Greetings. My name is Kait Forsythe and I am an Art, Philosophy and German student at Stetson University. This is my first semester as a Style Guru for CollegeFashionista and I am quite delighted to have a format in which I can document the visual excellence of my campus.
Recently, the pressure of having a really cool “How I Knew That Fashion Was What I Wanted to Do with My Life” story has worried me. Whenever people ask you why you are interested in fashion or how you became interested in fashion, they want to hear that your grandmother was Coco Chanel or that you have been accessorizing since you left the womb. My story does not parallel the romantic, compelling ones of the Fashion Greats like Diana Vreeland or Grace Coddington. My interest in fashion came as a natural response to the consistent visual stimuli to which I was exposed from a young age: movies.
In the films of my youth, whenever there was a quirky, female lead with a unique sense of style: I clung to that personality.
Being the “fashion girl” in my family not only made the buying of Christmas gifts easier (Thank you for all the pink, mannequin-shaped jewelry holders and Paris décor), but also gave me a sense of identity. I felt safe and distracted from the criticism and aversion from the mean girls at school. At age 12 or 13, I realized that I actually did love fashion and clothes for more than the instrument of safety that it provided me. I actually read the fashion books and watched the fashion movies that were given to me as birthday gifts. I found that there was more than just clothes and elitism. There are great visionaries that have utilized the fashion industry as a medium for artistic expression. I was finding that my love of fashion echoed a larger love of culture. Fashion is a barometer of culture.
So you see, my “passion for fashion” happened completely by accident. I fell in love with my suit of armor.
The evolution of my style has shifted from head-to-toe Forever 21 trends to head-to-toe thrift clothes to some happy medium to over-thinking and under-thinking to now: comfort.
Comfort is my main guiding principle when dressing. I live an active lifestyle that involves a daily ritual of hopping on a little, red scooter for 24 miles to school and work and home. If I am restricted by the clothing I am wearing—forget it.
My style procedure follows a short series of questions: 1. Is it comfortable? 2. Is it clean? 3. Does it match? (That last one is joke.)
I don’t know if there is a better outfit that epitomizes my style than the one photographed here. This Men’s XXL shirt that I am wearing as a ‘shirt dress’ was $5 at Cotton On. The Dr. Martens and Shakespeare socks are a testament to my commitment of comfort and eccentricity. The knitted bubble scarf, handmade scarab bracelet and ring are for necessary eclecticism. I look forward to this next, great adventure as an observer!
