The BEat by Kara Alloway September Edition
The Dress, Redeemed
How a black dress, a furry heel, and a silver bag help me grasp that what feels out of place may be the very thing that completes the look.
It begins with a black dress — simple, familiar, the kind of piece that hangs in almost every closet. On its own, it’s fine, maybe even elegant, but not remarkable. The transformation happens when it’s paired with the unexpected: colorful furry heels and an oversized silver bag. Suddenly the dress is no longer background, it becomes the canvas for something new. What once felt ordinary now carries presence.
That’s the essence of putting a look together. It isn’t always about perfect matches or predictable choices; it’s about seeing potential where others might not. A floofy shoe may seem too whimsical, a jumbo metallic bag too exaggerated — yet when they come alongside something simple, their very difference becomes their strength. They redeem the look.
The same principle holds true in life. Scripture tells us that what feels out of place, overlooked, or even broken can always be restored. God takes the parts we ask ourselves “what were you thinking?!” – and works them for good. Romans 8:28, TLB “And we know that all that happens to us is working for good if we love God and are fitting into his plans”. That’s redemption. Not discarding but reframing, repurposing, and weaving it all into something beautiful.
When I style, I often begin with the piece that doesn’t seem to belong. The shoe that feels too quirky, the bag that feels way too oversized — those are the items that carry the power to shift everything. I’ve learned to see my days the same way. The moments I’d rather leave behind, the experiences that seem out of scale, can be the very places where grace is at work. Just as fashion redeems the overlooked pieces, God redeems the parts of our story that feel unfinished.
A look comes alive when the unexpected is welcomed in and given purpose. So does a life. What feels like turbulence at first may be the lift we didn’t see coming. Fashion at its best isn’t about perfection — that’s boring - it’s more about redemption. And life, in God’s hands, works the very same way. Instead of fighting the imbalances, may I suggest we hold steady and let the ride surprise us.
