I had a Fashion Trip on the 4th of July! I attended a Pool Party at a fancy hotel rooftop with a group of girlfriends. In case you’re wondering, no I did not wear Red, White, And Blue…. That would have been too obvious. I chose a lane and committed to all White! For those of you reading this, the pictures will tell the story better than I can describe. And if you’re currently just listening on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube You can find the Visuals on my Substack where this Podcast originates as a hybrid Newsletter with picture’s, text, audio and sometimes video! My handle is @thefengshuilady. I encourage you to follow and subscribe!
I’ll be the first to admit, I struggled with my wardrobe choice on the 4th because quite frankly, I did not feel Bikini Ready. I’m sure most women can relate. I also live in Los Angeles a city where the bar for body standards is exceptionally high. I almost wore a 1 piece but my style vision won over my insecurities. I have this amazing long white Crochet Style Beach Dress in my closet I had purchased for a pool or beach day just like this. It was screaming to be worn and it wanted to be paired with my white bikini. No other choice would have had the same impact. So I channeled my inner Lena Dunham circa her HBO Girls days where she was constantly naked or running around in a bikini. Her body confidence was off the charts and I really needed some of that energy. I have the body I deserve meaning I have been eating whatever I want as much as I want and perhaps more than I need. I’m objectively slim but not as slim as I have been. I vacillate and I was on the upswing. This year I was simply not very strategic in preparing for Independence Day. The tummy wants what the tummy wants, you know what I mean? Pictured are my two bathing-suit options that I tried on the night before. My white Bikini and my Leopard print 1piece. When I went to bed I was convinced I’d be wearing the one piece covering my tummy.
In the morning however, I had a fashion over insecurity moment and I’m really glad I did. White energetically is a reflective color. In fact it’s the recommended color to wear during a Shamanic experience. I feel protected in white even if I am highly visible. It’s what I wear when I clear a space and it’s a color I only really started wearing from head to toe in the last few years. I also love pairing it with black. Very Yin & Yang vibes.
All that said I know I made the right choice! I wore white on white with a hint of blue found in a pair of long dangly turquoise earrings. My hair was strategically tied in a top bun so I wouldn’t get it wet and didn’t have to think about it. This worked out perfectly because of course I forgot my brush that day.
A crochet cover up is a great way to play peekaboo without revealing everything. Eventually though, I did take it off and run around in my white bikini. It’s amazing the kind of confidence one can muster after a little wine… I don’t however recommend magic mushrooms 🍄 for such a public outing. I debated whether or not to share this part of the story but I feel it’s pertinent. In my Lyft and on my way to the festivities, I did happen to eat 2 mushroom gummies with active psilocybin properties. They are legal by the way and I got them from therapist friend. They are designed to be therapeutic in nature. I have only ever taken magic mushrooms aka psilocybin as a sacrament and or with a Shaman as a Spiritual experience. These gummies were different. On this occasion in a micro dose, I thought perhaps they would give me that Lena Dunham confidence, instead they made me incredibly nauseous and for the first hour I was at the pool rooftop, I was basically catatonic. This was poor judgment on my part! For that first hour, I did manage to take some pictures while I kept my dress on in the blazing hot sun. Then just like that, I snapped out of it. Like after you purge during an Ayahuasca ceremony and feel so relieved as the spiritual insights begin to wash over you. The brutal nausea finally subsided and I perked right up. I then switched to wine which had a much more desirable effect. I took off my dress and got in the pool with my friends. Everything shifted and I was so happy to be swimming, just so happy...
When I emerged from the water with my girlfriends, a woman in a red bikini approached me and said she’d been watching and admiring me since I had arrived! I’m thinking did she notice how sick I was? Apparently not! She said I was the chicest girl there and she was so impressed with my style. “No one dresses in LA” she insisted, “But you showed up in a dress and heals at a pool party!” I’m thinking in my head how I was just trying to camouflage my body for that first hour and not throw up. She however, saw me as glamorous and lounging…. She mentioned she had just moved back to La from The East Coast and was utterly unimpressed with the way women were dressing here. My friend Candace thanked her for her basically making my day and said “You two should be friends!” We are now…. Looking back on that day, I feel as if the white dress and bikini did protect me and reflect me. It was kind of like a spiritual experience. It was the perfect storm with a beautiful rainbow at the end. Cheers. 🥂
My 4th of July Fashion Story ~ Laura in La La Land