At the beginning of each new season, I've always felt a sense of excitement for what it will hold. Being that I have always loved fashion and style, much of the time this feeling is based upon what clothing and shoes I plan on wearing during the season at hand. Since the inception of Royal Native, I have always loved styling my looks around my favorite pieces in my clothing line. My best ideas have literally come from just designing and making what I want to wear (plus vintage always).
So this spring it hasn't been much different, I have my new (and tried and true) pieces that I am already loving, yet there is another underlying theme present for me. I've been searching for a way to put into words and now that I understand what I really want, I have to share it with you. It is SIMPLICITY. It is BACK TO BASICS. This doesn't mean only in my fashion choices, although I am feeling a pull towards the classics: a solid color one piece swimsuit, Sperry topsiders, a striped button down shirt. It is more about paring down my activities and really savoring the moments when I am in them. It's about slowing down enough to be present and not always rushing to pack it all in. It's also very much about doing things the old school way. Bringing back the special feeling around the warm weather months that I had as a kid. I'm going to share some personal favorites below and I'd LOVE to hear yours too!
a barbecue with just burgers and hot dogs, maybe some potato chips and a green salad: nothing fancy and super impromptu. I can taste the Heinz ketchup and smell the grill and that's all there is to it.
laying on a towel in my backyard in a bikini: I've got a book, a cold drink and my dog is nearby. the sound of the back screen door and the house phone ringing are background noise. I don't care about the outside world because I'm working on my tan.
going to the pizza place and ordering a whole pie and eating it there, in a booth, with my family and friends. hot pepper flakes, parmesan, garlic powder all on the table. a glass bottle coke poured over ice that I chew on as I drink it. it all tastes better there.
eating the first soft serve ice cream cone (with colored sprinkles) of the season and not feeling guilty over it whatsoever. letting my kids have the same for dinner and it all feels like a special little secret we are sharing. coming home and gulping down a big glass of water and sitting on the front stoop for a little while.
taking an outdoor shower and coming in to freshly changed linen sheets, climbing into bed and watching a sitcom! Like back in the day: remember Who's The Boss, Family Ties, Full House. I can still conjure the opening songs to these classics. Can you?
So I'll leave you here to contemplate what your simple moments might look like this season, or better yet, what they FEEL like. A wise person once said to me "it's not about what your life looks like, it's about how it feels," and this could not be truer. The best thing for me personally is when life feels so easy and simple and also is aesthetically pleasing at the same time. How can we bring more of this into our spring and summer?
XO,
Hilary Star
