Hello all!
It’s midterms week at the University of Kentucky which means the Stress-Express has officially boarded for departure from Procrastination-Station. And keeping within the spirit of scary schedules, this month’s look comes from a very special place in my heart (or closet): The Assiduous Art-Student.
Izzy is an Art-Studio major here at the University of Kentucky where she, like many students, juggles a lot of responsibilities in her weekly routine: classes, work, social life, exercise and, of course, art! In order to keep up with her hectic schedule, she needs an aesthetically pleasing outfit with an active-edge. For even more of a challenge—and to stick with the theme of my prior posts—Izzy and I decided we would style her for a typical studio day out of my closet. That’s right, now she can add “Androgynous” in front of that Assiduous Art-Student title for a full-blown alliteration.
First, we started with a simple choice of matte black Surge Tights from lululemon athletica. These are a staple in my closet, especially when going for an athleisure look. The main difference between men’s and women’s tights is that most of men’s tights have pockets—perfect for phones, keys, etc. Izzy really seemed to appreciate the extra storage space for her on-the-go lifestyle.
Moving up the body, we wanted to maintain a neutral color palette in order to add the smallest increments of put-togetherness to our inevitably opposite days. To achieve a chic and simple look, we chose a basic box-cut, crew neck sweatshirt from Forever21. The optical brighteners in this sweatshirt are bold, but are offset with the cool matte tone of the tights underneath as well as the muted black stripe across the chest. The boxier cut also adds to the androgynous aspect of the outfit, making it easily stylable for all genders.
As for accessories, well, they’re essential, but so is practicality. In order to find a happy medium, we ditched the backpack (and the future scoliosis) for a simple drawing tube and a small over-the-shoulder, woven-leather messenger pouch. To really pump up the practicality, we doubled the messenger clutch as a pencil pouch—a must have for every art student. When worn across the body in an X-formation, these two shoulder straps can add an interesting dynamic to almost any outfit.
To finish off the outfit, Izzy decided to slip into a pair of black boots. Also, because the shoe choice can really set the overall tone of the ensemble, other suggestions for footwear include: sporty gladiator sandals for a casual look, leather chelsea’s for a sophisticated feel, low-top running shoes to solidify the athleisure vibes, or even polished pair of loafers for an artsy (and androgynous) aesthetic. And we’re ready for a long studio day!
Until next time Fashionistos/as!
