If home is where the heart is, then my home must be in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Over the past year, I’ve fallen in love with this city. Philadelphia is a home to many creative people with some of the most interesting backgrounds I’ve ever encountered. From the homeless woman who always compliments me on my eyebrows, to the super RAD thrift shop employees and to the lifelong friends I’ve met thanks to going to Temple, I couldn’t ask to be surrounded by more interesting people. The uniqueness of these individuals encourages me to explore my own intricacies, most often through fashion. In Philly, I feel comfortable enough to go through the trial and error process of discovering which outfits work and which don’t. Of course, I do the same thing when I return to my home in Lancaster, but it does not feel the same. I thank Philly every day for being the place in which I discovered my individuality, which only fully blossomed once I gained the independence and confidence college life in a booming city provided.
Since walking and riding the subway are my main modes of transportation in Philadephia, I soon learned that heels are a big “no.” To still feel stylish without wearing my heeled, leather ankle boots or my Salvatore Ferragamo-inspired sandals, I’ve grown to love flatform sandals and leather boots. This comfortable, yet still fashionable tweak in my style spread to all other parts of my style. I’ve become a master at putting together stylish outfits, like this belted vintage jumpsuit, that feel the same was wearing pajamas. You can obtain comfortable looks like this by choosing simply-shaped garments with unique patterns or enhancing a classic outfit with accessories.
Styles change every day and we continue to grow into these styles while growing out of our old ones. Like the many precious articles of clothing that no longer fit me, I’ve grown out of my hometown. I might grow out of Philadelphia, too. I don’t know what my future holds, just as the fashion world knows not what holds in store for them either. All I can guarantee is that I will be happy wherever I end up, as long as I never lose my desire to be creative, particularly with my rad style.
