A diary of my mind in the morning: “The alarm is making noise… Why is the alarm going off? Too dark. Too early. Something must be wrong. *hits snooze* Wait… Did it say 6:30 a.m.? *checks phone* UUGGHH.” Welcome to winter…
I typically consider myself a morning person. I love being awake in the early morning hours, enjoying the quiet, that first cup of coffee, etc. This probably explains my propensity for 8 am classes. However, something changes between January and March; the desire to hibernate is strong, and productivity is not necessarily my first thought when I wake up.
Dressing like a Fashionista does not mean you have to follow every trend, wear something super bold every day, or spend hours curating a striking outfit each morning. In my opinion, a true Fashionista is someone who loves the fashion industry, describes themselves as a creative, and dresses in a manner that makes them feel empowered. As a Style Guru, my personal style gravitates toward comfort, neutral colors, and bits of fun and interesting pieces mixed in.
Because of my own personal preferences, this Fashionista’s style really speaks to me. I love black, leather, edgy, and a little athleisure—and she covers them all! When the alarm goes off for my 8 a.m., this classic type of look is ideal. And after asking her a few questions about her outfit choices, I couldn’t believe that some of her pieces were free, charitable, and super endearing.
Starting from the top, I asked this Fashionista if her beanie was from Urban Outfitters because it looked very urban-esque—“It’s actually Cotton On!” she answered, “And I stole it from my husband’s closet,” she added with a chuckle. Cotton On has a cool mission to provide cruelty-free, ethically made products—not to mention the fact that they are super cute. Her leather jacket is vegan leather, similar to this recycled leather jacket from Urban Outfitters; matched with a vegan leather tote, perfect for fitting a laptop and school day accessories.
When I asked her about her chic, minimalist, and super soft sweater she replied, “I’m obsessed with this sweater, it’s a Magaschoni cashmere sweater that I got for free while interning with them.” Major intern perk right there. Plus, her cropped white jeans were also free because of an internship with DL1961. On her jeans she remarked, “DL is an awesome company to work and intern for. I loved my coworkers and how hands on the internship was. Plus they require that you’re always wearing DL (and supply it for free) so my denim wardrobe was seriously elevated during that time.” Finished off with a simple necklace and cute Adidas sneakers, this Fashionista’s outfit is the perfect comfy-chic go to look when you’re dragging to make that winter 8 am.
Bonus tip: stashing a cute pair of black strappy heels or booties in your car to swap for a dinner out or nighttime activities allows you to take this simple look to the next level.
