I listened to an otherwise unremarkable podcast the other day (#savage) in which the interviewee commented: “I am not a thought leader. But I am a very good thought follower.”
How honest and how lovely, I thought — first, to know oneself well enough to make such a pronouncement, and second, to perceive that thought followership can be a skill, too. It implies receptivity, an aptitude for listening. Open ears, a willing mind: beautiful things.
Am I thought follower or a thought leader, I wonder? Thought leader feels too grand for self-appointment, and I don’t see myself as a person of extreme conviction anyway. Yes, I have strongly held values and beliefs and opinions, but I am also impressionable and can change my mind over time. Further, I’m not the type to proselytize. (Except for when it comes to the glen plaid blazer you need RN. HA.) I’m far more comfortable moderating a conversation than I am standing on a dais.
But there is something else. I find that my way of understanding the world is by way of pastiche. My thoughts often dance around from input to input: a tidbit from a movie, an image from an Instastory, the purple-gray quiet of Central Park at night, a turn of phrase from a book, that mohair sweater on Jenny Walton during Fashion Week. I collect these breadcrumbs throughout the day and then spread them out in front of me and find the path between them.
Maybe I am neither follower nor leader, but a kind of wayfinder between the two.
What about you? Thought follower? Thought leader? Or neither?
Post-Script: Sheer Details.
I love a sheer overlay on a dress or blouse, and I’m ecstatic to see sheer materials cropping up all over the place–so delicate and saucy. No one works with sheer materials better than Cecilie Bahnsen, though. How exquisite are the two snaps below?!
I would love to wear this silk tulle top of hers.
Self-Portrait also usually has a few pieces with a sheer accent/sleeve — I own a great cocktail dress of theirs from a few seasons back with a mesh neckline that always fetches a lot of compliments. Hence, my obsession with this dress. That sleeve!
A few of my other sheer detail picks:
THIS SEE BY CHLOE BLOUSE (SO ROMANTIC FOR DATE NIGHT!)
THIS PRADA (BIGTIME SWOON)
THIS AMANDA UPRICHARD CONFECTION (RECENTLY SEEN ON ARIELLE OF SOMETHINGNAVY!)
THIS ELEGANT AND SEXY BOW-FRONT BLOUSE
P.S. A propos of this post: I see myself as a perennial etudiante.
P.P.S. What to say when words fail you.
P.P.P.S. This post makes me weepy. I love you, friend.