I could describe my personal style in a multitude of ways. I’ll pull a Donatella Versace and say that my personal style is “very personal.” If you asked my little sister, she’d probably tell you that I like “old lady clothes.” She isn’t wrong, but let’s be honest, the Golden Girls are totally style icons. Regardless, I think I pull it off. I tend to gravitate towards grandpa sweaters and mom jeans, oversized jackets and vintage t-shirts.
But no matter how much I love my style, people sometimes feel the need to ask me questions like, “Doesn’t your boyfriend think you dress like a boy?” or “Wouldn’t you want to show off your shape more often?” Anyone who knows me could tell you that I feel really strongly about living life for myself, and dressing for myself is a big part of that. This last week though, I got to thinking: when we dress ourselves, we choose outfits that we feel accentuate our best features. But what do my friends and loved ones consider to be my “best features?”
To answer this question and to possibly pick up some fashion tips, I decided to ask my boyfriend to choose my outfits for three days. I would wear the outfit all day and decide how I felt about it and whether I would consider wearing it again. Surprisingly, he was all for it, and he swore he would prove he “knew fashion.”
Day 1
Luckily for me, the cold front seemed to have passed for the time being, and I didn’t have to worry about freezing my butt off in my first outfit. Dylan (I know I’ve mentioned him in my articles before, but I’m finally revealing his name!) raided my closet and found a t-shirt I remembered buying my freshman year and never touching again. He paired said shirt with my favorite pair of black leggings and high-top Converse, to give off a “comfy-casual vibe.”
My thoughts: I feel like my taste in clothes has evolved since freshman year, and I’ve unknowingly been avoiding prints. This shirt was honestly louder than anything I had worn in a long time, but I thought the blue looked nice. The leggings were obviously within my comfort zone, but I hadn’t worn my Converse since game days freshman year either. This outfit got me thinking that I should take another look at all the old clothes I had packed away with the intention of never wearing again.
Day 2
I was greeted by 70-degree weather, and my boyfriend decided to dress me accordingly. He chose the only band tee I owned (yay, Arctic Monkeys!), paired with high-waisted shorts that I hadn’t worn in years (sensing a pattern here?), since I had become attached to my mom jeans and vintage denim. After digging out a pair of black Converse I didn’t know I owned, Dylan decided the outfit “needed a layer,” hence the cardigan. As someone who gets chills like nobody’s business, I was totally down.
My thoughts: this was definitely my least favorite outfit. I kind of felt like I was fourteen years old (and I think I looked a little like it, too). I’m also not a huge fan of how my legs look in shorts, regardless of what anyone says. I wasn’t as comfortable as I wanted to be, though I will say that wearing shorts out for the first time in forever made me realize how long it had been, and that I needed to work on that.
Day 3
The final day of dress-up was a little chilly, so my boyfriend chose a long sleeve shirt I had purchased and immediately felt buyer’s remorse for. He paired it with his favorite pair of skinny jeans from my collection. He chose my favorite pair of sneakers to go with it, and for the most part, I had no complaints.
My thoughts: it’s amazing how switching up an outfit can change the entire aesthetic. I wore this to a meeting later in the day and felt cute and casual. I would have normally worn the pants with the sneakers, no problem, but after adding the top, I didn’t feel like the outfit was really me. It turns out, though, I don’t hate the shirt as much as I thought I did, and I might even wear it again. With different pants.
I felt like each outfit called attention to my arms or legs, which I was pretty uncomfortable with, as I’m not 100% confident in the way they look. But this made me realize that others may not see me in the same light that I do. Though I might hate my legs and how they look in shorts, I actually did get positive reactions from everyone who saw me that day. I joked that I would get some fashion tips out of this, but I actually learned something pretty valuable: it’s okay to be insecure, but it’s also important to know that those insecurities do not define you, and they definitely shouldn’t limit you.