Thank you for 6.1 M views!

Hello dear readers! Yesterday, my husband informed me that my blog passed 6 million views. Today, it's already 6.1 million, so thank you all very much for your visits and comments. I didn't have anything special planned because I didn't plan to reach this number yet, so I'll just go ahead with the sustainable outfit& travel post I did plan to post today. Once again, thank you all for your support and comments. Blogging is definitely more fun with readers. According to Italo Calvino and Jorge Luis Borges, all writing exists in dialogue with the reader. So, in a way it is our readers that make our writing exist. In other words, you readers and fellow bloggers are a big part of this blog as well. 

Exploring Dalmatia and Herzegovina in a Blue Grecian Dress

Today I decided it would be fun if I shared all the outfits I haven't shared so far with a blue Grecian dress from Croatian brand Amadeus. I wore this dress many times, and I haven't had the opportunity to post all my wears, so I thought it would be great to do it today, especially as I wore this dress to different locations and destinations. One of those location is where I left you off in my last post, that is Biograd na Moru.  

Moreover, I think this is a also nice opportunity to talk about sustainability.  For me sustainability is all about appreciating what we have and living in the moment. Gratefulness is a bit part of sustainability for me, being grateful for what we have and for the opportunities we were given. Sustainability is not just about what we do, it is also about how we think. If we learn to live more in the present, we'll be less tempted to indulge in the consumerist lifestyle. The change needs to start in our head. Sometimes it does not have to even be something new and different, but returning to our roots. Sustainability can mean simple things, like being a tourist in your own area, supporting small or local brands and artisans and so on. It is about doing not doing what everybody else is doing just because everyone else is doing it. Sustainability can be just about using your head for its intended purpose. Scroll down to see and read more. 



1) BIOGRAD NA MORU (a small historical town located in Dalmatia, a region in Croatia)

Let's start where we left of yesterday. This is an outfit I wore for a walk in Biograd na Moru. The morning after the wedding, this is what I changed into. It will probably be no surprise to you to hear that I have shopped my closet again.  I wore this styling for a walk around the place. Below you can see a few more photographs from our walk. I will also leave you with links for my previous visits to Biograd.

2021  Visit Biograd na Moru with me- part one // Visit Biograd na Moru with me- part two //Visit Biograd na Moru with me- part three

2026 Fashion illustration in Biograd na Moru


Now, let us talk about sustainable fashion files. Let me show you how I have been shopping my closet for years! 


The red bag (gifted)

18) with black cord jeans and flared blouse with a denim vest https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2026/07/stari-grad-travel-with-my-art-53.html

The black kitten heels (no name)- Fun fact, I actually glued these shoes before this trip. They have fallen apart but I managed to prolong their life somewhat. So, extra points for sustainbility when it comes to this pair. 

The sage green blazer (no name)

1) See how I styled this blazer with matching pants, a burgundy bag and, a shirt and a scarf.

2) See how I styled it with matching pants, black heeled biker boots, a scarf and a beige coat.


HOW I WORE THIS GRECIAN BLUE AMADEUS DRESS BEFORE? 

1. Here - with sandals and a mini ratan bag 

2. Here- with statement necklaces a summer straw bag 

3 & 4. Here- Two WAYS to Style The Blue Dress

5. Here- with Blue tights, a white blazer and a pair of pink heels

6. Here- See this blue midi dress layered with a red blazer and a grey coat 

7. Here - With comfortable flat tropical sandals for a relaxed vibe 

8.How to style a pale blue summer dress?  Here I wore it with leopard heels and a white vintage blazer.

9.  Blue dress worn with a leopard denim jacket, a pair of leopard heels and a black belt bag.

10. Blue dress styled for winter with a burgundy tartan winter jacket, brown boots and a bag.

11. With a brown leather winter coat with faux fur collar

12. With a pair of black flip flop sandals and a straw bag for a summer visit to Jelsa

13. Blue dress worn with pink heels and a mint blazer

14. Amadeus baby blue dress worn with blue tights, red and white startas and a matching blue shirt


2) MEĐUGORJE (located in Herzegovina, a region in Bosnia and Herzegovina) 

Next stop is Međugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I wore this outfit some years ago, but I didn't manage to share the images before. As you can see, here I styled this Amadeus dress with blue tights, beige loafers, a burgundy bag and a red blazer. I already shared the links for the dress, let us add other links.

Sustainable fashion files- How I wore these clothing items before? 

