When I was younger, I would force my mom to text our neighbor via her Blackberry (#tbt) so that she could inform me what her daughters would be wearing on our day trip to Maine the next day. Would they be wearing boots or sneakers? A jean jacket or their North Face? I needed to know! My biggest fear was not being dressed appropriately for the occasion, and by that I mean not wearing a similar outfit to what my friends were sporting that day. I became obsessed with shopping at the same stores at my neighbors, even though when I went to T.J. Maxx or Marshalls I would only find pink, tattered t-shirts with ‘Abercrombie’ written across the chest in obnoxious rhinestones. My plain purple v-neck long-sleeve shirts were nothing to their cream-colored sweaters that were always on trend at the moment. I constantly felt one step behind in my Old Navy jeans and American Eagles sweatshirts.
By the time I entered middle school, I was being influenced not only by my neighbors, but also by other girls in my grade. Suddenly, I was tucking plaid button-up shirts into my boot cut jeans and wearing circle scarves around my neck at least once a week. In high school, I left this preppy phase for Urban Outfitter bralettes and off the shoulder tops. I felt like hot &*%$, but by senior year I was seriously questioning my style and discovering that spending $20 on bralettes was not a sustainable lifestyle. This brings us to the present day, where I finally feel happy with my wardrobe (for the most part) and have fun styling my outfits — perhaps spending a little too much time matching my earrings to my sneakers. I have tucked my loose-fitting garments deep into my closet and now have fun experimenting with graphic tees, flowy, patterned pants, and bell-bottom ripped jeans. I will not lie when I say I feel validated when I receive compliments on my #ootd posts on my Instagram stories, but I do not forget my humble beginnings as a follower of others’ trends. What follows are some tips and tricks (or treats) for how I have found my style in a world where we are bombarded with ads and social posts about fashion on the daily.
- Take stock of what you have, and that includes those tie-dyed t-shirts from sixth grade
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In an era of sustainable fashion, a quick tip to avoid fast fashion is to spend time digging around in the back of your closet for hidden treasure. No, I’m serious: you will be surprised about what you can find it the back of your drawer, from neglected t-shirts and sweaters, to an old pair of leggings that you can bring back from the dead. I view this repurposing as a challenge: how can I make a pink polo shirt work with my current anti-prep style?
Going back in time to your middle school wardrobe is also the perfect way to give clothes you do not wear to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Over the years I have tried my best to donate clothes when I buy new items so that my closet is not overflowing with (let’s be honest) chunky sweaters. The more time you take to reflect about what you already have and what you want to buy, the more intention will go behind your clothing collection. In this way, you will be on track to possessing your dream wardrobe.
- Shop sales before sifting through the new collections
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I cannot tell you the number of times I have received compliments on new fall looks that I bought off the sale rack at Abercrombie & Fitch (answer: two). Although this particular store carries a history of body-shaming and exclusion, I get payback by almost always purchasing clothes from their online sale section. You can find basic tees, marked down jackets, and cute jeans in the sale section of almost any online clothing websites and I recommend sorting through these pages before you tempt yourself with full priced items. Going through the marked down bits also helps you reflect on what you really need and want before you splurge on that $70 sweater from Urban.
- Reflect on what the purpose of fashion and getting dressed in the morning means to you
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Everyone has their own relationship with fashion. When I was little, I let my mom pick out my outfits and hardly cared if my leaf-printed leggings clashed with my pink camo t-shirt from Justice. Fashion was just not on my mind. As I grew up, I was exposed to malls and lipgloss. Although I was overwhelmed at first, I have realized that for me, fashion is an extension of who I am. I balance statement pieces with more simple, basic clothes. As seen in my obsession with skorts, polka-dotted tights, and striped tees, I like fun, quirky, and chic clothes that make me feel good and — most importantly — and make me feel like me.
However, fashion and clothing may mean something different to you. Perhaps jeans are just what you have to put on your body to go to school or work and the type of fit is really inconsequential to you. Maybe you have to be more money conscious and buying clothes is the last thing on your mind. What matters is not where you buy clothes or what they look like, but how they make you feel, whether that means ready for work or for a night out.
- Set out your outfit the night before rather than the morning of
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Another tidbit of advice (coming from my very anal personality), is to set out your outfit the night before so that you can roll out of bed in the morning without stressing about putting together a presentable outfit for your Italian class which begins in dieci (ten) minutes. Part of my nighttime routine is checking the weather for the next day and assembling what I want to wear. In some ways, this practice is a form of self-care for me, but it also helps me reflect on what I want to wear: do I want to feel comfy or chic? That is the question.
- Look for little ways to coordinate accessories with your clothes
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The most satisfying moment for me when getting dressed is finding a pair of hoops that match the exact color in my floral pants. Over the years, I have become an admirer of accessories, from earrings to scrunchies to socks. I believe that these little elements of an outfit can really embellish the look, not to mention add personality to a groufit. Don’t be afraid to mix patterns, especially when the color palette overlaps. Test out long and short necklaces and maybe experiment with hats (I have yet to attempt such a feat, but it is on my to-do-list).
I don’t mean to suggest I spend all of my time laying out all of your clothes and playing a matching game of color and pattern to plan the most perfect outfit. Far from it. In fact, sometimes my best outfits come together when I woke up late and have five minutes to get out the door before my ride leaves. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t have a little time to pull on a pair of socks with cats on them to flash at the cute barista while you order your almond milk pumpkin spice latte.
These are my own fashion tips that I use every week so my outfits are on fleek (with the exception of the weekend because if you aren’t wearing leggings and sweatshirts to Shain library on Sunday mornings, then you are doing it wrong). It takes time to discover your style and accumulate a wardrobe that excites you, trust me I have been struggling since third grade. It took me a long time to realize all of the various trends I have dabbled with, from boho-chic to preppy couture, have accumulated into my current style which I can’t pinpoint in a single word, but I don’t mind that. With this reality comes freedom to explore the aisles of department stores without any confinement. I know some may laugh at how much time I spend on something as superficial as fashion, but I stand by the belief that clothes and accessories allow you to express your identity. Not to mention, who doesn’t enjoy a good shopping trip to avoid your responsibilities?