Style Stories: Looking Wonderful in the Water!

 ONE MORE DAY! We can barely contain our excitement- will you be there at the biggest fashion event at ASU? We hope so! If you haven't yet, you can grab those tix here, and watch this video to get pumped for our event!

 Meet Lindsay Kelley, a senior studying Psychology at ASU! We had so much fun working with her over the summer with the coolest underwater photoshoot! In fact, we'll be featuring some water-friendly looks at our Sun Devils Wear Prada fashion show! Check out Lindsay's Style Story and gorgeous photos below.

1.How do you describe your current personal style? Who has influenced you the most in your clothing choices?

                  My personal style is on average: very simple but put-together. I am not a big fan of jewelry, fancy shoes or purses. I like making my face and my personality the star of my outfit. If I don’t feel great, I usually won’t interact well with my friends. For the most part I like dressing in comfy clothes. My go-to outfit can be described as leggings and an oversized shirt. Maybe a jacket if it gets a little chilly. I think Pinterest has the most influence on my specific outfits nowadays, however my style has been gathered from influences like my mom, my friends and styles I see around me.

2.When did your ‘style story’ begin? What was your age and circumstances when you began to shop for yourself and choose ‘styles for yourself? How did you personally feel about who you were at that stage of life?

                  When I was younger I was really into the fashion magazines like Seventeen, Cosmo and occasionally Vogue. At the time, my mom would take me shopping at Kohl’s and JcPenney while all my friends were sporting Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister and American Eagle. I felt really out of style and a step behind my friends. I thought the key was in the brand. I started shopping for myself at around 7th grade. My mom would give me an allowance to spend. One time I blew it all on make-up! My mom and I talked that night about why I felt like I needed $50 worth of make-up to fit in. It was a huge eye-opener for me. That’s when I really started asking myself what it meant to be beautiful and whyI was choosing the exact same things as my friends.

3.What is your favorite personal feature and how do you ‘play it up’ in expressing your personal style?

                  My favorite feature would have to be my hair. I always try to have my hair done. For me, the hair makes the outfit. If my hair matches the way I feel that day, there is an absolute contentment in the way I feel about myself. I have naturally wild and curly hair. It can sometimes stick out in weird places and frame my face in an unflattering way. But when those good hair days come to pass, I feel like I’m ready for a photo shoot. My personal style reflects my mood and my hair really helps piece it all together!

4. Talk about your experiences shopping in boutiques, Malls or online clothing ordering.

                  Shopping in boutiques is a nasty habit of mine. I like having clothes that are pretty rare, so no one else will have seen it before. That’s pretty selfish of me, but I like feeling unique when I do feel like dressing up. Malls are not my biggest fan, nor am I one of theirs. I can hardly ever walk into a mall and find something that really fits my style. I don’t like when shorts ride up in places they aren’t supposed to. Especially being a short and curvy gal, that kind of cut seems pretty unflattering for me. Online shopping is the number one shopping endeavor I like to avoid. As my good friend from Forrest Gump once said, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you gonna get.” I feel like this applies to online shopping, but instead of chocolate, you have a box of expired chocolate. Should you chance it or not?

5. What are one or two items that are hardest for you to shop for, and why do you think that?

                  I have the hardest time shopping for shirts and jewelry. I have a small torso, decent sized bust and a little bit of a tummy. Most of the shirts in the stores today are not very flattering on women with a little tummy. I usually go for the oversized spandex, polyester blend shirts or something sheer with a tank top underneath to hide the little area. Jewelry on the other hand is just hard, because I feel as though it takes away from my face rather than enhances it like some people. My best friend can wear almost any kind of jewelry and all i see is her lovely face with a pretty necklace & earrings. If I put on the same jewelry, I feel like a walking mannequin for a jewelry set.

6. What do you LOVE to shop for? Name a few of your favorite items?

                  I love shopping for shoes and workout clothes!!!! I look great in workout leggings and a pair of nikes. Dresses and boots are also some of my favorite things in the fashion world. There are so many kinds and each one can help obtain a different look!

