Hello everyone! My name is Madeleine Howell and I am a freshman at the University of Georgia here in Athens. I’m double majoring in fashion merchandising and marketing with a co-major in international business. I love surrounding myself with everything fashion and art, whether it’s through reading magazines and blogs, shopping, going to a museum, or creating it myself!
One thing I’ve never understood in the fashion industry is the concept of “bad fashion.” Whether it manifests through individuals making comments on another person’s outfit, fashion outlets labeling something as “over,” or general fashion “rules” you’re taught to never, under any circumstance, break. I’ve always disagreed with the idea. I understand fashion as a means of self-expression. Realistically, the only time I think “bad fashion” is present is when someone fails to be true to themselves; when they wear or create something solely to please others. Sure, trends in the fashion industry are instrumental for its forward progression, constantly supplying us with refreshing sartorial inspiration. Although, I feel that it’s vital to pick and choose from these trends, aiming to create a look that is an echo of yourself, your taste, and what you believe in.
That being said, I definitely think there are a lot of brands, trends, and individuals that influence my personal style. While I don’t necessarily think I could place myself nor my style into a specific category, I do know what I generally tend to integrate into my outfits. I’d say that I lean towards a combination of masculine and feminine, pops of color amongst a predominately monochromatic base, lots of vintage finds, and fun accessories. This can be seen in my outfit here, as I think it encompasses my style overall. For this look, I paired my brother’s old J. Cole tour T-shirt with wide-legged, corduroy pants. This combo has pretty much been my “freshman year outfit formula,” because I think that it gives off a cool vibe while still being super comfortable. To accessorize, I wore silver kitten heels from Zara, a Ferragamo logo belt that I picked up in a consignment store last summer, sunny tassel earrings, and a leather biker jacket that I found in the little boys’ section at a local thrift store!
If you want to see more of my looks, follow me on Instagram and watch out for more of my posts here on CollegeFashionista.
