The Sidewalk is Your Runway
Growing up in a small town in Wyoming, it was unbelievably easy to stand out.
I loved that when I added a hint of quirkiness to my style, it was unique to only me. I felt like a daring fashion pioneer - crossing frontiers that no one else dared, but when I got older and moved to Denver, I realized that in a large group of people, you are bound to find someone else with your same niche style (in all honesty, it wasn’t that niche. Wyoming is just small). It is not so easy to wear something that both makes you feel comfortable and isn’t what everyone else is doing. This was the core of what my fashion had been for so long, and I felt lost. I waddled through this awkward phase of wearing not what I wanted, not what was comfortable, but what I thought made me look cool and different in the eyes of the city around me. What I realized is that no one was paying as much attention to what I was wearing as myself, and I thought, if that’s true, then I can forget what other people like and dress just for my own enjoyment. This gave me the freedom to become unhinged in my sense of fashion - to try every style, no style, crazy colors, and even homemade pieces. I started to wear what I wanted to wear, and I came up with my favorite ways to personalize my closet.
Three Tips to Blend Your Personal Voice into Fashion
Use Hero Pieces
“Hero piece” has become an ambiguous term thrown around on social media, with little to no explanation of what hero pieces are, how to style them, or where to find them. When you hear “hero piece,” think “statement piece” of our fashion past, but with added flare and updated trends. Hero pieces are meant to elevate a clean, basic outfit to something more on trend with a sense of personal style (i.e. the harnesses that took over my tik tok feed, the giant floral chokers sweeping across the boutique industry, or the massive metal belts seen littered across Coachella that herald back to our 2000’s boho era). My advice in this arena is to ditch the conventional trends and find the hero pieces that truly speak to your inner fashion soul; the best place to find these elusive babies? The glorious thrift. Start your search in the jacket or accessory sections, forego your ideas of traditional sizing, and settle in for the long haul. Now it is not for the faint of heart. There may be unsuccessful thrift trips that leave you feeling very underwhelmed by the whole affair, but when you find that one piece that, for all intents and purposes, was made for you, it will all be worth it.
2. Blending Styles
One of the best ways to curate a personal style is to blend your favorite pieces from your favorite aesthetics or reinterpret current trends to fit into your wardrobe. The rise of relaxed business chic as well as athleisure has taken our post-COVID fashion world by storm. These styles stand on their own, but blending them together brings a unique and personal spin to your style. Try adding a white collared button-down over a black athletic base with your favorite sneakers, my personal choice is a pair of New Balance 574 to elevate any daytime look. For the evening, try adding a runner’s jacket or zip up to a pair of light linen pants with slip-on sandals for a comfortable look.
Runway shows from Dior to Diesel have incorporated the juxtaposition of the dainty with the industrial. Recent shows have showcased Y2K micro miniskirts against tall lace-up boots, and we all know (and love) the large, structured trench coat or blazer over any minidress or jeans for evening wear. Without breaking the bank, or the environment, by constantly chasing the designer trickle-down trends, instead, try this same concept with items already in your closet. Pull out a thick, chunky, black boot, and add to a light springtime garment, such as a lace detailed dress, a crochet set, a vibrant pattern, or jeans and a top. Pair in a vest, belt, or large accessory of your choosing to balance out the weight of the boots at the bottom, and you have a look straight off the runway. The pristinely staged “unboxing” tik tok videos constantly try to convince us to be buying the new trend, upgrade the bag, and try the strange new accessory. I fall prey to this as much as the next consumer, but it will never be sustainable. The more ways we learn to be creative with the pieces in our wardrobe, the more we will realize the versatility of our clothing.
3. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was Kim K
It takes time to develop into the fashion diva that speaks to you. You will have good days with killer outfits that make you love your body, and you will have days that leave you uninspired and feeling uncomfortable. But always remember, there is no written rule that says you have to stick to one aesthetic for the rest of your life or even for the rest of the week. We are complex beings, comprised of conflicting emotions and thoughts that change and bend over time, and as we change, so also do our preferences and style. As much as the classic high school rom-com would like us to believe otherwise, we don’t have to fit into one style box, but on Wednesdays, we do wear pink. Don’t let the doubts keep you from trying. Whether that is “I could never pull that off” or “my body isn’t ____ enough for that.” Try a micro mini skirt, wear a harness, and the very next day, pull on your tried-and-true leggings and hoodie. When one trend or style isn’t suiting your fancy, blend them together and STRUT into the world because you’re something beautiful.