7. What do you DISLIKE the most to shop for? Name a few of your least liked items?

                  I think the items that are the hardest for me to shop for would also be the items that I like shopping the least for. Shirts and jewelry are a toughie in my book.

8. When you shop for clothing, how do you feel about your body? What do you think is the most challenging part of your body to dress and why?

                  The most challenging part of dressing my body would be my little tummy area and the fact that I’m short and curvy. In some outfits, being curvy can make me look even shorter! I have to be careful about specific patterns that can make my curves look bigger. For the most part however, I love my body and I get along great with my little tummy. :)

Thanks so much for sharing your Style Story with us, Lindsay! We love how you are at peace with how your style has evolved! 

And a big thank you goes out to Alyssa Campbell Photography  for the spectacular underwater photos! 

BOGO SDWP TICKET SALES!

We have big news!!! From 9pm to midnight tonight, we will be having a Buy One Get One FREE sale for our Sun Devils Wear Prada event tickets!

This is the best deal we've ever had, so if you haven't bought your ticket yet, please do! 

We want a SOLD-OUT show!!

Don't be like #LeftShark.. make a move and get yours TODAY!

Grab one for yourself and a friend right here! 

Once you've got your tickets get excited and watch these videos to see what you can expect Friday night! 

We'll see your smiling faces there :)

A Style Story: Divya Raghani

It's getting closer... THREE more days until one of the biggest fashion events on campus! Be sure to buy your tickets here and bring your girlfriends for a stylish girl's night out on February 6th!! Check out this video about our event- we can't wait to see you here!

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We love our motto. Club SDWP inspires ASU women to reveal their self worth through personal style! We are a club that wants to empower women to utilize their own unique styles to show their self worth! How do you do that? Well, for one- Style Stories!!! There are millions of women all over the world with their own sense of style- and the stories that got them there are awesome to hear. 

Meet Divya Raghani, one of the models in our upcoming fashion show. She's a senior studying Architecture and Civil Engineering and she is one inspirational woman! We're so excited for you to read her style story and hear what she has to say about how her personal style came about.

1.How do you describe your current personal style? Who has influenced you the most in your clothing choices?

I would describe my style as creative and comfortable, with a surprise TWIST. I love to pick and choose from my sister’s more preppy/business casual closet and match it with something bold from my own. I guess you could say I’m also quite tom-boyish at times, for a lack of a better term. There’s something to be said about a sleeve that’s rolled up on the left arm and coupled with a copper metallic watch, especially the way it emphasizes a certain strength and working quality about you, yet still highlights the delicate architecture of the wrist bone. I am constantly inspired by the simple ways Victoria Beckham pulls off sophisticated, grunge-chic tom-boy, and grandpa sweaters! Those three are definitely my go-to styles, and I love occasionally overlapping each and every one of them. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

2.When did your ‘style story’ begin? What was your age and circumstances when you began to shop for yourself and choose ‘styles for yourself? How did you personally feel about who you were at that stage of life?

I remember going through a style shift when I cut all of my hair off in my senior year of high school. Once my locks of hair were gone, I realized how conspicuously I had been hiding behind my hair all of these years. I felt really vulnerable at first, because it’s not like I could just throw my hair in a ponytail, like everyone else. My hair was so short that all I could do was finger-comb it out of the shower and hope my outfit went with my exposed neck and elf ears (my lack of ear lobes plagued me for years!). It sounds kind of weird now, when I hear myself talking about it, but I remember feeling completely raw and watched, even though I knew everyone else had better things to do! I think that is when I focused more on defining myself in my style, rather than my style defining me.  I starting wearing baggier "boyfriend" jeans and adopted a more grunge or casual chic look. As my hair grew longer, I began exploring more sophisticated or formal outfits, but still pairing them with my always present high tops and a heavy watch. I don’t think I ever shook off the grunge/ tomboy style, and I think that is because I love expressing the contradiction of casual strength, of intention and lack of intention, if that makes sense. I’m small in physical size, but in my head, I’m a Bengal tiger!

3.What is your favorite personal feature and how do you ‘play it up’ in expressing your personal style?

