Hello, Fashionistas. My name is Chloe Lane! I am from Crystal River, Florida, and am a senior at Florida State University studying english literature. Growing up in a small town, I wasn’t quite encouraged to explore myself and my style, but have taken strides to do so in Tallahassee where I’ve discovered my love of vintage clothing and thrifting.
I am particularly interested in certain cuts, textures, and prints of fabric that have gone out-of-fashion but that have also seen modern interpretations. This includes “mom jeans”, velvet, denim-on-denim trends, and crazy, colorful prints. I am thrilled to see stores like H&M offer high-waisted options, overalls, and so on, bringing the ’90s into the present. Sometimes these modern options just aren’t as authentic feeling as a real thick old pair of Lee or Levi jeans, so I always revert to thrifting and would say that only a small percentage of my clothing is purchased in fast-fashion retail.
Being on a large beautiful campus, I find myself constantly inspired by my peers. Since thrifting options are plentiful in Tallahassee, there is no lack of inspiration in that realm either. You can see me above in an outfit I’ve put together from various thrifted finds, including a Snickers brand button-up, a vintage Guess Jeans turtleneck, and of course my Doc Martens, which I am in love with as a winter option. I’ve come to find, through experimenting with outfits like this, that I am absolutely obsessed with layering and the interplay between colors. In this vein, an overall dress like this one allows several options such as button-ups, turtlenecks, and sweaters that can be put underneath for a dynamic, comfy and casual but dressy look.
Since we are approaching winter and even in waterside Crystal River temperatures are dropping, I opted for the aforementioned oversized corduroy button-up for some optional warmth. I can only imagine what a printed button-up would bring to this outfit, and am always excited when just one dress can be used to craft several different looks for various temperatures and settings.
