“Tu ropa define quien eres” means that what you wear defines who you are. I believe that your personality is reflected through prints, cuts, jewelry, hats, shoes, length of skirt/ sleeve, etcetera. Even the smallest detail of your outfit can shape someone’s perception of you. So take note fellow Fashionistas/os, the outfit you wear today is letting people around the world know who you truly are.
I’m Sofia Hasfura, a fashion merchandising major at Mercyhurst University, with a minor in business marketing. Although I was born and raised in El Salvador, my heritage is Palestinian, two cultures that have defined the way I dress and live. Imagine yourself travelling across the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea and bringing back the dominating conservative culture of Palestine. All that travel lands on my high-collar dresses, my long sleeve shirts and my mid-calf skirts. Yet, there’s a sneaky open back on that dress, a long plunging neckline on that shirt and a crop top matching the mid-calf skirt. There’s a constant culture battle with my clothing. Do I want to be conservative? Or do I want to be bold and sexy? But why not be both? I call myself a “fashion hybrid” due to the polar differences between the two cultures that have dominated my life. Despite the great gap of difference between them, I have been able to take their lively colors and adapted them to my clean cut outfits. These distinctive patterns are embodied in many areas of my ensemble for every time of year.
No matter the season, my go-to colors have always been black and white. If it’s summer, I’ll add pops of bright colors to my accessories or shoes. “The simpler the better, but more details are even better.” This phrase may be confusing to some, but it is a reflection of my fashion philosophy. I tend to be very monochromatic, but as a Latina, I need to spice up my life with some cheetah print espadrilles or floral print tote bags. Adding small details in anyone’s wardrobe can make their simple outfit eye-catching.
My style is basically described in a fashion oxymoron (which shouldn’t be), but it is: comfortable fashion or in other words, casual-chic. Would you prefer wearing four inch heels over stylish sneakers to go to class? Didn’t think so. Since I could remember, I’ve had an obsession with sneakers. The sneakers that truly stole my heart were my red-striped adidas Superstars. The way I upgrade my casual-but-trendy sneakers to a high-level of chic is by adding my black suede fedora with my “John Lennon” sunglasses. The pops of color on my sneakers and v-necklace make my simple black and white outfit more detailed and striking.
I’m so excited to start this new chapter of my fashion life as a Style Guru, but even more excited that many other campuses around the world will be able to see the new trends going on around Mercyhurst University.
