I went to a high school that was located across from a corn field. A lot of the students wore camouflage, so I pretended that I couldn’t see them (I kid, I kid). In all honesty, I appreciate the small town I was raised in. However, in my teenage angst I found it imperative to my existence that I escape my tiny, perpetual town and drive a half hour south to Columbus and explore a more dynamic and inspiring environment. I remember I used to look up the summaries of movies playing to tell my parents when they asked me where I was and what I was doing. I never actually saw World War Z. I heard it was good. Instead I was off precociously making my way through crowds at local music bars trying to hide the X’s on my hands. I found myself more comfortable in an environment where I could dress head-to-toe in all-black and nobody would ask me, “What’s wrong?”
Though I’m afraid to say my days of teenage angst are passed me, I learned a few valuable lessons while milling about the city at all hours of the night. Number one, pizza after one a.m. is always a good idea. And number two, there is a key difference between being fashionable and having style. Being fashionable means having a Michael Kors bag, a Michael Kors watch and tall patent rain boots with a gold “MK” at the top of either boot for all to see. There’s nothing wrong with Michael Kors. He is an extremely talented designer. However, what you wear should not be dictated by what everyone else is wearing. Having style means truly expressing yourself through fashion regardless of what anyone else is wearing.
Today my style greatly differs from the cardigans and combat boots I used to wear walking down the hallways of my high school to blend in with the sea of camouflage sweatshirts and UGG boots. I find myself more obsessed with how and where clothes were made rather than who they were made by. I scroll through the websites of stores like Reformation and Madewell tirelessly with a head full of a lot of wardrobe inspiration and a bank account full of a lot of nothing. While my style has changed immensely, my intense desire to explore and innovate never will.
