Dressing Extra: I Gave up My Signature Style to Try This Season’s Biggest Trend
All photographs courtesy of author
Nobody has ever accused me of being “extra.” Mostly because nobody I know uses “extra” as slang, but also because I don’t exactly put much effort into looking different from the crowd. My hair: one color and straight. My wardrobe: a lot of leggings and oversized tees. I don’t wear much makeup, and I’m always forgetting to put jewelry on with my outfit. My purse, which I used to carry around with me like a safety blanket, is now optional. My phone case carries my cards, and my keys have a little pouch for cash and lip balm. I keep it simple. And that’s how I like it.
But the way I like it is both boring and really off trend. To some, at least. From the runways (see Gucci and D&G SS17) to the rise of influencer artists like Kat Toronto, aka “Miss Meatface,” it’s apparent that people want more from style. Part of me thinks it’s a response to the political climate—the crazier our government acts, the more we need accessories and sequins to distract us. What else explains the batty, over-accessorized outfits of the Aughts?
So to shake things up—and maybe to distract myself from the chaos in the world—I decided to forgo my signature style for a week in favor of loud colors, clashing prints, overstated makeup and dresses over jeans. I didn’t have many rules for this challenge except for one: all elements for my outfits must be from my own closet, nothing new. This immediately felt like a mistake Monday morning when I first looked in my closet…
I’m not exactly sure when my wardrobe became exclusively beige, grey and navy, but it wasn’t a conscious decision. So obviously it was a challenge finding things that fit the maximalist bill. I had to dig deep into the archives to find things I could throw together. On day one, I remembered I impulse bought a neon-yellow Topshop crop top that was the perfect focal point to build an outfit around. I paired it with a clashing, voluminous red midi skirt in a paisley pattern and my black leather jacket. I accessorized with laced detail Intentionally Blank heels and a cheeky pin. I styled my hair in a messy half-up topknot and ice blue liquid eyeliner for dramatic effect. The color also tied in with the pin, creating just the right amount of cohesiveness.
When a friend picked me up at my apartment, she didn’t notice the change in personal style as much as she immediately noticed the tank top—(“That’s cute!”). I really wanted to go for the shock factor and have people ask WTF I was trying, but obviously failed day one.
Day two, I realized that the majority of colors in my wardrobe can be found on vintage skirts. This time I picked a southwestern print, purple mini skirt and paired it with a black polka-dot crop that at least clashed patterns with the skirt. Honestly, the silhouette was very familiar to me, and the subtleness of the dots on the top didn’t scream maximalist to me so I tried to do it big with my hair. However, my hair is extremely limited in its abilities…
…and it fell even more like two seconds after I snapped this selfie. Failing at both the foundation of the outfit and the hair, I turned to accessories again. I added a lace bow clip to my hair and wore my favorite oversized glasses. I layered socks under high heeled clogs and wore a clashing red toggle coat to try and make the look scream a little louder. I took this look to trivia night with the girls and received plenty of compliments… especially on the socks and clogs combo, which has been a popular look in Austin for years. And while I didn’t get any looks of shock or disgust, my girlfriends admitted that I was indeed dressed differently than usual and obliged me with a late night photo shoot.
