Who Am I?

It’s what’s on the inside that makes us truly beautiful, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t have fun experimenting with our appearance and finding the style that makes us feel like our authentic selves.

I’m no stranger to experimenting with fashion; from my first fedora in 2011, to the Converse with striped pink-and-white legwarmers built into them (which I wore with my middle school uniform for months one year), I’ve always loved a good statement piece–whether or not these pieces are what the mainstream recognizes as “fashionable” is a discussion for another day. My goal was never to fit into the mainstream (okay, maybe it was for a few months when I was 18, but that’s irrelevant); in fact, at first my goal was to actively disobey what society told girls to be. I chopped off all my long hair and dyed my pixie cut bright red, and started wearing cargo shorts and my brothers’ old shirts, and I suddenly felt more relaxed and confident in my skin. 

That is how I came to understand the power of fashion.

As a teen with limited income but big ideas, the thrift store and my sewing machine became my best friends. With my babysitting payout and a heart full of Tumblr inspo, the Salvation Army became my favorite spot for clothes (both to wear and to upcycle). 

As a teen just beginning my fashion journey, I drew stylistic inspiration from a wide array of sources, but I think most of all from my favorite 90’s punk musicians, 70’s hippie fashion, “boho” fashion, and all the pastel goth, emo, scene, and “edgy” people I saw online. I mixed and matched elements from a variety of different styles, but never restricted myself to a singular “aesthetic.” There was something so freeing about slipping into drastically different styles day-to-day depending on my mood, and I fell more and more in love with the art of fashion as I observed how each different style had the power to make me feel: mysterious, romantic, androgynous, or cute. 

My goal now: to track my ongoing fashion journey, report on my latest sources of fashion inspiration, share DIY tips and tutorials, and help others find confidence and power by expressing themselves through personal style.