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if i asked you to put together an outfit that represented you what would that outfit look like?
i guess it would change depending on what point in life you are. for example, 16-year-old izzy would have immediately thrown on grey skinny jeans, layered multiple lace tank tops, stuffed her feet into a pair of gladiator sandals and muttered yes slay without giving it a second thought.
current izzy?? well she has no idea.
but i’m getting ahead of myself. hi, hello, how are you? i hope you said great but if you didn’t, that’s also okay, i am right there with you.
as i write this, i am sitting in a cafe watching the barista prepare iced oat latte after iced oat latte and i can’t help but envy her. she’s wearing black leather boots, dark wash bootcut jeans, a fitted polka dot blouse, a white lace scarf is tied around her neck and her long wavy hair is secured to the side with a myriad of fun clips. she looks cute, she looks happy, and she looks comfortable in herself.
though it’s not necessarily an outfit i would wear myself, she has something that i want:
personal style (PS)
i feel like my style changes constantly, flipping from femme to masc, oversized clothes to tight clothes, bright colours only to grey and pastels, on and on, round and round to the point where i look back at videos i made a month ago and can’t believe i ever thought that outfit was a good idea.
i know style changes over time—it evolves as you evolve—which is one of the things i love about fashion: using it as a tool to express who you are in that season of your life. however, the key word here is season—this shouldn’t be happening weekly? should it???
i never thought i was the type of person to be swayed by trends and micro-trends and virality. i am cool? i follow cool people, doing cool things, wearing cool brands? i didn’t partake in balletcore or make an office siren video?? i like paloma wool and gima guas, neon and polka dots, #indiesleazeisback, ballet flats but in a lily-rose depp way, aquamarine, addison rae, jandals with silver studs… oh shoot. i am a person swayed by trends and micro-trends and virality.
though i obviously wasn’t completely blind to my trend-following (everyone follows trends to some degree), as i sat on the floor opposite my enormous rack of clothes to begin this week’s PS task, it quickly became clear that trends were a far bigger presence than i once thought.
look, i don’t think trends are necessarily bad and i have loved participating in them (e.g. 16-year-old izzy in skinny jeans, lace tank tops and gladiator sandals), but i don’t want to be so obviously led by them. i want people to know what my style is and have that be consistent and authentic to me. i want to be the barista girl.
so, angels, we have reached the point in my personal style journey where i have to do the tough but inevitable task of actually going through my wardrobe.
the way that i have decided to tackle this section of my series is by starting from the beginning (shocker). in mina lee’s “death of personal style” video essay, she talks about the concept of uniform—and rather than be a symbol of repression, they can be a symbol of creative freedom. imagine waking up in the morning and, without thinking about it, you step immediately into an outfit that fits you like a glove, feels authentic to you, and makes you feel cute and confident. sounds good, right? well, this kind of uniform is what i set out to find.
and find it, i did.
i spent two days going through my entire closet and camera roll trying to find a through line in my outfits. what do i wear all the time? where do i look my most confident and happy, and what am i wearing? i asked my friends and family: what outfit do you think of when you think of me? (i don’t advise doing this actually—the results were pretty scary). i wanted to identify me at my most basic, my most confident, and my most chic.
the outcome? it was so glaringly obvious, actually, that i am a little embarrassed that it took me two days to figure it out. the aha moment came while i was rushing out the door—late (as always)—but also needing to look good and be comfortable. without thinking, i threw on black suit pants and a grey baby tee. i styled it with simple black ballet flats, a belt and my favourite pair of black glasses. i looked in the mirror and grinned. of course THIS is my uniform. if i were asked to put together an outfit that represented me, this is what that outfit would look like.
although the process was time-consuming, it has been SO helpful. i feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. i often feel an immense pressure when i get dressed—every outfit needs to be the best outfit i’ve ever put together or else what’s the point? choosing my uniform has felt like giving myself permission to wear what i actually love and what actually looks good on me (and to hell with trends!). though we aren’t anywhere near the finish line, i feel like i have taken a big ol’ step in the right direction.
so, fellow fashion folk, if you are still with me (and i sincerely hope you are), throw on your comfortable shoes as we journey to ep 4!! it’s time to go (thrift) shopping!
okay, we have now reached the portion of the blog where i pause my existential fashion ramblings, and together we go through my literal open tabs.
IZZYS OPEN TABS
FRUITY BOOTY
i am obsessed with this brand and i feel like they’re really in their stride at the moment. neon polka dot, striped hot pants and floaty flirty sillouttes, i am just IN LOVE with everything they make. their styling is elite also.
LUCKY GIRL TUBE TOP STRIPED
everything from urte kat is incredible but especialllyyyyy the lucky girl tube top. so chic, so cute, perfect summer piece. wear it with baggy jeans or a mini skirt and heels like she can do it all.
THE FRANKY/PIANO BAG
this bag became a pinterest sensation and now is very difficult to get your hands on BUT i have her in pink sparkles and its my favorite bag. its the perfect size and the polka dots are so fun and chic. nina bow are such an amazing small brand and i highly recommend you check out their other pieces (the little birdy top!!)
CELINE WHITE BUTTON KITTEN HEELS
i repeat celine! white! button! kitten! heels! do i really need to say more? elsies archive is such an amazing vintage store with so many stunnnning pieces. i would have already purchased these but they’re size 3 (curse you small footed cuties)
NOVELTY VINTAGE COMBS
omg my new obsession!! i use a comb almost every day and they are always so boring looking SO i went to find a coloured one and stumbled upon the world of novelty combs and lets just say i am about to have 5-6 definitely non-boring combs
MEDICUBE AGE-R BOOSTER MINI
i finally caved and bought one of these in korea and i am SO glad i did. this is the mini one which is significantly cheaper than the pro version so if you aren’t sure on investing a small mortgage into the pro, this one is awesome too. it has two led modes with different vibration patterns to effectively treat certain skin concerns. the red mode brightens dull skin and the blue mode soothes troubled skin. i have seen honestly SUCH great results and i highly recommend.
c u next friday <3
izzy.opentabs.com