I'm Weathered, but I'm Not Worn

So I’m driving in my car one day and I began thinking about the evolution of my style over the years. I realized that one staple piece that has ALWAYS been a part of my wardrobe is a pair of ripped/distressed jeans. I began reflecting on the meaning behind this piece of clothing. I believe that our style represents us. It tells a story of who we are and how we want people to see us. So how does a ripped pair of jeans represent me? What message have I been conveying through the rips and tears of my denim?  How do they make me feel?

My jeans represent how I’ve WEATHERED through the myriad of experiences in my life that have made me the person that I am today.  They say to the world, “Yes, I’ve been knocked down (holes in the knees). Yes, I’ve made mistakes (stains and spills). Yes, there were times when I was hanging on by a thread (pun intended)….but, I still came out winning…EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!” EVERYTHING that has happened to me has BECOME a beautiful part of the ME. It is the GOOD that GOD promised would ALL work TOGETHER. I’m WEATHERED, but I’m not worn. I share my struggles in life because I want people to see how beautiful life can be once we’ve WEATHERED through.

Hence, the birth of my Weathered Not Worn Collection! Jeans that represent people who have weathered life's storms to find joy in their sunlight. I’ve taken my love of Levi jeans and customized each pair to create a weathered look that represents the unique struggles we each go through and how we endure. I want the collection to empower us, connect us, and remind us to KEEP FIGHTING!  

Traditionally, weathered garments (with holes created from wear and tear) have represented a sense of suffering, unfortunate circumstances, or neglect. One might look at such a garment and think that it was unsightly, unusable, or has no purpose. When I think about my favorite pairs of jeans, they are not the ones which show no signs of imperfections or weathering. My favorite pairs are the ones with rips and holes, both intentional and unintentional. How does this represent me? The intentional rips represent the people, things, and ideas I’ve had to “cut” out of my life over the years to sustain and preserve ME…my PEACE. Over the years, I’ve learned that I have to be very intentional when it comes to protecting my peace. After many washes, these intentional rips begin to take on a natural appearance and bring style and spirit to the jeans. They appear to say, “Life goes on”. Then there are the unintentional rips. The wear and tear that occur through “living” in them. These tears, rips and stains can only occur through taking an active part in life. They are evidence of the hand that’s been dealt to us and how we’ve made the decision to play the hell out of that hand. If those jeans lay dormant on a shelf behind the closet door or hid in silence in a dark dresser drawer, they wouldn’t have any evidence of wear and tear…no signs of struggle. The unintentional rips and tears say, “Life throws punches and we may take some hits, but we don’t have to lose the fight.”

For some, weathered jeans may tell a story of suffering, unfortunate circumstances, or neglect. But for the one with style and the ability to see the beauty in those rips and tears, they tell a different story. They tell a story of how we weather through the storms and come out WINNING. They represent the battle scars and how we are able to wear them with pride and say, “I DID THAT”! Paired with a stylish top and killer heels, a pair of ripped jeans go from shabby to chic in an instant…just as a woman who embraces challenges with the right attitude can turn her misery and despair into a beautiful testimony. We can either look at our STRUGGLES and DWELL on how unhappy they made us feel, how unfortunate we are, and how life is always throwing us lemons…OR we can look at our TRIUMPHS and CELEBRATE the lessons we’ve learned, behold God’s GRACE and MERCIES, and appreciate the fact that we can make some damn good lemonade out of those lemons…and even add a shot of Vodka if we need to!

We’re WEATHERED, but we’re NOT WORN.