I’ll freely admit it: I’m a sentimentalist at heart. So when it came time for me to choose something to represent my personal style—which I would describe as a mix of classic, preppy and girly, sometimes inspired by the mod look of the ’60s and mainly comprised of dresses, skirts and hair accessories (I’ll never forget you, Blair Waldorf)—I didn’t pick amongst the high-end garments in my collection, such as my coveted Banana Republic trench coat or beige Armani jacket. Instead, I hunted for clothing that transcended petty labels and snobbish ideals of fashion. In choosing to become designer-blind as well as trend-blind, I came across relatively drastic changes to my everyday sartorial decisions. Reader, I wore flannel.
Now, upon introduction of the fashion pieces presented in these articles, you’ll find that I also try to define them in relation to the wearer and/or their experiences within them. You see, the clothes that one puts on every morning aren’t simply investments lying around in the wardrobe—rather, they’re miniature triumphs, memory-keepers and physical mementos of someone’s unique personality. And, of course, above all else (and to quote Andrea’s fashion-amateur BFF from The Devil Wears Prada), “Oh! And it’s pretty.”
Take my own Style Guru outfit, for instance. The plain, blue dress I have on? My first college Christmas gift, from my first college boyfriend! Milestone marker, indeed. Topping it off is a recently-purchased flannel shirt, heavily inspired by Rachel’s preppy-meets-’90s-grunge look on Friends, which has been upgraded from new favorite TV show to my pop culture obsession just this month. Further on, my black and brown wedges from high school, worn almost daily in the past to make up for my five foot tall stature but nowadays largely neglected in college (I’ve learnt to accept my petite size!), are on display alongside a pulp edition of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Why the book? Because witty dialogue and handsome, brooding heroes will never go out of style. As for the accessories, I spot a gold necklace chain, forged from my grandfather’s old medallions in honor of my birth, a red hair bow inspired by Belle, my favorite bookworm Disney princess growing up and an over-the-shoulder bag, imported from my beautiful homeland, Ecuador. And all that you managed to gather from just my clothes!
Now, to fill up the blanks and finalize your knowledge of me as a person, I offer the following: I’m a second-year English and Classical Studies major at the University of Florida, lover of things both high-brow (e.g., 19th century British literature and musical theatre) and low-brow (e.g., selfies and celebrity gossip) and aspiring women’s magazine editor.
I look forward to a fantastic first semester here at CollegeFashionista and hope to continue inspiring you all with my looks and commentary! If you’ve liked this article, go ahead and “RAD” it by clicking on that big heart beneath my name and/or sharing it on Facebook. Also, follow me on social media to get exclusive content and behind-the-scenes pictures.
Thanks for reading!
