Bows & Manifestos

Cut-out Dress: Marshalls. Bow Wedge Heels: Red Valentino. Chain Bracelet: c/o Julie Vos. Watch: Michael Kors. Cateye Sunglasses: Dior. Beaded Bracelet: Forever21.
The other day, I saw some less than flattering feedback about my style and blog. My first reaction was indignance (of course), but ultimately, I'm not really that upset -- people are entitled to their opinions and I realize that my style is not what one would call mainstream, but it is me and I have no intention of diverging from who I am. Also, I'm not willing to dismiss all of the positive feedback that I get from friends, family, and my fellow (fabulous) bloggers and readers (thank you, btw, for all of the support throughout the years <3). Being different and brave (i.e. putting oneself "out there") usually results in a few (okay, a lot of) raised eyebrows, but honestly, I really love my blog, am totally comfortable with who I am, and am absolutely obsessed with my style (no apologies here). If my intent were to make a ton of money off of affiliate links, ads and "dedicated" posts, I might try to tailor my look to be more commercial, but that's not my goal here. I love fashion, and I've been developing my personal style since I was 12 (umm...let's be honest: 3 years old). The purpose of my blog is to share and document what I really where to work, on vacation, with my family, etc. and to encourage other ladies who love fashion to wear what they love. For those who've followed Voila for awhile, you'll see that I have included some intimate moments here, like my wedding day, pictures of my husband and my home, and holidays with my family. I'm not holding anything back: Voila is the real me, and while I welcome real feedback, I want to be clear that I'll take it in, let it go, and continue to be me. And my hope is that those who read Voila will find the inspiration (and courage) to wear the neons/tutus/platforms/tiaras/whatever-you've-had-your-eye-on and feel the satisfaction of chasing your own desires as opposed to chasing trends.
Et Voila!
xoxo,
~Meghan