We're all too familiar with that one intense, four-minute love affair with that one girl on our train ride to work. She's the one with the beret and crushed velvet coat, her lob tumbling in perfect waves over her blanket scarf, making you want to embrace your uniqueness with every move. Her lavender lipstick is stubbornly staying put as she's drinking her tea, and — wait is that a crocheted fox stole slung over her shoulder? You sneakily watch her from your peripheral vision, letting your girl crush slightly spiral.
Is there a way to approach her without looking like a skeeze picking up babes on the train? How does one convince another to become best friends for life under three minutes? Heck, how does one make friends after their twenties, period? Why are there no answers to these questions?!
Just as you shift from spying peripherally to staring blatantly, you notice she gets off at the current stop. You sigh. And not with a little disappointment think, "Till tomorrow."
You see, it's fun seeing someone be brave with their style and appreciating a fashion risk taker. It's hard not to notice and swoon over an on-point outfit, and then wish you had something on as equally amazing. That is, "if you could pull it off."
But the wonderful thing is that at one point these fashion people didn't think they could pull it off, either. They slid into jeans wishing it was a gingham dress, or buttoned a black puffer jacket wishing it was a swingy capecoat. At one point, they too were shy about playing with clothes. One doesn't just wake up with a strong sense of style; it's a gradual process of realizing and figuring out how to develop your image.
But the question is: What was the point where they decided they wanted to break out of their comfortable knits and give it a go? What finally convinced them to buy an ombre fur coat and wear it like a love affair? If we had the answers to these questions, than maybe we could find the courage it takes to try it ourselves. Because putting on a statement dress during a regular Tuesday is a lot easier said than done.
To help us find that strength, I asked four bloggers with a strong sense of style just that:
Lisa From Lala Faux Bois
"Back in college, I worked at a video store in the artsier part of town, and I remember almost every Friday the coolest looking couple would come in together after work to rent classic horror movies or the latest indie flick. They were always sharply dressed, and she would always be wearing the prettiest vintage dresses and a furry cat backpack. I would guess them to be about 15 years older than me at the time, and the most fascinating couple I'd ever seen. Although she has no idea, she totally inspired a more feminine side to my style.
I had decided that that was my future. I'd already become obsessed with vintage and thrifting at that point, but still had a tomboy style left over from high school in the height of '90s grunge. That is the moment I realized you can look cool in things other than ripped Levi's and flannel jackets. I started saving up my paychecks for the occasional splurge on pretty dresses and sparkly brooches in the more curated vintage shops — a pastime that hasn't fizzled."
Natalia From Curious Natalia
"Well, it all started when I moved to U.S. over five years ago. I have always loved clothes, but not as much as I do now. I didn't yet see in myself what started to become a passion. Friends and even strangers kept commenting about the way I dressed and started asking for advice, so I finally realized how important fashion was to me and that it was ok to be different.
While living here I have been inspired and influenced by vintage styles. A new friend took me to my first thrift store, something that was so popular when I moved here, and what an adventure that was! I learned about street style through Lookbook and that was an open door for inspiration and creativity. Over this past years my style and creativity have developed and I couldn't be happier to be confident with the way I dress; it makes me who I am and people know this through the way I dress. I love being different and not shy when I walk out the door. It makes me feel confident, tall, intelligent, powerful and strong, and it makes me happy that I can now inspire people to feel like this as well."
Jasmin From What Defines Us
"Being a fashion-conscious person is probably the one thing I was never shy about. I grew up in a small 3000 soul village, where nobody but me seemed to be interested in fashion. It was super boring. Everyone looked the same. And then there was me. Even as a child I loved to experiment with fashion, and break the sartorial monotony. I always looked different, but it never bothered me. Other children would talk about, even threaten me because of my fashion choices, but fashion was and still is a big part of me, and giving it up would have meant giving up my integrity.
Specifically, there's one moment that stands out for when I found my self-confidence in fashion. I must have been about eight years old. My mom had braided my hair into many little pigtails, which I absolutely adored. After a few days of sporting my pigtails one of my classmates came up to me and threatened to beat me up if I didn't take them out. I left them in thinking she wouldn't dare to touch me just because I had a hairstyle she didn't like, and you know what? She did indeed chicken out and asked her best friend to beat me up instead. That friend, however, couldn't understand what all the fuss was about and refused. This was the moment I realized that it's ok to be different. Not everyone will like the way you look, but most people just really couldn't care less about your fashion choices.
And that's what I keep telling myself every time I wear something that might attract attention. Everyone has their own problems to worry about, but my sartorial taste is certainly not one of them."
Chioma From Chioma's Evolution Of Style
"I would say I found the confidence to wear my bold style around the time I began blogging, four years ago. I've always loved wearing bold pieces but blogging gave me the confidence to style those items in so many different ways. My style began evolving (no pun intended) as I started to come into my own as a woman and figured out what I wanted my personal style to be.
I found myself gravitating towards vintage pieces instead of current trends and I loved how I felt with each new look. I could stand out yet never have to worry about looking like anyone else when I walked in a room. Loving how I looked and felt in those outfits along with the positive responses from my family, friends, and fabulous readers vanquished any shyness I may have had about having bold style."
Images: Courtesy Bloggers; Giphy
