Zara tank (similar)
Oak + Fort skirt (c/o) (similar)
Zara sandals (similar)
Celine handbag
Celine sunglasses
Shop Chelsea King scrunchie (c/o) (similar)
Celine necklace
Stella & Dot ring
Stella & Dot earrings
Location: Galleria Sciarra – Rome, Italy
There was a time, not very long ago at all, when I wouldn’t have shared these photos. The list of reasons boils down to a few simple (and small) things…
Like I said, small and minor things. But as someone for whom every detail really matters, small things can become big obsessions at an alarming speed – often before I’ve really noticed what’s happening.
I am sharing these photos. They’re here, showcasing the breathtaking Galleria Sciarra in all its art nouveau glory, along with my outfit that is just an outfit that I actually wore, because I’m trying my hand at embracing imperfection. It doesn’t come naturally to me at all. Everything I do, everything I put out into the world matters deeply to me. Probably more than is strictly considered healthy. And while I know everything doesn’t need to be great; while I understand intellectually that very often, good enough is good enough, my heart has a hard time accepting it.
So I’ve put a spin on my attempt at embracing imperfection that makes a bit more palatable. Instead of saying I’m embracing imperfection, I tell myself I’m leaning into an effortless, Parisian approach to life. (Effortlessness, particularly when it comes to my hair, is one element of being Parisienne where I’ve never remotely approached mastery.) It’s still okay, in fact encouraged, to make an effort, but that effort doesn’t always need to be visible. And if the effort doesn’t yield expected results – you know, if I get caught in an unexpected gust of wind and my hair goes wild – that’s just part of life. We can’t have everything we want, especially if everything we want is control over every aspect of our lives. Any control we think we have, and in particular any control I think I have over my hair, is just an illusion.
The next step in embracing imperfection, or leaning into effortlessness, or whatever I’m calling it to make it more palatable for myself, is probably not to point out every flaw I can see so everyone else sees it, too. But this is a work in progress for me. And acknowledging imperfection is important, too. We’re all flawed, we all have moments where we’re less than our best, but those aren’t always visible on social media. Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it isn’t there. So consider this a friendly reminder: we’re all working on ourselves. None of us are perfect, and never will be, no matter how our highlight reel looks. And more importantly, we don’t need to be.
Parisians are onto something with their philosophy of never trying too hard. If you look closely, you’ll notice that its most often their imperfections that make them so interesting. The same holds true for everyone.
