Changing Ways

When I was a toddler, the only thing I would ever wear was dresses. Regardless of the weather or the occasion, I refused to wear pants no matter how hard my parents tried to convince me otherwise. Even though I was just two years old, this was just the beginning of the the many stubborn years to come and my first independent fashion statement. On the picture to the left, I can be seen reenacting Marilyn Monroe's iconic scene from the 1955 film, The Seven Year Itch.

This girly style changed at the start of elementary school when I became a "tom-boy" and only wore boyish clothes. Although, this changed again towards the end of elementary school and I began to dress girly again, only to go back to a more relaxed style towards the end of middle school. I have never had a distinct style throughout my life and the only thing that I have partially held true to is my priority of comfort.

Since I never felt inclined to a particular style, I have always tried different looks. I commonly veered from my everyday so that I could try various fashions since one never seemed to stick. In middle school, my style was very relaxed, with minimal effort which consisted mostly of jeans and hoodies. Although this was the norm, I would sometimes deviate from that trend and try something new. On the picture to the right, you can see the dress I wore to one of my middle school dances. When I tried on this dress, it was so different that I immediately liked it. I remember being in the store and having my mom disagree with my choice but I didn't really care because I wanted to try something new. Only now do I realize it looks like an over sized, Las Vegas bride style dress, but if you don't embarrass yourself in middle school, did you really go to middle school?

During High School I had a lot of different styles, nothing too out there, but nothing to pinpoint, similarly to how my style was constantly changing up to that point. When I entered college, I wanted to look more mature while still staying true to my idea of comfort. I found my self wearing tight fitting clothes so that I could show my body and prove my maturity. Since my discovery of leggings in high school, I could never go back to jeans. Leggings are my clothing item of choice, they're simple, they're tight, and they're comfortable enough to sleep in. They are the true triple threat. I wore them a lot during college and I chose the picture to the right because it shows off the leggings I would wear. I like this picture because it includes everything my college freshman year was about; close friends, leggings, and sobriety.

During my sophomore year, my style changed again, and I began to try to prove my maturity by wearing simpler clothes. I wear a lot of simple silhouettes, a lot of simple colors (especially a lot of black), while still staying true to comfort. To the left, there is a picture of

me and my friends on a day trip to Boston. My outfit shows my quintessential winter look; simple pieces,decked in black, and with the only color being matching white. I have always been very impressionable with my style because I never felt like I had one. The friends I make, and the people I look up to always have a huge impact on what I wear. From the first time I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's in High School, I have always loved Audrey Hepburn for who she was, what she stood for, and her style. Her style is very simple, and elegant and I believed I was partially inspired by her to mature through simplicity. She has taught me that modesty can be just as show-stopping as risque flair. Her makeup has also inspired me. I've always loved her bold eyebrows and ease towards strong lipstick color.

Makeup has always been one of my favorite things. It's something I look forward to doing in the morning, and I find it very relaxing. My makeup follows my fashion in the sense that it is always changing. I don't have a daily routine because I rarely ever do my makeup the same way even just two days in a row. Makeup can change your whole look and is a way for me to

express my self artistically everyday. I try new ways to do my makeup all the time and I fall in and out of love with looks everyday. Strong lipstick and strong eyebrows are some examples of styles I currently like. My best friend (who can be seen in the photo to the right) has also inspired me in similar ways. As you can see, she has very thick, dark eyebrows and it encourages me to try a similar look. Also, her confidence with bold lipsticks has pushed me to try the same thing. In the left picture, we are both wearing deep red lipstick, although it is hard to see because of the lighting. I hope to continue to become more confident with makeup looks in the future.

Throughout my life, I have never had a particular style. I find myself constantly trying something new and being inspired by the people around me. The style I had a year ago, is not the style I have now, and the style I have now, will not be the style I have a year from now. I hope to continue to grow and expand my style for the rest of my life.