I’ve always had a soft spot for clothes that are a little bit ridiculous. I like a dramatic sleeve, an unexpected print, a dress with more volume than ever necessary. I also have to live in the real world, which means I’m not looking to spend every Tuesday dressed like I’m on my way to a garden party at a French château.
Rest assured, I absolutely still have the occasional insane, completely unrepeatable piece in my closet. The kind you fall in love with immediately and then realize, once you get home, that literally nothing else you own goes with it. Those are often the pieces I end up loving the most.
But most of the time, I want the middle ground. Give me a floral dress with a little poof, an interesting neckline, or even an apron top with jeans. I want color and prints and clothes with some personality, kind of like me.
That’s where Selkie comes in.
I’m So Bored of Beige
There’s been so much emphasis in fashion on looking effortless, elevated and expensive. I understand the appeal. A beautiful neutral wardrobe is chic, and there’s something oddly satisfying about a closet where everything works with everything else.
But who wants to blend in all the time?
I don’t need every piece to be a timeless investment. Not everything has to be quiet luxury or versatile enough to work five different ways. Sometimes I just want something because I like it.
A good print can change my entire mood. So can an unusual silhouette or a color I wouldn’t normally reach for. There’s something nice about putting on an outfit that makes an ordinary Tuesday feel a little less ordinary.
I like clothes. I like getting dressed. I don’t think either of those things needs to be treated like a guilty pleasure.
Why Selkie Gets Whimsy Right
Selkie was founded in 2018 by designer Kimberley Gordon, after her years with Wildfox, the Los Angeles label whose sweatshirts were everywhere in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
I still have several.
Selkie took Gordon’s aesthetic to a much more romantic and fantastical direction, becoming known for its Puff Dress, exaggerated silhouettes, tulle, florals and unapologetically feminine prints.
Some of it is a lot, but that’s part of why I like it.
But you don’t have to go completely over the top to wear Selkie. The pieces I’m most drawn to are the ones that bring a little fantasy into an otherwise normal wardrobe.
A floral dress with some volume, but not enough to swallow you whole. An apron top with denim. Something romantic paired with something simple.
That’s my sweet spot.
How Much Whimsy Is Too Much?
I think the trick is letting one thing have a personality.
If I’m wearing a romantic floral dress, I’ll keep everything else fairly simple. If the top is doing something interesting, jeans can bring it back down to earth. You don’t have to commit to a full fantasy wardrobe just because you like whimsical fashion.
That’s what makes these pieces wearable for me.
They’re a little unexpected without requiring me to become a different person to wear them.
And honestly, I like that.
Fashion Should Be Fun
I think we sometimes ask too much of our clothes.
They need to be all the things…flattering, practical, versatile, timeless and worth the money. They need to work with everything we already own and yet somehow be appropriate for brunch, work, dinner and a hypothetical vacation we may or may not take.
Fine.
But sometimes I just want the dress.
The colorful one. The slightly impractical one. The one that makes me feel good for no particularly profound reason.
Life is already functional enough. We work, answer emails, run errands, make dinner, clean the house and do it all again tomorrow. I don’t need my clothes to remind me how practical I’m supposed to be.
I want a little whimsy mixed into the ordinary.
Not every day, and not head-to-toe. I’m not trying to look like I escaped from a storybook. I just want enough color, print and personality to make getting dressed feel like something I actually enjoy.
So yes, I’ll keep the occasional completely insane piece in my closet that has no business being there.
But I’ll also take the floral dress with the little poof, the apron top over jeans, the good print, the unexpected color.
We could all use a little less beige and a little more personality.
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