How to Know If a Trend Is Actually for You
Taking a lil' inspiration from the scientific method
We’re trying ballet flats.
Again!
This is something I didn’t see coming.
See, I got a cute pair of black ballet flats from Madewell last year. I was so excited. I thought, “This is it, these are going to work!”
And…they…didn’t.
Or at least not yet. I still plan to give them a solid shot this fall.
But in the meantime, I had a realization:
Maybe it’s not that all ballet flats are wrong for me. Maybe something was just off with the Madewell pair — like the color or material.
So, last week, on a whim, I decided to try again. Differently.
Not only are they a totally different vibe, but they’re also something I never thought I’d like. Mesh? White? Sounds like something I’d scroll right past.
But the second I slipped them on, surprise! It was love.
It takes a special shoe to lure me out of my flip-flops, but I like how these bring a different kind of energy to my “boring” outfits. A sweatshirt and running shorts hit different when you swap a flip flop for a ballet flat. A little less default, a little more interesting.
Sometimes you have to try something more than once to know if it’s really for you. And often it’s not about trying harder — it’s about trying differently.
I have this tendency where I often expect myself to know after trying once. To have my take figured out, my mind made up. But most of the time, that’s not how it works.
In science, in art, you keep going, change a variable, and try again.
The same thing happens in life all the time. You try a thing — a routine, a habit, a goal — and it doesn’t click. But that doesn’t mean you have to throw the whole thing out. There’s almost always something tweak-able. Some tiny angle to shift. A variable to change.
Sometimes a micro-change is all it takes to make it click.
So yes — we’re trying ballet flats again. And this time, it seems they’re working.
❤️ Caroline Joy
P.S. If you’re here for the outfit, you can find the links below, as always.
OUTFIT DETAILS
(Consider me your personal shopper -- when you make a purchase through these affiliate links, I make a commission at no charge to you.)
Anine Bing Sweatshirt (mine’s old — here’s a similar one from Joah Brown or Anine Bing)
Everlane Men’s Tee (wearing S)
H&M Flats (mine are old — here’s a similar pair from Staud and Old Navy)
H&M Bag
Mejuri Earrings (mine are old — Quince makes a similar pair)
Pearl Necklace