 |
| International Badge Day, March 2012 |
"we never go out of style" -TS, 1989
 |
| AGD Formal, Spring 2012 |
 |
| Junior Year, Fall 2012 |
 |
| 21st Birthday |
"Fashion is a trend, style is within a person." - Oscar De La Renta
"Happiness never goes out of style"
 |
| Senior Year, Fall 2014 |
 |
| Summer 2014 |
“Girls do not dress for boys. They dress for themselves and, of course, each other." -Betsey Johnson
 |
| Formal 2014 |
 |
| Feast of Roses, Fall 2014 |
 |
| Recruitment with Tay, Fall 2013 |
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." -Eleanor Roosevelt
 |
| Valentine's Day 2015 |
 |
| Jade's Graduation Party |
I'm not sure when my love affair with fashion began. I remember 6th grade going through my friends' closets and picking out a week's worth of clothing, but honestly it probably goes back to my mom's
Barbie rule:
every Barbie, regardless of whether or not I was playing with her needed clothing on.
I also have notebooks upon notebooks full of magazine clippings with new outfits/ensembles being paired together. Cher Horowitz' closet was a
wet dream!
My friends have always treated me as their own personal shopper and I've always dreamed of getting to call myself a stylist and get to make that my profession. That's what originally made fashion merchandising so appealing as a major- a personal shopper/stylist on a grander scale
(honestly, that's why I'm so excited about my new job). It was getting to shop for a large
brand market or rather a brand or company.
I've always enjoyed the art and pageantry of the Fashion Industry. The multiple avenues in which to make your dreams come true: there are designers, buyers, models, agents, journalists, illustrators, hairstylists, make-up artists, manicurists.
"A lot of people think that the fashion industry is full of vapid narcissists. I've found quite the contrary... It doesn't ask you to fit into a mold, it asks you to construct your own and join the party."
While
I miss the commradrie that came with working at the pool for 6 years- the best thing/challenging thing is getting to wear real clothes. That was the most fun about my
internship last summer was wearing
actual clothes everyday (besides the air conditioning). Along with wearing make-up
(my current obsession: contouring, still working on perfecting it, YouTube is the perfect place for tutorials) and I'll always wear nail polish
(currently loving matte black or white and of course neon on my toes for the summer, and as a tan enhancer). Make-up and nail polish, may seem to be the least of someone's worries but they really say a lot about the wearer. It's a way of self-expression, another art form, a way to convey mood. I mean LC (Lauren Conrad), said it in season one of Laguna Beach, so it has to be true.
The most important part of fashion is your own personal style. It can take a while to get there. I know that there are plenty of photos where all I can say is,
"what was I thinking/why didn't anyone tell me?" Everyone has those moments. I mean the photos at the beginning are the only ones I could bear let see the light of day again. The most integral part of style is confidence. You need to not only know but truly believe you're rocking what you're wearing.
Fake it til you make it. It took me awhile but I think I've got it.
I feel good in my skin. Second to confidence is fit. Your outfit could make even Beyoncé envious but if it doesn't fit right- it's too big or even worse it's too tight- no one is gonna look good. I fully support the whole- if you've got it flaunt it but layaways within reason and in good taste. The
occasion is important as well. Ultimately, you know what looks good on you, be that color or lack thereof or be that the fit. No matter what, you need to be true to yourself and comfortable in your own skin. Everything about you is beautiful, you're the perfect combination of your parents and you were made in God's image. With that being said everyone has at least body part they love the most- feel free to flaunt it. If you like your collarbones, your legs, your neck, your back, your shoulders, etc. Make it your signature.
I think you have the right to feel good in your own skin. If someone makes you feel bad, leave them behind.
BECAUSE YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, just the way you are. But if it's something that truly bothers you and you can, then fix it. Whiten your teeth, fix your bangs, etc. You get it.
I think that's what it's so important to drop the "plus" in plus size because it gives it and the wearer an unwanted stigma, or rather it can, just depends on the connotation that you give it. For example, it doesn't bother me but I understand why it is so bothersome to some. My biggest issue is the fact that in most places the quality is poor and the product is unfortunate, and not fashion forward. I am 23 years old, I don't want to dress older than I am, I wanna dress in the trends and classic pieces that come in the smaller sizes. Why aren't all the clothes just made into bigger production? Ranging from size small to as large as is conceivable, cause large and extra large don't always cut it. Maternity clothes are fashionable- so why not "
plus size"?
That's why I'm excited about
my new job. This is a brand that is in the forefront of "HER size" not "plus size". It's a great atmosphere, the women shopping are the women working appreciate the product.
I don't know about your finances but it's
rare impossible for me to be able to afford a new wardrobe, for every season. Here's what I do...
Fashion Advice from KJB:
- Kate Sanders, would've hated me- I'm absolutely an outfit repeater, though I try to change it up- either by my hair or accessories or just not wearing it entirely the same way twice.
- Always be looking for items for your wardrobe. You never know when you will find good pieces. I love shopping at Lane Bryant, Target, Old Navy and Forever 21, but I'm always open to finding pieces.
- Little items like shoes and accessories should be bought whenever you can get the best deal.
- When buying new staple pieces try to buy them in the off season or as close to the end of their season so that you're getting the best price. This does mean trying to keep impulse buying to a minimum.
- Then there are the season trends that you can't help but lust over. (Currently obsessed with pineapples, cactus, flamingos, and flowers.)
- For the fall:
- I'm keeping my eye out for a blanket scarf
- a quilted black leather (more likely pleather) mini (skort) skirt
- black riding boots (because of course I have brown) with quilted backs
Ultimately, it's important to be true to you. Whatever that may be.
I know that I love being comfortable but also I like to look cute. I live for dresses, watches, monograms, statement pieces, dainty/stackable rings. I have my nails painted at all times and it'll be different in a week and I love make-up. I love my tattoos and my piercings and I'm dreaming of joining the grey hair trend and dreaming and scheming of getting more tattoos while also being a responsible adult with paying bills.
xxoo
