My Make It Work Moment — Jillian Ilana

To quote Gene Kranz, “I don’t care about what anything was DESIGNED to do, I care about what it CAN do.”

In Gone With The Wind, Scarlett O’Hara made an iconic dress out of curtains. On every season of Project Runway the contestants are challenged to create wearable, fashionable garments out of unconventional materials ranging from candy to car parts and everything in between. The fashion industry is one where creativity is celebrated, taking risks is encouraged, and limits simply do not exist.

Let me tell you a story…

In the summer of 2012 I was last minute shopping for a summer program with my youth group. I needed a dress and there was no time for alterations. I remember browsing the racks in Target feeling lost. I texted my mom asking for help and she told me to try a maxi skirt. I stared at my phone in confusion, after all maxi skirts are maxi and I’m a little person. I asked her to clarify and she said to try a maxi skirt as a dress. I was skeptical but desperate. I grabbed a cute maxi skirt off the rack, tried it on, and was surprised to see that the skirt was in fact the perfect maxi dress. I called my mom shocked and excited, wishing I had thought of this simple solution sooner.

Flash forward to last week when my best friend Lydia sent me a snapchat of her wearing an adorable maxi skirt (link below). I needed to know immediately where she bought it because I wanted/needed one. She sent me the Amazon link to an adorable midi skirt and I immediately ordered one in my size. It arrived on my doorstep a couple days later and I was so happy to find that it fit...as a skirt.

Why is this a big deal? I rarely, if ever, buy maxi skirts (to wear as a skirt) because I often have to leave too much of the design on the cutting room floor. So, being able to find a skirt that fits as a maxi without needing to be hemmed, without having to cut away what makes it special, is, to me, exciting.

Trying it on, I decided to have a mini photo shoot and see how many outfits I could put together, attempting to be bolder with my choices. Some worked, some did not, others just did not photograph as well as I would have wanted. But I had so much fun and that is what comes across in each frame.

Fashion is one of the truest forms of self expressions and when I look at these photos, I see pure joy, pure happiness, pure excitement...because of one garment. A skirt on its own is just a skirt, but pull the skirt up and pair it with ankle booties and an oversized denim shirt and you have the perfect Taylor Swift inspired ensemble. Pair the skirt with a black turtleneck and black booties and you have a classic elegant look perfect for work. Exchange the booties for a pair of heels and you are ready to go out on the town.