Hello, Fashionista/os! I am so excited to be returning for a second semester with CollegeFashionista as a GWU Style Guru. I am a junior at the George Washington University studying International Affairs, Biology and Chinese.
Living in Washington D.C. has introduced me to a stylistic theory that I hadn’t noticed before, and that is the sheer diversity of what can be counted as in style. Before moving to our nation’s capital, I was under the impression that style was a singular trend or adherence to a seasonally changing rule of what is in or out. I believed that the course of fashion history was selected and delivered by a significant few, namely designers and magazine editors. However, the diversity of Washingtonians opened my eyes to the truth, which is that style translates into a wide range of individually decided forms of self-expression. Style and fashion is not an ever-changing golden rule to which all Fashionista/os must conform, but rather a profound statement into how one chooses to see themselves, and how they choose to portray that sense of self to the world.
My introduction to the fashion world was in finding that freedom to express and discovering the confidence it gave me. I realized that going to my closet each morning was not a chore to dread nor an obligation to fret over, but rather a daily opportunity to become the person I wanted to be. With every new day, I had the opportunity to put on a bold lipstick or a unique pair of shoes, and choose what part of me I wished to introduce to the world, without saying a word. That sort of silent honesty, that willingness to connect with others through your own aesthetic, is what has made fashion so important to me.
How many times have you struck up a conversation with someone because you liked some part of their outfit? How many times have you realized that someone’s outward appearance delineates from your preconceived notions of their personality? It is these types of inquiries that give people an opportunity to connect with one another through the fashion world. Perhaps with a bit more confidence and a greater willingness to learn more, fashion could bring our community a bit closer together.
I look forward to bringing you articles that explore the stylistic diversity within our Colonial community and perhaps shed some light on the many personalities that exist on our campus. I can’t wait to see all of the great new styles in Kogan Plaza in 2015 and to document the best. I’ll be waiting with my camera, most likely wearing Converse All-Stars, winged black eyeliner and a little too much navy blue. Raise High!
