Musings of a Fashionista

I observe students as they enter the classroom: everyone, every time, studying their clothes, shoes, and accessories. It's a habit that occupies me during moments of boredom. Does her scarf go with her outfit? Are his shoes right for his body type? Where did she buy that skirt? What fabric is that blouse made out of? It's not a critique of what's trendy but rather a matter of aesthetics. I admire guys and girls with a sense of style, not those who are slaves to fashion.

Admittedly, it's a superficial pastime and occasionally even cruel to my specimens, but viewing other dressers helps me better develop my own sense of style. I can immediately decide what cuts, colors, and fabrics are right for me and which ones are wrong just by scouting out people with features similar to mine: tall average for a girl (I'm not quite 5'8'') with medium brown curly hair, hazel eyes, light olive skin, proportionately very long legs, and the classic Coke bottle shape.)

These little study sessions have taught me that my favorite style is artsy or bohemian, so I usually wear a combination of at least two or more of the following elements: velvet, fitted jeans, peasant tops, jackets, cardigans, flats, boots, beads, faux fur, embroidery, baby doll tops, paisley, exotic patterns, prairie skirts, scarves, hoop earrings, and chokers. My three favorite color palettes are earth tones, jewel tones, and berry tones. The stores that best exemplify my look (to some degree, in some mix of the five) are Anthroplogie, Fossil, Free People, Urban Outfitters, and Heritage 1981. I've learned, though, that I can glean the looks I love from these stores and find more affordable versions at thrift shops and Target. But my shopping mantras are the subject for another musing all of its own.