My favorite personal feature is my sense of humor. I love playing it up by adding detail, humor, or envisioning a characteristic I like to play up, like how to I’d make today's outfit of black leggings, blue, trouser material short shorts and white t-shirt feel like a mail delivery person’s uniform! Maybe I’ll add a heavy gold necklace, instead of a badge, some chunky bracelets instead of a signature pad, and I'll tie my hair in a top knot that is mock-professional. Add on my ever present watch and high tops, and voila! Every outfit has a comical story and it makes for great conversation and an enjoyable day. It's a bit of me and my way to tell the world how I am feeling, another way to tell my story through the choices I make with my outfit.

4. Talk about your experiences shopping in boutiques, Malls or on-line clothing ordering.

Shopping can be a pain at times because items look so different in photos and on the hanger, than they do on my small frame of a body. I guess it works out since I love grungy shirts or baggy sweaters, but I’ll always experience that moment when I’m just drowning in a gorgeous sweater, thinking WHYYYYY. This is why I both love and hate shopping. I try to make the experience as efficient as possible, kind of like ripping off a band-aid. I prefer choosing colors and styles that are more deep toned or neutral and being adventurous with styles I might never actually wear, even if they look "meh" on the hanger. I find that things that look "meh" end up fitting my body type amazingly, especially with the right color or tone that brings out a certain quality in my skin or eyes. It's about falling in love immediately. If I love it at first glance, then I know I'll love it forever, because it shows me how I actually feel about myself, and the qualities I love about myself. If I'm debating with myself about it, then I throw it back on the rack, because I know I'll be debating with myself every time I pull it out of my closet. You really only love an item if you think it shows the qualities you love about yourself and qualities you want to proudly show the world. 

5. What are one or two items that are hardest for you to shop for, and why do you think that?

Hmm this is a tough one. I would have to say leggings and shoes. And you're probably thinking, leggings?! Those are super stretchy, one-size fits all! How is that hard? Lemme tell ya, it's hard. See, first the material has got to make you feel like a million bucks. I like the texture to be stretchy, but substantial and not super thin, so I can actually wear them as pants, and when the print is bold, even better! They should feel like pants, and not pantyhose, if you get my drift? The second reason leggings are so difficult is because I have this thing about my small ankles. I’m all about that casual strength, but one look at my ankles, and I think of teetering on two tiny twigs. I try to opt for leggings that get a little loose around the lower calf, so it emphasizes the muscle tone there, but doesn’t follow through to the ankle. Pairing this with an ankle length shoe, and BOOM, my ankles are the least of my worries.

Shoes are the love of my life, especially high-tops or well fitted, supportive flats. But choosing high tops that feel light-weight, fit well, and a pair that can go with multiple outfits is the key. If they feel good and I can walk 10 hours a day going to class or out for the evening, and I can rock them with leggings or a dress (yep, I'm that kind of girl), then they are the perfect pair and a wardrobe staple. 

6. What do you LOVE to shop for? Name a few of your favorite items?

SHOES. Did I mention I love shoes? I love shopping for shoes, just because the health of your feet is so important in your overall well-being, which then is so important in how you feel about yourself. See, finding a comfortable and supportive pair of shoes, that are also stylish and multi-use are the ultimate shopping challenge and provide the most satisfaction after a day at the mall. I think shoes actually tell the most about a person, the cut, the style, and how someone might tuck their pants in a high top or flats versus leaving the pant hem to hang over the tongue with the laces peeking out. I always do a single knot with the lace, tucking the rest of the lace in, and leave the tongue and collar of the shoe exposed. I'm an open book and I like my shoes to speak for themselves.

I am also obsessed with watches, particularly the thicker, metallic textures that you can pair with a variety of bangles and bracelets! With a double major, I am always on a timed schedule, but who says you can’t be both timely and chic?

7. What do you DISLIKE the most to shop for? Name a few of your least liked items?

I really dislike shopping for jeans. I think jeans are great, occasionally, but to me they feel like a trap. They can be restrictive at times, or at least very particular in their expression. I think it is hard to find a pair of jeans that completely embody all of your amazing qualities, especially since the stiff material restricts movement and self-expression. I use my body a lot to tell stories and I like to be comfortable when I interact with people. I don't want my body to feel restricted or like it should have to act a certain way. So, when I shop for jeans, it is a real challenge because I can rarely find a pattern that makes me feel amazing, and I can't settle for anything less than that, now can I?

