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I like that I’m starting with this outfit because it’s such a go-to for me. I think it also really captures my inspiration, which is 100% Scandinavian fashion girlies. I grew up in Los Angeles around some of the most impressive natural creatives I’ve ever been around. All of my friends were artistically gifted whether it be painting, music, photography, literature or fashion. They all had some draw to the arts. Meanwhile I was drawn to sports. I was a competitive gymnast turned tennis player turned soccer player turned cross country runner turned marathoner. But as every teenager, I wanted to be like my friends. I studied up on the zeitgeist my friends lived in. This meant going to thrift stores and trying to come up with individualistic outfits incorporating quirky stylistic choices. I (sort of) kept up and I really enjoyed being pushed out of my comfort zone in this way. In hindsight, I am forever grateful for growing up in this community, because it opened me up to a world of art and culture that I wouldn’t have necessarily gravitated towards in my coming of age. However, I never truly felt it was my own, until I visited Scandinavia in 2021.
In summer 2021, I visited Copenhagen and Stockholm for 3 weeks and felt like I started to really find my style. I hadn’t yet experienced a city of style in the way that Copenhagen and Stockholm dress. They both lean towards a capsule wardrobe. In contrast to what I grew up with which was having hundreds of different cheap pieces from secondhand shops that people would elegantly style together into an outfit you had never seen before nor will ever see repeated again. In comparison, in Scandinavia, people wore high quality, investment pieces with 1-2 statement accessories. Maybe shoes, or a bag, or a hat, or earrings, or just their bike. They all had staple coats, white t-shirts, great jeans, fun shoes and stylish bikes. Observing their styles helped me understand how form can meet function in fashion. And how a few high quality, great pieces can go a long way and require less thought when creating an outfit every morning. I love clothes and fashion, but I don’t want to think so much about my outfit every single morning as I had to when living in Los Angeles with my more obscure wardrobe. The timing of my visit in Scandinavia was also perfect. As recent university grad post-COVID — I was coming into my own. I was feeling more comfortable and confident in myself and my personal interests and choices, which never felt more crucial than developing your own personal wardrobe and style.
The outfit in this video is a classic outfit for me comprising of wrangler jeans, brown leather boots, a simple white shirt and secondhand Armani blazer. Each piece was carefully bought based on fit, quality of material and how much I actually enjoyed wearing it. For instance, the brown leather boots took me maybe 20 minutes of walking around the store, trying them on, taking them off, seeing if they fit perfectly and realizing if I kept thinking about them or if I was content with the idea of leaving them behind. After 20+ minutes of this internal debate, I realized they were it. They were a perfect purchase in terms of cost, quality and how much joy they brought with me.
As I am writing this, I do feel a kinship with Aziz Anzari’s character, Tom, in Parks and Recreation explaining how he decides if a song is a banger. That’s me nowadays in a store purchasing a new piece of clothing.
In a very fun and classic fashion for second hand shopping, I bought the wrangler jeans at a random warehouse in upstate New York that was randomly mainly selling furniture. There was a small section of clothes that my friends and I gravitated to since none of us were in need of new furniture. As most people, I am always on the lookout for jeans that truly fit me. When I saw these I immediately tried them on. I had a feeling they were perfect. I love when this happens. When you see an article of clothing and just know it’s going to workout (I hope you have experienced this too because it’s truly the best). I tried them on, showed my friends and in unison they all emphatically said yes to the jeans. The price was right, so I bought them! So quick yet so easy. I was high on my friends yes, I was high on the spontaneity of it. It brought me so much joy and was so stoked. A good pair of blue jeans, trustworthy brand and support from my friends. How can you say no?
Finally, the coat was a bit out of my comfort zone. I am not super tall and I have smaller features, so I tend to stay away from oversized pieces. But this one was so fun and interesting and was obviously drawn to the fact that it was Armani. When it comes to luxury brands like this I always feel a sort of excitement that I don’t get with newer brands. Armani, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton all have such rich histories that when I find a vintage item from any luxury brand I am so excited to get to wear a piece of history.