Just me, being me

Attempting to describe my own style is own of those things I find strangely daunting, partly it’s the fear of sounding pretentious, equally realising it’s a very personal thing to describe. Do I really want to pigeon hole my own look? Then I remember I don’t wear anything that dramatically exciting in the first place.

Fashion has been my love since I was a child; I used to draw my mum designs of the clothes I wanted her to wear — trust me when I say my mum suffered a fashion blip from 2000-2007 (sorry mum). From there it blossomed; one, accepting I would never  make it as a designer, and two, exploring the clothes that I, me, myself, wanted to wear.

When I reached the age where I no longer looked like a spotty potato, I fell into the lure of wanting to look in some way ‘grown up’ or ‘sexy’: mini skirts, tight tops and skinny jeans were staples. I won’t deny it I still love those pieces now but I have advanced in my wardrobe too.

With age came the understanding that bodycon is not the only option. Slowly but surely I have ventured further into the plethora of fashion silhouettes, midi skirts, culottes, over-sized jumpers (a particular favourite) have merged with my itty-bitty clothes. I definitely always like to keep an element of my outfit fitted, even if that means wearing a giant jumper dress so my legs peak out of the bottom. There’s something in me that refuses to be demure all the time.

Since coming to university the greatest shift in my style has most definitely been colour. I never used to shy away from colour, and then I started working at DKNY — we wear black. Suddenly, my mind was converted to the joys of a neutral palette, minimalism and timelessness. However, the best thing working there has taught me is how clothes should fit; that the size of my clothes has no relation to my size. The number one fashion lesson for anyone — don’t fixate on size!

I would be doing my sense of fashion a dishonour if I did not devote some time to my numero uno fashion bae — the black ankle boot. Preferably pointed. I wear them pretty much every day, have varying heel heights and styles (depending on the occasion), there is no better shoe. Come winter I don my ankle boots with a giant polo neck jumper so I can look as much like Liam Neeson circa Love Actually as possible. In summer I part with my black boots in favour of Birkenstocks, plus, as of last year, the most divine pair of tan brown mules.

I don’t think I would feel comfortable to sum up my sense of fashion with an adjective or a phrase, but there is an inherent me-ness in everything I choose to wear. Much as I may love Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Alexa Chung or Liam Neeson’s clothes (read jumpers), my style is that moment of putting on an outfit and thinking it will make my day just that bit better. But don’t hold me to that when I turn up to lectures in my gym kit!