Today’s Campus Cutie is Ebba! Ebba is my flatmate in halls and although I’ve only known her for a few weeks I have already got to know a lot about her. However, there’s one thing which has caught my attention since the first day I met her: Ebba doesn’t wear trousers. You will always see her wearing either dresses or skirts- and they’re colourful as well!
For Her Campus, I decided to have an interview with her and ask questions about this choice of style.
HC: Ebba, you stand out from the crowd because you only ever wear bright skirts or dresses. Why do you avoid wearing trousers?
E: I see it as a sense of continuity. When I turned 13, I wanted to express myself by wearing colourful and feminine clothes. I wanted to be a woman and it has become a habit since then. It is a sense of who I am, and it makes me feel comfortable. However, it also feels like dressing up and I am somehow hiding myself. I don’t perceive it as hiding myself in a negative way though – I consider myself as an introvert, and my style helps to keep a certain distance from people when I meet them for the first time. I want to express myself and it is a costume in addition, which is of course a contradiction! At the moment, I’m wearing this bright red dress as I’m going dancing tonight with my friends. I’ve chosen this dress because it stands for celebration- I’m drawn to bright colours because they show that you’re happy.
HC: When did you decide to choose this kind of style?
E: When I was 13 or 14, I changed to a completely new way of thinking. Before, I just wore sweat pants, baggy stuff, but by that age I started to experiment with fashion. I tried to find my way into it. Some of my friends wore stockings etc, and I wanted to find my own thing. You’re not a child anymore, but back then I also wasn’t a woman. So what I did in the past may have seemed to look older!
HC: Where do you get your inspiration?
E: I’m inspired when I look at what other people are wearing. I think if you like someone’s style, you subconsciously dress like them. Television series like Dowton Abbey inspire viewers for more vintage looks. Even the people who are in charge of fashion get inspired by the past, for instance the 60’s and 70’s look has become popular again in the last few years. I saw the movie ‘The Age of Adaline’– although I didn’t like the relationship between the two characters, (they didn’t have any problems in their relationship), I kept watching it because I liked the clothes which the main character Adaline (Blake Lively) wore in the movie. She’s a beautiful person and she looked stunning in those vintage clothes.
HC: Last question– what advice would you give to young women who want to follow your style?
E: Second-hand shops are fun because you will find so much stuff there and you don’t need a huge budget in order to buy clothes. Personally, I don’t like shopping and I think that fashion isn’t about principals, but wearing what you want. Do whatever is fun and feels comfortable- the rest doesn’t really matter.
Thanks for sharing your amazing tips Ebba – we think you look fabulous! HCXO