Fun fact: I experienced my first snow the night I got back to Penn! It was quite magical; that is, until I realized I could no longer feel my hands. So, I’m glad I took the opportunity to photograph this “winter” outfit while I was still home for break (in Southern California, l a few weeks of sub-50 temperatures is what we call winter).
Now, I had the lovely pleasure of looking through some old photos of myself over the holidays—cue the cringe. My mom has always taught me not to follow trends too wildly, since they’re temporary and aren’t as worthy of an investment, and let me tell you, some of my freshman fashion moments were a lovely reminder that momma does indeed know best. So, in an effort to be more classic, I opted for some all-black, menswear silhouette outfits reminiscent of Ronald van der Kemp’s spring runway collection, which were promptly labeled everything from “hip funeral” to simply just “depressing.”
While I stand by my opinion that you cannot go wrong with the timeless all-black, here I’ve tried to break up one of my most frequented hip “funeral outfits” to make it appropriate for some less grim occasions. I’ve switched out my usual black crop top for my mom’s White House Black Market camisole that I absolutely love. The almost lingerie-style lace and leaf print make it super on-trend, but the black and white color palette keeps it very classic. I’m also obsessed with this new belt I bought in a New York City boutique for my mom’s Christmas gift (In my defense, this was my one month at home, so yes, I capitalized on my mom’s wardrobe). Because it’s elastic, I can wear it with just about everything, and the beautiful gold detailing makes my five dollar Goodwill joggers look, well, more than five dollars.
Speaking of gold detailing, pops of gold and red are pretty much the classic Grace way to make me seem like I’m put together when I’m really not. I carry the gold all the way from my sunglasses to my Forever 21 rings to these fantastic shoes that make me feel like the Sasha Fierce version of myself. I was also recently gifted this Michael Kors wristlet that I probably would have bought in (surprise) black, but it brings some much-needed color to my outfits, and often inspires me to pop on the ultimate classic: a bold red lip.
So while you shouldn’t be afraid to rock whatever makes you feel best—I will undoubtedly continue to frighten people with intimidatingly black outfits—look to some print, metallics and color to make your look pop this winter! And remember, black is not “back” because it never left. Stay stylish, and keep warm!
Get my look: 1. B&W Leaf Print Top. 2. Black Drawstring Joggers. 3. Gold Buckle Elastic Belt. 4. Urban Outfitters Sunglasses. 5. Minimalist Gold Ring Set.
