The Her Campus National Editors write about products we love and think you’ll love too. Her Campus has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase. All products are in stock and all prices are accurate as of publication.
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with my best friend about how we feel like we have finally found our respective styles. It was a conversation that made me realize that I worked long and hard to get to where I wanted to be fashion-wise. Itās been a journey: an embarrassing ā at times even cringy ā journey, but a journey nonetheless.
Having been born in 2003 means that I grew up in the early 2000s and 2010s, and itās safe to say that in those years, my style was curated solely by my mom. Those plaid shorts most kids around that time seemed to wear were a closet staple in mine and my sister’s closets, along with bright pinks, blues, and purples (for some reason those are the colors I remember specifically). That being said, I didnāt have much say over my style, nor did I really even care since I was a dedicated outside kid and my clothes were prone to get dirty anyways.
It wasnāt until late middle school that I began to delve into my own style. Unfortunately for me, I went to a uniform school and ran track for sport, so my style was mainly just workout clothes and khaki pants with a school polo. It didnāt offer much variety. When I got to high school, I would attempt to spice things up with a wrist of Alex and Ani bracelets, but not really having been much of a jewelry person, thatās as far as I would go. Those bracelets were super trendy at the time, definitely in style, and a bonus is that they were cute and not cringy. With time I stopped wearing them because again, Iām not really a jewelry person.
When I stopped running track and developed a bit more of a social life, my style expanded to tight skinny jeans and crop tops. Let me tell you, I cropped everything. T-shirt? Cropped. Sweater? Cropped. Hoodie? Cropped. It was the time of the belly for me. It made me feel cute. One thing that I stayed away from? Shorts. It could be 100 degrees outside and you would still catch me in a pair of skinny jeans, just with rips in them so I had some type of circulation. I was extremely insecure about my legs at the time, and I didnāt really start being comfortable wearing shorts until my junior year of high school, and even then, I didnāt wear them often.
After high school, Iād like to think that my style broadened a little, but it didnāt really. Thankfully I did stop cropping everything though. I still wore mostly hoodies, skinny jeans, ripped jeans, stylish tops. I liked having color in my closet, but I still owned a lot of black. In my early college years, my style was pretty much the same. At this point I was comfortable wearing shorts, and Iād wear the ones that were pretty short. Crop tops were still my go-to. Not much had changed in my style, but I still think it was better than the high school years. A little less āout thereā and more calm in comparison.
The true turning point in my style was when I got my first knee surgery almost two years ago now. I couldnāt wear skinny jeans anymore. Even after a full recovery, it was still uncomfortable. I honestly think it was the best thing to ever happen to me because it made me rethink my entire wardrobe. I didnāt enjoy wearing tight clothes as much as I used to, so why put myself through it? Over the next two years, I started picking out different pieces of clothing and trying new things: looser jeans, layering, jackets, and even hats. Iām glad to say that Iāve found my staple pieces, and I love them so much. Iām able to be cute and comfortable. I can dress a piece up and look sophisticated, or dress that same piece down and look more chill. Picking pieces with versatility is now my kryptonite, so Iāll share a few of them with you.
Jeans
Bootcut have become my go-to pair of jeans. I love the fit of them and how they flare out as you get closer to the ankle. Loose fitting jeans in general are my favorite because you can style them up or down. I only own one pair of jeans with holes in them, because they are extremely comfortable and cute so I couldnāt resist, but I prefer no-hole jeans now. Theyāre more practical. You can wear them on a night out or to the office for your 9-to-5 job: it just depends on your top!
Tops
I have found solace in plain tops. Tops in one plain color with no wording or design are some of my favorites because you can style them however you want. Theyāre the best for layering too, especially long sleeves in the colder months, and this includes sweaters too! Iāve been getting a lot of plain comfy sweaters to just wear with a pair of jeans or leggings, and Iāve found that I like it better than a graphic tee or something tighter. Honestly, I just like the look better.
Cardigans
This has been one of my favorite staple pieces to look for: cardigans! Knit cardigans, fluffy cardigans, I even found a tan suede cardigan with cute black buttons! Wearing them with jeans is my favorite, but theyāre cute paired with leggings or dresses or skirts, quite literally anything. They really help pull an outfit together. Typically Iāll do a pair of jeans, a plain t-shirt or long sleeve, and a cute cardigan and Iāll have my outfit. Iāve finally found the key to my style: layering.
Dresses
Iām not much of a skirt person, but I do love a good, cute dress. I like something thatās playful and cute, so I tend to stay away from the bodycon, tighter dresses now. In the fall and winter months, Iāll wear a long sleeve under it with a pair of fleece lined tights and cute booties, and I have myself a cute fall outfit! In the summer, the dress with a pair of sneakers or ballet flats is usually what Iāll go for. Dresses are also fun because itās another piece you can make into a business outfit that you wear to work!
Vests
This is a new one for me, but Iāve recently seen the value in a good, cute vest. Again, its cuteness lies in the power of layering. However, with the right vest, during the summer itās nice to just wear the vest and a cute pair of jeans or shorts. I hadnāt been much of a vest person until I found one at Macyās from the brand Good American, and now Iām obsessed with them! Iām hoping to get a couple more for my closet.
Pants
Yes, these are different from jeans, which is something that took me a while to learn. But, Iāve found it imperative to not just have jeans in your closet, you need pants too. Pants broaden the range and diversity in your wardrobe. Instead of wearing a top with jeans, wear it with a pair of pants! Corduroys are great, I have a pair of cream ones that I really love and are comfortable to wear. I also have a pair of Kickers that are sort of a mixture between pants and jeans, but theyāre super cute and comfy and have the cutest checkered pattern. Pants make your clothes more versatile, so I highly recommend investing in some!
Overall, Iād like to think of my style now as a mixture between chic and cute and comfortable. It took me a while to find a wardrobe that felt like mine and something that I loved, but I couldnāt be more happy with it. My advice is to hit some thrift stores because thatās where I found a lot of my pieces that Iām obsessed with. I know thrifts can be a hit or miss, but finding really good quality thrift stores like one of my favorites, Uptown Cheapskate, makes for high quality finds that are still at affordable prices. You donāt have to break the bank to look cute!
Now you may have realized that I didn’t talk about shoes. Thatās because I havenāt quite nailed that portion of my closet yetā¦