A Fashionista’s Freedom

One of the greatest things about RV living on the beach is the freedom it provides for women to escape society’s cult of beauty. Here, no one wears make-up or does their hair. No one cares if you wear the same thing every day...if fact most ladies don the same bathing suit for weeks on end. In my third winter of being here, this is a list of the “un-stylish” things I’m enjoying: 

• Natural nails - acrylic nails, gel nails, tips, glues, polish, salons, manicures, nail art, egad! I've calculated false nails can cost over $1000 and a day's worth of time in the salon each year. Who can be bothered? Here, mine are kept short with the only upkeep being daily (no, make that near-hourly) scraping to remove the sand from under them. 
• No-style long hair - with good hair care products, I can go a week between washings and a year between trims. Hallelujah to the messy bun and braids! And I’ve cut out the hair dye. So what if I have a few greys. Here, they are “highlights” ;-)
• 24/7 jewelry - This alone has been one of the best simplifications in my life. How much time, energy and money did I used to exert trying to coordinate jewelry with my outfit every day? I'm ashamed to think about it. Now I have a set of good quality, minimalist classic pieces that I wear all the time - yes, sleeping, washing dishes, showering, swimming in the ocean, etc.
• Bralessness - funny, rhymes with “lawlessness”, huh? ‘Nuff said. 
• No shoes - I brought eight pairs on this trip and lately have been wearing zero. We even go for two-hour beach walks barefoot. I only put on my Crocs flip-flops for a trip to town. 

Now, everyone knows I’m a self-professed fashionista with a penchant for accessories - namely handbags, shoes, scarves and baubles. But living here in this way is helping me hone my style and its accompanying budget into something more refined...less knee-jerk to the whims of fashion, less longing of couture, and more thoroughly suited to me. The quote that keeps going over in my head is “Are you buying for your real life or your imagined life?”. And when I look at my real life, I realize I already have an abundance of all I need.