8. When you shop for clothing, how do you feel about your body? What do you think is the most challenging part of your body to dress and why?

I think my ankles are the most difficult to dress for. WHO EVER SAYS THAT, RIGHT? But it is totally an issue at times! When the seasons warm up and there is a need for lighter clothing, my tiny ankles always throw off the look! Sometimes it’s easier to wear an ankle covering shoe, and call it a day.

Though, when I shop for clothing, I feel like I’m on a mission. I love trying bold things and I really do believe I am a straight-forward, open-book kind of person, but when I look for things on the rack, or on the streets of Mumbai, India (where I actually get most of my clothes from during my yearly visits to my grandmothers), I pick up some of the wildest things and think, what if this doesn’t look good on me? Is this choice completely ridiculous? And that moment is usually a personal moment for me, where I evaluate whether I should even try on the outfit. I know it sounds trivial, like just go and try on the outfit! But, I still prefer to rush through the process, hating that moment when I look at myself in the overly bright change room, from every possible angle at the EXACT same time (which is impossible for any person to actually do to you, in real life. That is my rationale, anyway). This is why I love shopping on the streets of Mumbai. There are rarely any change rooms, so it’s a go with your gut gamble, which is both exhilarating and calming at the same time. No need to check myself out from 360 degrees, thank you very much.

Divya, we absolutely love your Style Story and want to thank you for being so honest with us! We can see how your story and style is uniquely YOU. 

A BIG thank you goes out to Matt Le Photography for the amazing photos, JCPenneys for the fabulous outfits, and Tempe Marketplace!

Amanda Haagen: A Style Story!

Oh my goodness!! Officially 4 more days until our Sun Devils Wear Prada event on February 6th! Be sure to buy your tickets here and bring your girlfriends for a stylish girl's night out!! Check out this video about our event and get excited!

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Have you noticed a trend with all of the style stories thus far? Yes, all of the women featured so far are amazing and beautiful individuals, but have you noticed an underlying theme here? They're all in the process of finding their individual style! All of their life experiences have led them to where they are with their style, and that's what we love listening to these inspirational women! 

Meet Amanda Haagen, a sophomore studying Marketing at ASU. We had a BLAST styling her over at JcPenney's at Tempe Marketplace, and she was gracious enough to share her style story with us. Check out what she has to say below!!

1.How do you describe your current personal style? Who has influenced you the most in your clothing choices?

My style is very comfortable and fun. When trying to determine whether or not I should get something from a store, I always say, “Do I feel like I could spend the whole day in this?” That usually determines if I’ll wear it later. I love being able to go about my day, whether it be a lazy t-shirt day or a summer dress day, not worrying if it’ll stay up or if my insecure body areas are showing too much. I couldn’t say exactly what my style is, because every day calls for a different look. I like being versatile! One day I’ll want to wear my athletic shorts and a fun t-shirt from a club, one day I’ll want to be business professional and wear a pencil skirt and blouse, or one day I’ll just rock jean shorts and a cute flowy tank-top I got over the summer. The person that inspired me the most was my mother. Even though I have many different sides to my style, my professional side is definitely my favorite because my mom used to work at Ann Taylor and she would bring me clothes from the sale rack and let me wear her new stuff. I just loved the feeling of looking older in nicer clothing and now I continue to enjoy the more professional attire. 

2.When did your ‘style story,’ begin? What was your age and circumstances when you began to shop  for yourself and choose ‘styles for yourself? How did you personally feel about who you were at that stage of life?

