On Not Overthinking
Then · Now · Next & The Fine-Whatever Link-Up

Speaking of things I’ve nearly talked myself out of (see last week’s post, Finally Getting Around To It: I Give Up), my skirt is another example. But after witnessing my husband’s double-take at seeing it for the first time, I knew I’d made the right move.

While his second glance was not one of approval per se, it did confirm that this ensemble is unexpected. It’s those reactions that really thrill us, isn’t it? Not because they change our minds, but because they confirm what we already know — that the piece/look has impact. The reactions simply register it.

Those moments are small, almost throwaway, and easy to dismiss. But they tend to linger in my thoughts, especially when I’ve already been thinking about hesitation and the habit of overworking decisions that don’t actually require it.

Which brings me, oddly enough, to 2016.

With that year currently having a resurgence on social media, I find myself looking back to January, ten years ago, and the version of me who lived there. My blog was still quite new, a diversion from some of the other chaos of my life. That was also the month I hosted my first link-up and set the pattern for establishing unrealistic goals based on the year — 16 for 2016 being the first of many.

The nest was technically still full then, though both kids were in college. There were weekly visits with my mother, who was in assisted-living, and I was still working full-time with an hour-plus commute, so free time was at a premium. And I was a brunette, which somehow feels like the most obvious marker of all.

At the time, none of it felt especially notable. It was simply life as it was then, forward-moving and largely unquestioned. Only in retrospect does it register as a distinct season — one I couldn’t have fully named while I was inside it.

Ten years later, the shape of things is quite different.

Our home is quieter now, not because life has slowed, but because the center of gravity has shifted. The kids have established their own lives and our routines are much looser. And the hair is much lighter. The blog, once tentative, has grown into something steady and self-defined. I’m no longer writing toward an imagined audience or chasing momentum for its own sake. I’m writing from a place of familiarity — with myself, with my rhythms, and with what I actually enjoy sharing.

This outfit fits squarely into where I am right now. Nothing about it is especially precious, but each piece earns its place. The leopard-pattern cardigan (along with the blouse, both from my winter collection) does the visual heavy lifting, which is offset by the softness of the polka dot skirt. Grounding the look are boots meant to be worn, not admired from a distance. It’s an ensemble built on contrast, but not conflict.

I didn’t overwork it. I didn’t try to temper the statement or explain it away. I put it on, walked out the door, and let it do what it was going to do. Grab attention, and not flinch.

That, increasingly, is how I want getting dressed to feel.

Which has me thinking about what will resonate most in 2026. Looking ahead, I don’t think it’ll be style posts built around novelty or optimization. It’ll be the ones that reflect steadiness; outfits worn more than once, ideas revisited without apology, and posts that sit comfortably in their own lane without trying to justify their existence.

I suspect the pieces that do best will be the ones grounded in continuity: returning to older wardrobe favorites, working without self-imposed frameworks, and writing that acknowledges change without needing to frame it as growth. Not reinvention, exactly — more like refinement through repetition.

That feels consistent with where things are now. Less convincing, less explaining, less talking myself out of what already works. Just showing up, putting things together, and letting them stand.

Although if I had to make a prediction, there are two posts that I expect will again get a lot of traction as they have in past years. Later in 2016, I published DIY: Retirement Survival Kit, which consistently drew the most views each subsequent year until 2021, when it weirdly came in second to Ode To The Denim Jacket. The survival kit post returned to the top spot in 2022 and 2023, before being edged out again in 2024 by A Long-Awaited Beddian Birthday, written in 2020. Last year, survival kit was the top reclaimed first place with Beddian birthday coming in second.

For those not familiar with the term Beddian birthday, it refers to the birthday that coincides with the year the person was born. In my case, I was born in 1960, so my Beddian birthday was in 2020 when I turned 60. Beddian birthdays only occur in even years, hence the shifting popularity of the post (it apparently ranks high in Google searches). In 2026, persons born in 1963 or in 2013 will be observing this once-in-a-lifetime numerical milestone.

If there’s a through-line here, it’s probably this: some things don’t need to be refined into relevance. They just keep doing what they’ve always done. Which is to say: I’ll keep showing up, getting dressed, and occasionally overthinking.

Stay well and let’s keep in touch! Subscribe, follow, friend, pin … all options are available. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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Photo credit: MMPerez

Note: This is an unsponsored post; however, some or all of the links to clothing items are associated with an affiliate program, where I earn a small commission for each click at no additional cost to you.

Now, onto the Fine-Whatever link-up. The featured post from last week’s party, Tweed with the Ageless Style Link Up, was shared by Mireille, who pens Chez Mireille. She, too, got a surprise response to her outfit, which I think is fabulous (on both accounts 😉).