, in the early 2000s. Her signature style was that low maintenance casual collegiate look that was very trendy 20 years ago.
Bella’s wardrobe basics included long sleeve henley tops, plaid button down shirts, skinny jeans, and boots or sneakers. She leaned heavily on darker neutrals like blues, greens, grays, and black. The key to her style aesthetic is laid back and easy, generally wearing her hair is loose waves and adding little to no makeup to her face.
For my Bella-inspired look, I wore an old black long sleeve cropped henley with a blue plaid button down shirt layered on top. Staying true to Bella’s early 2000s style, I went with skinny jeans and my black Converse to finish the outfit. I kept my jewelry simple with silver stick earrings and my Viking rune necklace that symbolizes strength because Bella’s character is definitely known for her incredible strength in the face of really bizarre obstacles.
I know I just mentioned last week that I rarely wear jeans these days and now I have shared two jeans outfit in one week! I wore this outfit running errands and I have to admit that I felt completely unlike myself. Too plain, too boring, too common, too much like the outfits everyone else is wearing. I don’t like it. In fact, when I walked into my therapist’s office wearing this outfit, she expressed shock at first because I was wearing jeans. Then she complimented the outfit but she definitely recognized how much this style strays from my preferred aesthetic. It’s not a bad look, really, it’s just not me, today. But this was still a super fun, and difficult, style challenge!
Do you ever put on an outfit that makes you feel completely not like yourself? Do you wear it anyway?
Be sure to check out how my songful friends have styled their outfits inspired by Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years.”
- Marsha of Marsha in the Middle
- Suzy of The Grey Brunette
Featured Favorite from “Heart of Glass” by Blondie
Cindy of Cindy’s On-Line Recipe Box
If you would like to join us for next month’s Songful Style challenge, we will be hosting a link party on October 30, 2023, featuring our outfits inspired by my song choice, “Meet Virginia” by Train. I will share more details about the song in about two weeks. Until then, happy styling!
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.
Outfit Details: Jeans and Plaid Shirt-Torrid / Henley-Target / Sneakers-Converse / Necklace-A gift shop in Iceland / Earrings-Old
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
12 Comments
Suzy Turner
Shelbee, I freaking LOVE that you were inspired by Bella’s simple aesthetic! I think it’s brilliant. If I hadn’t had the long blue dress I wore, I might have done the same thing. I agree that it is quite strange seeing you wearing jeans though, but it makes a nice change…or does it? Were you uncomfortable? I can’t wear any outfit that makes me feel at odds with myself (unless it’s for fancy dress of course lol!!).
I’m looking forward to styling the Train song—I’d never heard of the group before so I shall start going down the rabbit hole soon lol.
I hope all is well in your world, my friend.
Big hugs
Suzy xx
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Suzy, thanks so much! I will be over to read yours and Marsha’s post soon! You know, I wasn’t totally uncomfortable wearing this outfit. I actually felt pretty decent wearing it, comfortable enough that I kept it on all day! The following day, I wore the plaid shirt over black leggings and that actually felt a lot more like me. I have had a love-hate relationship with jeans for my whole life! There was a time in my teens and 20s when I didn’t even own a pair of jeans. Then there came a day when I had over 100 pairs! I still have dozens of pairs but I am planning another major closet clean out this winter. I hope to get my denim down to just one dozen pairs! I am excited for the Train song, too. I look forward to reading your post especially since you had never heard of the band or the song! I hope you have an amazing week ahead, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
That was my first thought. How common. For you anyway. But it doesn’t look boring on you at all. Because it’s the total vibe from someone that makes a outfit boring or interesting really. And no one can call you boring. Right!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Nancy, this is one of my favorite comments ever! I have definitely never been accused of being boring even when I am wearing boring clothes! Ha.
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
Oh, this was genius! I didn’t even think of doing something like that! I love that you dressed like Bella even though you’re more like Edward…all sparkly and mysterious! This was such a fun challenge. I’m not sure I did it justice, but it was so much fun remembering three middle-aged women waiting in line anxiously to see these movies!
Fabulous, my friend, just fabulous!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my goodness, Marsha, thanks so much! I love that you think I’m more like Edward! I should have checked out his style and went with that! This was really fun and I love how you and Suzy interpreted it. I also love that three middle aged women went to see the movie with youthful excitement! I think I see a Twilight marathon in my near future!
xoxo
Shelbee
Emma Peach
I would have been totally stumped by this challenge! I’ve never seen The Twilight Saga so that wouldn’t have been any use to me! I know what you mean about wearing an outfit that doesn’t reflect who you are – I feel that way about wearing all neutral shades…I need colour!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Emma! This was a difficult styling challenge and I did see the Twilight Saga! I definitely feel much more like myself in bright, joyful colors these days as well. But every once in a while I appreciate a neutral outfit, too. Neutral will never be my go-to though!
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
A very nice and classic look in the woods.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Patrick!
xoxo
Shelbee
chickenruby
That’s pretty much my causal daily go to style of outfit. Thanks for linking with #pocolo
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
It is a cute look for casual daily wear, Suzanne! It just isn’t really “me” these days! I hope you have a wonderful week ahead!
xoxo
Shelbee