When I was in middle school, I was the tallest person in my entire grade including ¾ of my teachers. As you can imagine, I was incredibly insecure about this and just wanted to look nice even though I couldn’t help how tall I was. I tried wearing all of the “cool” clothes that were usually very unflattering on me but I never felt good in them. I felt like I was trying too hard to fit in and I hated it even though I kept doing it all through middle school and the beginning of high school. Throughout high school I was very involved in volleyball both at school and for club and was constantly in athletic clothes. I started realizing that I loved wearing those outfits because I didn’t have to worry about my body or feeling like I fit in because I was an athlete and it shouldn’t matter what I looked like, as long as I got the job done on the court. I still kept my love of nicer clothes alive during home games when we would all dress up and the idea of being able to go from dressed up to being athletic and kick-butt was so cool to me. By junior year I started embracing the idea that I can dress however I need to for the moment and people will still accept me. 

3.What is your favorite personal feature and how do you ‘play it up’ in expressing your personal style?

 My favorite personal feature about myself is my long legs. Since I’m quite tall for a girl (5ft 10in to be exact) I had to learn to love them early on! As a volleyball player, my legs were always very toned and athletic which I prided myself on because not only did they look great, but also they could do the work when it was game time. In order to play them up in expressing my personal style, I love to show them off (in moderation, of course)! Wearing dresses and skirts are always fun because the bright patterns and colors enhance my legs and when I get the chance to wear heels I always love it. I also make sure to keep them in shape by remaining healthy and going to the gym consistently. 

4. Talk about your experiences shopping in boutiques, Malls or on-line clothing ordering? 

I usually never shop in boutiques or buy clothing online because I guess I’ve just had bad luck finding things there. I do, however, shop at malls all the time! When I plan to go out shopping, I always need a list of items I need and separate that from the list of things I might want but don’t need immediately. This helps me focus on what I need to get done on that trip and also helps out my wallet. My list also helps maintain a mission so that I won’t get overwhelmed and distracted by everything I can be looking at in a mall. My typical strategy is 1) go to the stores I know I need things in, 2) once I get to the store go to clearance first, 3) if what I need isn’t in clearance look at the rest of the store, 4) if I have leftover money/time check out the stores I don’t need anything from. I also can’t shop for too long in one day because not only do I get frustrated when I realize that I don’t have enough money, but shopping is exhausting work. 

5. What are one or two items that are hardest for you to shop for, and why do you think that?

Jeans and shoes. Both of these have to do with my height. The problem with jeans, or any kind of pants for that matter, are that when they fit my womanly hips they don’t reach my ankles but when they’re finally long enough I would definitely need a belt. It’s such a struggle! The easiest way to deal with this problem is to look long enough and find a brand that actually works for me. I found my favorite jeans that I currently own at Kohl’s 4 years ago and I still always choose them first. Shoes are a similar problem because the height causes me to have larger feet and I also have wide feet. Depending on the brand and structure of the shoe, I can be a 9 ½ or a 10 or a 10 ½ or an 11, which makes shoe shopping a true task. Once again, the only way to go about this problem is to search for stores that sell what you need. Payless is usually where I get my shoes because not only is it cheap but it has the largest 10+ shoe section that I’ve ever seen in any other store. Even though both of these items were hard for me to find, after getting a system down it’s now much easier and less frustrating shopping for them. 

6. What do you LOVE to shop for? Name a few of your favorite items?

 I am an absolute jewelry and professional attire fanatic. Charming Charlie’s might as well be my favorite place to be besides Disneyland because you can find so many beautiful pieces that are affordable! Earrings and necklaces specifically just make my heart happy because they bring such a fun spin to any outfit and can make a lazy day look a little less like you rolled out of bed. Shopping for business outfits like skirts, blazers, blouses etc. is so great because I get to wear my favorite type of clothing and get pieces that I will get to wear later. It’s basically just a huge game of dress-up where you feel beautiful then get to leave with those clothes! 

7. What do you DISLIKE the most to shop for? Name a few of your least liked items?

 I’m not a fan of shopping for pants or make up. Pants are an issue because it’s hard to shop for my size (as mentioned before) and I just get way too frustrated. Make up costs a lot and I’m not very experimental with what I wear so I always get the same things because they’re reliable. Sometimes I try looking at different kinds of fun things to do with make up like lipstick or eye shadow but usually give up because I don’t know what I would look good in. 

8. When you shop for clothing, how do you feel about your body? What do you think is the most challenging part of your body to dress and why?

