Listen, I love clothes. We all know that by now.
Disclaimer! I don’t subscribe to this ridiculous, revolving door of aesthetics. Like, what the hell is a mob-wife-office-siren-blueberry-milk-nail? These millisecond-long microtrends are wildly unsustainable for the pockets of any gal my age, not to mention their self-esteem.
If you are constantly pining for the next hit item in the TikTok shop — for the love of God, do you not have enough? — your desire to fit in and be the trendiest of the bunch only becomes more insatiable.
My advice? Like what you like, whenever you want to like it. A solid sense of self is timeless, tasteful and always prevails. Take care of your closet — bring in pieces you genuinely adore for yourself. I always find that I receive a great response when I dress for myself. Not that it’s about how other people perceive me, but it feels nice when I’m wearing something so entirely me and am complimented for it — I’m only human.
That being said, I’ll tell you some of the fashion choices I’ll never abandon.
So Carrie Bradshaw. I love an oversized trench you can snuggle into in the winter — right over your sweaty workout clothes — or a petite feather jacket with tights and a skirt for cocktail hour. They give an extra oomph over any old leather jacket or peabody coat — though I’m a sucker for those, too.
A faux fur is so classy but evocative. It says, ‘I’m here!’ in a tasteful way, in my opinion. If trends do anything, they come back. So to all the girls rifling through their mother’s coat closet for minks, best of luck.
I might lose some people on this one. But how many times has this fabulous print resurfaced in our fashion culture? Many.
Leopard is just the perfect bit of playful fun. It dilutes the waters of ‘oh-so-serious’ fashion.
Pairing a funky print with solids or a pop of culture is so fashionable to me. An excellent red sneaker with cheetah print low-rise jeans, a crewneck hoodie on top and some jewels, glasses and a blunt bob as accessories? That sounds like perfection to me.
My Wales Bonner Adidas Samba Pony sneakers are prized at this point.
Sheer tops and dresses will always stay in my rotation. Playing with dimension is another fun way of spicing up outfits! Layering — or the lack thereof — is crucial.
At first, I wasn’t into it. They looked dirty.
But since I tried on my first pair of these toned-down, beachy, sand-hued jeans, I haven’t turned back! I love classic blue jeans, but I became super predictable with the coloring I’d reach for.
This new shade allowed me to gravitate towards something different and create an outfit far more exciting out of my usual garb.
Oh. My. Kitten. Heels. I’m embarrassed to admit how many pairs I have, but my favorites include my red leather ones and a black belted pair. I even sport a pair my mom wore in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Recycled joy!
I’m chucking them on for every dinner date and night out. The pointier, the better — even if my boyfriend said they look like elf shoes (has he no taste).
No notes for these beautiful puppies. Or kitties…
Tattoos are a little too permanent for me, so I’ve grown in the habit of getting tooth gems and hair feathers. Yes, the hair feathers you get on the Ocean City Boardwalk at Bad Kitty while you’re sitting on one of those tiny 5-year-old princess chairs.
I’m on my third tooth gem now — they are so subtle but massively cool.
I hate to be the one to tell you this, but bags make or break an outfit. Whatever is holding your lipstick for the evening, make it match! Or even better, make it something so effortlessly funky and eye-catching.
Purses are an ‘oft-forgotten’ way of expressing ourselves in fashion — it doesn’t always have to be via a graphic tee.
Speaking of, the graphic tee is back like it never left. Probably because it didn’t — it’s just become more refined. Lately, I’ve seen many fashion-forward friends wearing tees with martini glasses, 8-balls, lips or even tequila bottles.
Graphics are so fun to wear and to see worn!
To me, every part of the body is involved in fashion — nails included. They constitute such a big part of our every movement, so it’s my prerogative to make them artistic!
Personally, I love toying around with pearls, bows, chromes and prints on the nail. Always tip your nail technician for their time, my friends!
Hopefully, this has inspired you to wear some of the things you’ve always liked but were just too timid to try, or realize that life’s too short to adhere to every single trend! Go play dress up in that beautiful closet of yours. Figure out what your style is to you.
Jillian writes about a range of media topics. You can reach her at jpr76@pitt.edu.
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