The blue tights (no name)- I don't usually link tights, but since they are coloured tights, maybe they can be seen as a fashion accessory? I do often wear these tights with this dress!

1) ....with this same amadeus dress and Croatian coat of art startas sneakers

2)...with this same dress and leopard heels and denim jacket.

3...) with a tie-dye blue dress, white sneakers and a white blazer

4) ...with a A-line white cherry print dress, a pink blazer and pink boots

5) ....with this same Amadeus dress, pink heels, mini beige bag and white blazer

6) ...with this same Amadeus dress, this same red blazer, mini beige bag, but with bw coat and Mary Jane heels

7)...with burgundy checkered jacket, pink sweater, graphic mini bag and brown boots

Burgundy bag (no name)

 I'm not sure how many times I have worn this bag more than thirty times for sure (see for example this post). I often link up multiwear post when I talk about this burgundy bag (even though it focuses on a pair of sandals, it features around 15 outfits with this burgundy bag). In this post focusing on a cherry print dress, you can also see a lot of different ways to style this mini burgundy bag. Moreover, in this post focusing on a white tunic, you can also see a lot of different outfits featuring this bag. You can also see how I wore it in October with a blue dress and a grey blazer.


Now that we have linked up sustainable fashion files, let us link sustainable travel ones. I visit Međugorje often and here are the links to prove it: 

MEĐUGORJE- A GREEN OASIS OF PEACE AND QUIET- Being sustainable with travel is another great idea if you are looking to make a difference. You can do it by being a local tourist and exploring the areas you would otherwise visit for various.  Medjugorje is one of the most visited  Christian pilgrimage sites, but you can also come to enjoy the nature and ethnological tourism. If you're interested in visiting Herzegovina, Međugorje is definitely worthy of a visit. Where to learn about Međugorje? Well, my blog among other places. :) So, to see and learn more about Međugorje, you can also visit my old post shot at this location and find more information there. It really is a lovely and peaceful place. Perfect for lovers of rural tourism and fine dining. There are some amazing restaurants in this area! Herzegovina cusine is generally speaking very impressive. 


In Međugorje, you can also find two ethno villages. One of them ethno village Herceg is an extremely popular destination. 



3) JELSA (ISLAND HVAR, DALMATIA, CROATIA)

Moving onto our next destination and that is Jelsa. I wore the outfit below for drinks with my significant others. This was obviously a pretty casual styling. Shall we do the sustainable fashion files? Let's do it!

The crossover patch bag (no name)

1) See how I styled it here with a maxi green dress and sneakers.

The tropical sandals (art) 

1-30) I reached 30 wears with this pair of tropical print sandals in 2021. 

31) ...with a preloved floral maxi dress.

32) ...with a yellow top and black floral skirt.

33-34)...with two outfits in Summer in Mostar (with a blue and a green dress)!

35-36) ...with two outfits (blue & grey dress) in this post.

37) ...with a striped skirt and a vintage neon green blazer.

38) ...with Ozz pants and a yellow t-shirt!

39) ...with Boho vibes blue mixed print dress.

40) ...with a dark floral mini skirt.

41- 42) ...with two outfits (Ozz lilac skirt & denim skirt combo) in this post.

43) ...with mini navy print skirt and a golden belt.

44)...with a dusty pink skirt and a striped puffed sleeve C&A blouse.

45) ...with a dark cherry print dress and tights.

46) ...with a vintage white blouse and dusty pink skirt.

47)...with a grey tulle skirt and a white blouse.

48)...with a black swimsuit and a grey mini skirt.

49) ...with a mini floral ruffled dress and a straw hat.

50)...with a white cherry print dress and a straw hat.

51) with an OZZ lilac floral skirt and a red top.



Let us now talk about sustainable travel files, that is, I'll share my links from Jelsa. 

While I lived in Jelsa in 2019/2020, I shared a few recap posts about what living there is like, I also shared outfits and art. After I moved back, I revisited Jelsa, so I blogged about that as well....


There were travel posts, and outfits posts, ad blog reviews...I mean everything you have learnt to expect from my blog.

Many of my art and even fashion illustration posts were inspired by Jelsa: 



4) BUNA, (LOCATED IN HERZEGOVINA, A REGION IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA)

Moving back to Herzegovina, I'm taking you to Buna again. Located in vicinity of Mostar city, this is one of my go to places in Summer. It's the perfect place to look for some refreshment during the hot summer months. These photographs were taken in Hotel Buna, that is very popular with both local and foreign tourists. 

