laura defines personal style…
“PERSONAL STYLE” - Growing up when I was young I couldn’t tell you what this meant, and I certainly didn’t have any…personal style, that is. I grew up in an era where it was cool (or so I was told) to either wear hand-me-downs from your older sisters, or handmade matching clothes with your mom (refer to embarrassing photo).
I spent the majority of my schooling years in a uniform by attending private school from Kindergarten - 4th grade, all four years of private Catholic High School, and even college (military college). I loved the uniformity and simplicity of a uniform, particularly in college when it made life easier, however; it wasn’t until High School that I truly started experimenting with style.
During High School we were allotted a certain number of “dress down” days during the year that allowed us to hang up our uniforms and instead wear normal clothes to school. I distinctly remember looking forward to these dress down days more and more during my Junior and Senior years. Since Drew and I were in the same homeroom we would always discuss our outfits ahead of time (roughly four weeks prior…THAT’s how excited we were) and were always complimented by our classmates as being two of the best dressed.
If you can believe it, my style in high school was EXTREMELY preppy. Extreme enough where I once wore 3 popped collar polo shirts at once (an embarrassing memory my best friend never lets me live down). I shopped at all the usual preppy private school shops to include Hollister, Abercrombie, American Eagle, and the occasional trip to Kohls whenever my Mom had a coupon. Hey, she had four children to clothe on a limited budget - god bless her!
My style morphed slightly in college while also taking a hiatus because I really didn’t have to worry about clothes, at least during the academic school year. On my holidays home I was just thankful to have the rest and a break from the rigorous military routine during the school year, that I just wanted to be comfy at all times.
It wasn’t until I moved to New York City when I was 23 years old that I TRULY understood what personal style was and, more importantly, how I could craft my own. I remember visiting NYC with my family when I was 11 or 12 years old and I instantly fell in love and told myself that later in life I needed to live there. I fell in love with the chaos, the noise, the people, the endless style, and so many other things I discovered while living there.
By the time I moved to NYC I had completely done away with my preppy off-the-mannequin Abercrombie vibe and morphed into a versatile style that changed day-to-day (a characteristic of me that still reigns true). I became inspired daily by what I was seeing on others (“street style”) and became comfortable stepping outside my stylistic comfort zone and wearing whatever I wanted.
I’ve always prided myself on being an extremely confident person, and that confidence always extended into my physical attire. New York gave me that last bit I needed to truly be confident in WHO I was, WHAT I was wearing, and WHY I was wearing it (and remember, you don’t always need a reason). I’ll always be thankful to the city for giving me and everlasting love…for myself.
So, in conclusion I’ll try to bring it back to the million dollar question - “What is my personal style”? Well, it’s a little of this, and a little of that. It’s a little preppy, and a little punky. It’s a little neutral, and a little colorful. I love being able to dress like Audrey Hepburn one day, and Megan Fox the next. The only accessory you need to style both is confidence.
