One thing about me is that I love a good outfit. I would be lying if I said there weren’t a few times I was late to a class because my outfit didn’t look just right. Am I proud of this? No. Was it all in the good name of fashion? Perhaps.
For the record, I would say that my ‘fashion’ isn’t really fashion at all to most people. It is not high-end by any means. Quite frankly, it is considered more of a lazy, but niche style. On most days, I’d say my outfits are pretty standard, wearing colorful sets or rocking an all black look, always pairing it with chunky shoes and jewelry. Other days, I plan outfits like an art, and love to experiment… but don’t get me wrong, I also love the occasional ‘groutfit.’
As experimental or questionable as my outfits might be, dressing up for the day is something I always look forward to. However, I have recently found that when choosing an outfit for something other than my day-to-day, like a night out or a dinner, I struggle to find the appropriate attire, and most importantly, attire that makes me feel good.
When I opened my drawer a couple of Fridays ago to find a ‘going-out-on-the-town-top’ (girls, we all know the war zone of this drawer), I was taken aback at the sight of some of my shirts, if you could even call them that. Small tube tops, glittery bra-like coverings, and a plethora of low-cut, cropped pieces of fabric that I hadn’t worn in years were staring me in the face.
I realized three things. 1. I had not been shopping in years. 2. I had just been borrowing clothes from my generous roommates and ignoring this dilemma. 3. I wasn’t a freshman in college anymore, but a grown woman.
These realizations led me to accept that when wearing my out-of-style clothes for something I wanted to look good for, I didn’t like how I looked at all. When trying to have fun with my friends on a night out, I felt like I was tugging down to keep my top from rising up, or pulling the fabric upward to prevent more exposure, and overall, wondering what other people were thinking about me.
However, if this were a couple of years ago, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought.
Thinking back to when I would usually swap and borrow clothes with my closet-blessed friends, I felt great when I chose outfits with more coverage, a cute jacket, or even a higher neckline.
Had I not gotten the memo that everyone else seemed to get? Modest was the new hottest.
I would like to give myself some grace for being behind on this fad. I am a college student who is constantly short of money, which is on my account (no pun intended). Truthfully, if I have a little money from a lucky work week, it goes straight to groceries and other necessities, not clothes. Besides, I already had drawers full of clothes — they just weren’t all the right clothes.
Nevertheless, this wasn’t something meaningless, though, as it clearly had meant something to me.
It was time to address my problem — I would rip off the Band-Aid and do something nice for myself (that was financially sensible, of course). After thrifting for my coming-of-age rebranding and $70-ish later, I found myself cringing at my receipt, yet feeling relieved and happy that I had some things to wear when I needed them.
Being so caught up in my busy day-to-day life, I guess I didn’t realize how much I had grown and matured. It felt like I blinked and I was 21 years old, mentally and physically. I wanted to look my age while feeling confident, and in my humble opinion, mini tops and club dresses weren’t cutting it anymore.
Don’t get me wrong — this is not a complete exile to all of my iconic looks. I might hold on to some of the ancient fan favorites for a while.
There are a few lessons to take away here. First and foremost, do what makes you feel like your best self. By sharing my experience with a fashion crisis and arguably a frontal lobe development, it is important to remember that not everyone wants to be ‘modest’ or cares that much about what they wear. While I personally have found that dressing more sophisticated and ‘older’ is what makes me happy, who cares what age you are and how you dress? If you want to wear a sheer top or a turtleneck out with friends, do it.
Secondly, don’t be scared to make a change. As odd as it seems, I hesitated to put all my anxieties aside and just continue wearing styles I knew didn’t feel right because they were what I had known for so long. I knew that when I actually had a paycheck to do so, I had to make a much-needed investment in my closet and my way of thinking.
Lastly, do something nice for yourself. When life gets super overwhelming and busy, a small act of kindness can go a long way. In my third and busiest year as a college student, I feel like I don’t have the time to go out and really look for clothes anymore, but this was a treat. Something seemingly small like buying a couple of outfits can keep you content for weeks (or maybe that’s just me).
Everyone deserves to do something nice for themselves every once in a while, whether it be making a big purchase on something they really want or need or getting a budget-friendly goody.
Ansley Graves is a junior at UT this year, studying journalism. She can be reached [email protected].
Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.
Opinions editor Ansley Graves says, “I realized three things; 1. I had not been shopping in years. 2. I had just been borrowing clothes from my generous roommates and ignoring this dilemma. 3. I wasn’t a freshman in college anymore, but a grown woman.”
