Warrior Princess Boots

Okay, so maaaaaybe these boots aren't the most practical for galoshmazoning (metallic silver microsuede doesn't stand up to weather issues well), but they sure are fabulous!

boots by Be Wild

Galoshmazoning

During my adventures as a galoshmazining princess of Saerintopia over the years it has become clear to me that there are certain staples to any adventurer’s wardrobes. Hold on a second, you all don’t know what galoshmazoning is. It’s a word that my BFF Li and I came up with when we were out at the lake one year and were hiking through the bracken whilst exploring. It can be defined thus:

galoshmazon, to: (verb) to explore the wilderness whilst wearing galoshes, in the manner of Amazon warriors. Alluding to glamour, this verb can still be applied to men, but is generally applied to exploratory women. (Definition courtesy of the Dictionary of Saerontopia).

Enough about galoshmazoning, we’re here to discuss fashion! I was planning on doing a photo shoot for this week, but the other half of the creative ideal is across the country from me, and Saerin (aka Liz) cannot be replaced by anyone. So instead you get my advice on what an exploring princess should have in her wardrobe!

Tall boots: These are the most integral part of a warrior princess outfit, It doesn’t matter whether they’re brown or black or neon pink, just that they’re epic, and you feel like a badass when you wear them. Bravado and confidence are 75% of the warrior princess attitude, and the boots should be able to pump you up and make you feel like you can take on the world. BTW ankle boots won’t do. They gotta be tall boots or they just won’t give the right impression. My warrior princess boots are knee-high silver metallic snakeskin heels, and I always feel like the most awesome person ever when I wear them. You’ll get to see them on Sunday, don’t worry.

A good pair of jeans: Normally you would assume that warrior princesses would wear short shorts when exploring, but jeans are much more practical. On the most basic level, they protect your legs from getting all scratched up while exploring. Even more importantly: everyone looks good in jeans. I personally go for a darkwash denim since it never goes out of style, and with a high percentage of spandex for increased mobility.

Leather jacket: They’re badass. Do you really need any more reason why you need one?

Cheap tanktops: To contrast the item that I’m putting on the list next, I decided to include this basic wardrobe staple. When they get too dirty for detergent to remedy you can just throw them out instead of being upset about stains. And trust me, adventuring princesses get their hands dirty, and shirts are the first place that dirt accumulates when adventuring.

A fancy dress: It doesn’t have to be a ballgown, but every princess needs something sparkly to wear when she feels like being a girly girl. I have lots of them, and I absolutely love the OMG reaction I get from people when I dress up like a girly girl. If all you ever wear is a leather jacket and jeans, then people are going to eventually become used to it; just switch into a fancy dress and watch their jaws drop! You can always wear your badass boots or jacket for an even bigger contrast.

How to have an Alter-Ego and not Lose your Mind

In high school my best friend Liz and I were a little strange. We were the kids who didn’t really talk to anyone, we were the kids who wore strange outfits (plaid wedges for me, yellow rain jacket for her), we were the kids who nicknamed our group after a dad show (the Possum Posse from the Red Green Show). We were also the kids the wildest imaginations, and who were always busy creating a magic land of make-believe. Sure, most of the kids in our school thought we were nuts (and in retrospect we probably were a bit too much to handle), but we were happy living with dual personalities because it gave us a means of escaping the banalities of petty high school drama and gave us something interesting to do on our lunch hours.

Creating a persona who was the opposite of who we were in reality was a means for us to explore different lifestyles. By creating stories about our characters we could experience adventure, magic, strange creatures, faraway lands, and most of all, love. Our characters were the brave, strong, independent women (who always got the guy) that we both hoped to become someday. Both of us were pretty shy when it came to being social in high school, but seeing our alter-egos do things we were never able to in real life laid the groundwork for becoming the slightly more outgoing people we are today. Neither of us is the most popular girl in school now of course, but Liz has managed to swing herself a pretty awesome boyfriend, and moving across the country didn’t really phase me, so we must be getting somewhere.

The key to having an alter-ego is to know when to turn it off. They may be an inspiration, and they can push us to do things we wouldn’t normally do, but they are essentially a secret part of our lives. Doing things that are crazy all the time can get you into trouble if you indulge too often, but if applied with a careful touch can add a sense of mystery to your personality and lead to some fun adventures. My rule of thumb is always: be crazy and uninhibited with your friends, but not your boss. If it could have repercussions in the wider range of your life think twice, and keep those leather thigh-high boots in the closet. Putting on an alter-ego is much like putting on that crazy outfit that’s hidden in the back of your closet. We all have one, whether it’s that ball gown we picked up at a thrift store “just because,” that pair of ridiculously neon pumps that make any outfit a party, or that fashion forward trench coat that we’re not quite mature enough to wear. Putting on that crazy piece of clothing changes how we see ourselves, and changes how we interact with the world in much the same way that adopting an entire alter-ego can. It can be a fun experience, or we can be left feeling slightly ridiculous.

But what’s the fun in always playing it safe? Go ahead and do something  you wouldn’t this week, and blame it on your “other self.” You never know who you’ll meet, and it might just be me, out doing the exact same crazy thing!