Marni green top / Sass Bide short mini skirt / Joe's Jeans high heel shoes / VBH blue handbag / Topshop midi ring / STELLA McCARTNEY tortoise glasses / La Mer The Oil Absorbing Tonic
I got a bit carried away with the writing today…
When I go about trying to find my own personal style, sometimes I feel like I'm suffering from the identity confusion of a postcolonial literary character. Let me explain. For about fifteen, arguably seventeen, years, my fashion sense has been oppressed by the dominion of suburban-preppy garb. First, there were sweatshirts, jeans, and Uggs (à la middle school). Then subsequently, kilts, crew necks, and Lily Pulitzer (à la high school). I've also played competitive soccer since I had size four cleats, and thus I have a bit of an athlete's closet (sweatpants, drawers of cotton tees, baggy shorts--the ones that aren't the chic, runway type). Basically, if I wanted to assimilate, I didn't have much elbow room for sartorial expression.
But as senior year carries on and my time in suburbia runs out (my style ambitions sighing in glorious anticipation), I find myself in a struggle to develop a sort of "national style identity after colonial rule." How does one overcome the wardrobe culture of a cable-knit-sweater-clad colonizer and embrace an identity involving metallic mini-skirts, cat-eyed tortoise shell glasses, and fashionable chihuahuas?? That's a question I long to answer. To my dismay, you can't quite parade around The Academy dressed in sculptured stilettos and toting oversized, blue clutches without incurring puzzled snickers and accusations of "trying too hard." Like an haute-couture Jhumpa Lahiri character, I don't know if I should channel my inner Audrey and embrace la vie à la mode in all its high fashion glory, or ring in with the Girls that only know Pearls but also sport leggings and CustomInk T-shirts for those more casual days. Then again, maybe I should just approach this from another angle. Prep, if done the Jenna Lyons way, is still fashion after all. And who am I kidding, I love J. Crew. And Gossip Girl.
In the meantime, as I figure out the style I most identify with (preppy, bohemian, luxe, minimal, tomboy??) I'll just continue secretly listening to trendy Euro Hotel Lounge music (via Songza) while pretending I'm somewhere in Paris.
I got a bit carried away with the writing today…
When I go about trying to find my own personal style, sometimes I feel like I'm suffering from the identity confusion of a postcolonial literary character. Let me explain. For about fifteen, arguably seventeen, years, my fashion sense has been oppressed by the dominion of suburban-preppy garb. First, there were sweatshirts, jeans, and Uggs (à la middle school). Then subsequently, kilts, crew necks, and Lily Pulitzer (à la high school). I've also played competitive soccer since I had size four cleats, and thus I have a bit of an athlete's closet (sweatpants, drawers of cotton tees, baggy shorts--the ones that aren't the chic, runway type). Basically, if I wanted to assimilate, I didn't have much elbow room for sartorial expression.
But as senior year carries on and my time in suburbia runs out (my style ambitions sighing in glorious anticipation), I find myself in a struggle to develop a sort of "national style identity after colonial rule." How does one overcome the wardrobe culture of a cable-knit-sweater-clad colonizer and embrace an identity involving metallic mini-skirts, cat-eyed tortoise shell glasses, and fashionable chihuahuas?? That's a question I long to answer. To my dismay, you can't quite parade around The Academy dressed in sculptured stilettos and toting oversized, blue clutches without incurring puzzled snickers and accusations of "trying too hard." Like an haute-couture Jhumpa Lahiri character, I don't know if I should channel my inner Audrey and embrace la vie à la mode in all its high fashion glory, or ring in with the Girls that only know Pearls but also sport leggings and CustomInk T-shirts for those more casual days. Then again, maybe I should just approach this from another angle. Prep, if done the Jenna Lyons way, is still fashion after all. And who am I kidding, I love J. Crew. And Gossip Girl.
In the meantime, as I figure out the style I most identify with (preppy, bohemian, luxe, minimal, tomboy??) I'll just continue secretly listening to trendy Euro Hotel Lounge music (via Songza) while pretending I'm somewhere in Paris.
I know exactly how you feel. It wasn't until college, attending one in a city, that allowed me to roam freely and discover a better understanding of my sense of style. On the plus side, I think the best part about fashion is the fact that we're constantly exploring who we are and new outlets for self-expression! :)
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