Sustainable fashion files- How I wore these items before? How I shopped my closet for this styling?

The blue necklace- This is actually my creation! I designed and made this necklace as a teenager.

The navy flared jacket (no name)



Now that the sustainable fashion talk is out of the way, we can talk about sustainable travel, being a tourist in your area and all that.  I talk a lot about sustainable fashion, but sustainable tourism is just as important to me. Revisiting places and appreciating their beauty time and time again means a lot to me. It is not just about revisiting places, it is more about life philosophy. Being grateful for what we have. Opening our eyes for the potential that is around us.

We live in a time when people are finding it all too easy to always move on.  Something breaks, you buy something new. You buy it and you get rid of it before you blink. I can understand moving from job to job, and indeed it can make a lot of sense to job hop, but we shouldn't hop away from everything. We do not need to move away from every friendship and place. Some things are worth preserving and appreciating. Some things are worth fixing or fighting for. This can be applied to clothes, to art, to travel, and even to relationships. 

We live in a society that rewards the 'new'. Opening an app for dating or meeting friends can feel easier that making that call to a friend we haven't talk for in months. There is vulnerability in trying to fix a friendship or a relationship. Some people find it easier to just move on. People ask AI questions that used to be reserved for friends. The solution for everything exists in the modern world- as long as you pay for it with money. That is the lie that we are sold, anyway. For there are many things that cannot be bought, that can only be earned. Friendship is one of them. 

Friendships need to be maintained to be meaningful. Even something as seemingly superficial as a wardrobe needs to be maintained to be meaningful. A closet full of clothes that are thrown away the next day, how can it ever be truly stylish? How can it tell our story? How can it be meaningful?

If everything we wear is just buying into the trend, how can we tell our story, what does our style even express? Can we even talk about style? If we are consumed by consumerism, how can we even enjoy the things we have? If we visit all the trendy destinations just because they are trendy, what are we even visiting? What kind of stories are we creating? What is there for us, really, at the end of the day? 

 There is nothing wrong in buying something new, or in making new friends or in visiting new places and countries per se. The problem is when it turns into a consumerist frenzy. People swap friends or potential partners the way they do things. Always moving on, always looking for something new. Getting rid of everything we own because of this or that trend. One day it is the minimalist trend, the other day something else. 

I do think it all starts in our heads. There are people who are practically mathematical geniuses, but they are still so consumed by consumerism , they will always run into debt. There are those who might suffer from a genuine shopping addiction. Nowadays, a shopping addiction is easier to succumb than ever. Everything is just a click away. The online store never close. It has never been easier to shop, and it has never been more potentially bad for the environment. Let us take a moment from time to time, to breathe and to appreciate what we have around us. To revisit the places around us. To appreciate what we have. To learn something about something. Not just to post it or to share it on social media, but for ourselves. 

48) https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2024/10/shadow-and-bone-by-leigh-bardugo-book.html



The worst thing ultimately is doing something because everyone else is doing it, buying completely just because it has become normalized, using AI because it seems easier. Do things for yourself, and take responsibility for it. If you mess up, at least you've learnt something.  I make mistakes all the time. Sometimes I buy something, and I breaks down, and I do have to throw it away. I don't manage to fix everything all the time. This applies to both things and relationship. Not everything can always be maintained or preserved. Sometimes things break down. However, the older I am, the more I see the value in fighting for things, from our planet to ourselves.  Life is full of changes and that is a given. None of us is an island, and trends do influence us. Nevertheless, trends come and go, but at the end of the day, we all have to live with ourselves. Doing some soul searching from time to time can do wonders. Asking ourselves the right question is a life long endeavour and so is finding answers. It does not always work out the way we thought, but we can at least try. Normalize being grateful. Normalize not living in the expectancy of the next best thing. Normalize being a normal human being, flawed but trying to find some sense in living beyond the rat rate and materialistic pursuit of happiness. Anyway, that's my bit of sustainable philosophy for today.


Once again, thank you so much for visiting, commenting and for being here in this digital space to call my own!


Comments

  1. Quel vestito è stupendo, Ivana! Ed il colore ti dona anche moltissimo, secondo me!
    Mi piacciono tutti i modi in cui l'hai interpretato, specialmente sfruttandolo come gonna e nascondendo la parte sopra!
    Baci!
    S
    https://s-fashion-avenue.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete

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