Laura wears short skirts while Maitane wears T-shirts. Though we’re inseparable, we have two completely different styles. While Laura describes her style as girly, chic and full of glitter, Maitane’s style differs because it is edgy with darker colors and Converse (literally, all her shoes are Converse). We thought it would be fun to challenge ourselves and step out of our comfort zone by doing a style swap! We dressed each other in our favorite clothes, making sure to include some of our style staples. Here are all our unfiltered thoughts and opinions of each other’s style.
Monday
I dreaded the first day of this experiment because I imagined myself walking down Memory Mall in combat boots and a flannel; I was not excited. Although I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised when she dressed me in a band graphic tee, black jeans, and a jean jacket…with fur. I didn’t hate the look but I didn’t feel as glam as my outfits usually are. Overall, I felt comfy but a little self-conscious because the jacket seemed to swallow me whole.
I woke up Monday nervous, yet excited. I wasn’t going to be wearing my usual baggy band tees and skinny jeans. Instead, I was going to go straight to girly girl. Laura chose a white skirt, black crop top and see-through jacket with white sneakers for my first outfit. Surprisingly, I didn’t hate it. It was cute, but again, not something I’d wear.
Tuesday
On Tuesdays I have my yoga class, therefore, Maitane wasn’t able to give me the full grunge girl experience. I wore classic black leggings and a Stanford muscle tee. This outfit didn’t seem that foreign to me so I neither loved or hated the look. However, the biggest struggle of the day was not having my cute tote bag on my shoulder. Instead, a Fjallraven, maroon backpack was slung on my shoulder. This is when I realized I’m a purse girl.
When Laura mentioned I was going to wear a dress, I instantly regretted choosing to do the style swap. One thing I hate is dresses, especially wearing them to school since they’re super uncomfortable and just something that is not me at all. I’m glad she made me wear the dress because now, I’m obsessed. The dress was grey and tight but casual. Pairing it with the jean jacket was the perfect way to complement it. This was definitely my favorite one!
Wednesday
I LOVED THIS LOOK! Who knew Laura Santacruz would wear flannel and enjoy it? I would say this wasn’t so far from my style, but it definitely was more chill than my usual outfits. I wore a pair of ripped jeans with an adorable cropped, creme sweater and, of course, the flannel was tied around my waist. In total Mai Fashion, I paired the look with white Converse. I felt super comfortable in this outfit. It was definitely my favorite! Not only that, but I’m stealing the sweater. Shh, don’t tell Mai!
Bodysuit? Yes! Skirt? Heck no. This was definitely one that surprised me. I kinda loved it; it’s not me, but I would wear it again. I like the contrast of colors, and even though the bodysuit was pink, I thought it went really well with the skirt. The Converse was a personal touch to add a bit more Mai to the style.
Thursday
There’s not much to say about today’s look. Black ripped jeans and a cropped, jean button-down are pretty neutral. Although I’ll never wear this again, simply because it just wasn’t special enough. I felt normal walking around campus and sometimes I would forget that this was a style swap outfit.
This was my least favorite, especially because of the pants and boots. Sparkly pants and booties…no thanks. Laura chose a black sweatshirt with sparkly black pants and booties. I knew this wasn’t going to go well. I prefer comfort and this was far from it. My feet were killing me after walking around campus with them.
Friday
It’s a no from me. You can tell from my face that this was my least favorite. First of all, another band tee? Not only was it different, but it was oversized and made me feel just blah. I’m never going to wear this again and I hope I never cross paths with it. I sure was comfy, but at what cost?
The last day was maybe one of the best days. It was a little more my style with ripped jeans and ugg boots (even though they were pink); it wasn’t that bad. The shirt was different because of the saying across the front: “Espresso Yourself.” The irony is I don’t like coffee, but Laura surprised me with this one.
For once we agree that this style swap was so much fun and helped us really see that maybe other styles are cute too! It was a fun experiment that gave us new outfit ideas and perhaps an appreciation for other styles. We definitely learned a lot and are each going to incorporate some of these style swaps into our normal wardrobes. If you’re looking to try new styles or step outside your comfort zone, then definitely do this!