Clothing shopping is usually quite frustrating for me. My most insecure part of my body is my love handles since they’re incredibly defined by my womanly hips and it’s hard to hide them. I feel like they’re awkward bumps that distract from my figure because they’re in the middle of my silhouette. When I go to try on anything I always have to check if it’s helping hide my love handles. Shorts can make them look like a muffin top; tight shirts can make them look like mountains; dresses can make me look out of shape. The clothes I feel most confident in are those that help distract the eye from them such as dresses that are structured right under the bust area or flowy shirts that aren’t tight to them. It’s something that I’ve always been insecure about and has definitely helped shape my overall style.

Thank you for sharing your personal style story with us, Amanda. We love how you've grown in your sense of style and we love how you reveal your SELF-WORTH through personal STYLE!!

A BIG thank you goes out to Matt Le Photography for the amazing photos, JCPenneys for the fabulous outfits, and Tempe Marketplace!!

Style Stories: Creative & Original!

We are so excited that we have officially 5 more days until our Sun Devils Wear Prada event on February 6th! Be sure to buy your tickets here and have a blast with your fellow stylish Sun Devils!! Check out this video about our event and be sure to invite your friends!

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Whenever we ask women to contribute their style story, we ask them not to teach, but to tell about their style journey! 

Among these awesome women, there's Kelsey O'meara, a Senior studying Nursing at ASU! She is considered a SOFT in the DCC category and you'll see in the following photos what colors really make her shine! Give her story a read- you may just relate to a few (or all) of the things she has to say about her style journey thus far!

1.How do you describe your current personal style? Who has influenced you the most in your clothing choices? 

Well, I’m definitely a girly girl. If it is pink and has some sparkles on it, I’m all over it! I love soft colors and soft materials. I love clothing items that flow. I’m a dancer, so something about the way clothes move is so aesthetically pleasing to me! I love bows, polka dots, lace trim, and pearls!! And I LOVE dresses. If we’re going with the personal style personalities we talk about in the club, I would probably classify myself as a creative original. Which means I like to add some creativity to my daily outfits. I love to put something together that’s unique! I usually never shop with an exact purpose, which I wouldn’t recommend because it can take forever, but because of that I usually just end up with a lot of different pieces that I like and then in the morning when I’m getting ready, I just throw things together. I love that feeling of putting an outfit together with the things already in my closet because it’s like painting a picture! Alright, we start with this color, add this color over here, some sparkle over there! And if I change one piece, we get an entirely new picture! It’s so fun! I would say that my mom has had such a huge influence on my clothing choices. She’s so naturally beautiful and just so classic. I used to shop with my mom a lot growing up and she was always there with an honest, yet encouraging opinion about the things I tried on. What I love about my mom’s style is that she wears so many different types of outfits and doesn’t just have to fit into one box. She will totally buy the shoes first before she has an outfit to match and I LOVE that! That’s an attitude I definitely incorporate into my shopping now.

2.When did your ‘style story’ begin? What was your age and circumstances when you began to shop for yourself and choose ‘styles for yourself? How did you personally feel about who you were at that stage of life? 

I think my style story started at a very young age. I have always loved clothes and dressing up. I had very strong opinions about clothes since I was little. I remember telling my mom when I was 5 that I absolutely would not wear jeans. They were uncomfortable and I wanted to wear leggings and dresses. As I grew up, not much of that changed! When I started picking out my own clothes, I still continued to be a girlie girl and I chose stores like Limited Too, where everything was pink and sparkly. I remember being self- conscious looking at myself in the dressing room mirror. I remember thinking that my friends were so tiny, so skinny, and after years of dancing, I had all this muscle, and I didn’t look like my friends. Looking back, I think I chose to shop at stores like Limited too because that was were all my friends shopped and I desperately wanted to fit in. The school hallway was like a runway and I wanted to look my best. I definitely tried hard to make myself look like everyone else. I didn’t want to stand out. Even though I loved style, it ended up becoming a battle of sizes in my mind because I wanted to be like all the other girls. 

3. What is your favorite personal feature and how do you ‘play it up’ in expressing your personal style? 

Ok, I really love my hair color. I’ve never dyed it and it’s all natural! I’ve had numerous hairstylist tell me to never dye it because they could never achieve the color through hair dye. So, I really like to do things with my hair! Little braids and twists are my specialty and I’m notorious for just chopping it off. I love what short hair does for a young woman! It has really increased my confidence because short hair isn’t the most popular way to wear your hair these days. For me, it was like taking away a security blanket, but I was thrilled with the results! I feel like it really highlights and draws attention to where I want people to look when I walk into a room: my face! I also really like my cheeks… so I really like blush. 



4. Talk about your experiences shopping in boutiques, Malls or on-line clothing ordering. 

I love shopping in boutiques because you find a lot of one of a kind items that you wouldn’t find anywhere else! They can be a little pricey though. I always head straight for the sale rack though. It’s just my thing. I really like going to the mall too, because you can cover a lot of ground! Since I’m a wanderer and a searcher when it comes to shopping, it’s like my playground! Some stores that I really love that you can usually find in malls are Forever 21, DownEast Basics, Old Navy, and American Eagle. I really also love a good department store. If you haven’t checked out the new, remodeled JCPenney, you definitely need to! I rarely every order anything online. It makes me nervous. I like to try things on before I buy them. 

5. What are one or two items that are hardest for you to shop for, and why do you think that? 

The absolute hardest thing for me to shop for is boots. I’m just going to be real. I have really muscular calves and trying to shove them into boots is probably one of the most frustrating experiences. I can almost never find ones that will fit not only my calves, but a layer of denim as well. For a while, my muscular legs were probably the biggest insecurity I had. I just wanted skinny little legs that would fit into boots and into jeans. Did I mention finding skinny jeans is almost impossible as well? But after hating my legs for so long, I had to take a very realistic inventory. I couldn’t take back all the years that I danced, and I wouldn’t want to! I also couldn’t change my genetics. Both of my parents have muscular calves. I was destined for it. These legs are staying with me so it’s just time to get more creative in the search for boots!  



6. What do you LOVE to shop for? Name a few of your favorite items? 

I love shopping for jewelry and hair accessories! They are so much fun! I feel like accessories add so much to your outfits and speak volumes about your personal style! Buy some scarves, some pearl earrings, and headband!! You can’t have a bad day with those kinds of purchases! I also love shopping for dresses! They just make me so happy and I get so excited about thinking about the first place I’m going to debut a new one! Such a blast! 

7. What do you DISLIKE the most to shop for? Name a few of your least liked items? 

I really don’t like shopping for something specific. Say, I really need a purple shirt for an event. Guess what? I will never find a purple shirt. When I have to be specific, I feel like my creativity is stifled or the store employees just hid all the purple shirts that day. It’s just not fun. I’m also not the biggest fan of pant shopping. I’m short, so they just never fit right. 

8. When you shop for clothing, how do you feel about your body? What do you think is the most challenging part of your body to dress and why? 

I definitely think the lower half of my body is the most difficult part to dress. Short, muscular legs are just the perfect storm for nothing to fit. Pants are too long, too tight, too baggy, too… pretty much anything but perfect! I usually have to hem or roll pants in order for them to fit. There are days I feel great about my body. There are days I also feel awful about my body. I use to beat myself up in my mind when I would look at myself in a mirror. I would point out all the flaws and then just stare at them, wishing they would go away, wishing that things could be different. Over the years though, I’ve realized something. Being a nursing major, I know how important the body is. I know how intricate and incredible the body is. I know that if you have your health and your body is going, you’ve got everything. Our bodies are seriously so amazing and we’ve got to start treating them like that. Now, when I look at myself in a mirror, I think “Be nice”. Most of the crazy, little details that I hate about my body are never going to change and I’m starting to become ok with that. So even on the days when I’m standing in the dressing room trying on item after item and nothings working, I’ve still got to be nice to myself!

Thank you so much for sharing your style story with us, Kelsey. You're absolutely right- we have to be nice to ourselves and our bodies to really be confident with our own style and it'll shine through!

A BIG thank you goes out to Matt Le Photography for the amazing photos, Francesca's for the fabulous outfits, and Dana Park!