#OOTD
- Alena Black
- Aug 5, 2019
- 11 min read
So when asking for some ideas for my blog, outfit inspiration and where I like to shop came up. Since it is starting to be back to school season anyways, I decided to kick off my Back-To-School Posts with getting a new wardrobe for the new year. I don't really consider myself fashion forward. Apparently a lot of my friends do cause they always ask me my opinion on their clothes, but I mean, I literally wore only Lululemon in middle school (if you know, you know). Anyways, I thought I would do what was requested but a twist and turn it into style advice based on my experience of finding my own style.
As to why I am writing this now, I honestly love back to school shopping because it is for my favorite season. Fall. I have found that I really hate hot weather and often don't feel comfortable in summer clothes. With fall clothes, I can be bundled up and layer on colder days, but still get away with t-shirts and jeans. Anyone else like fall better than summer???
In this post, I am going to share with you how to find your style, where I get outfit inspo, where I shop for various pieces! Enjoy!
Finding My Style
Middle School: It took me a longgggggg time to figure out what my style was. It changed a lot while I was in middle and high school. Well, in my opinion it did. In middle school, since I was a dancer, I would often wear athletic clothes. Hence the Lululemon 24/7. I was the girl who wore Lululemon headbands with a Abercrombie & Fitch Jacket with a black vest, black leggings, and UGG boots. Basic. I know. But it was comfortable, and it was the "trend". I felt cool wearing what I wore. Looking back, I laugh.
Freshman/Sophomore Year: My first two years of high school, I changed my fashion a little bit. This was about the time where I decided I didn't like my mom buying me clothes and that I wanted to buy my own clothes. This meant that I had to save up so I could spend it on what I wanted. Because of this, I didn't have a ton of NEW things to wear, but my style did change. I mean, I was in high school now and wanted to impress the boys right? So I put a little more effort into my appearance. This was also the year I finally started doing my eyebrows too. Thank goodness. I was still in dance and it translated. I often would wear pretty girly tops. Form fitting, lace, chiffon. I was a fan of showing girly Alena. This was also about the time that I got SUPER into the show The Vampire Diaries (still OBSESSED) and attempted to dress up like they do in the show. Aka leather jackets, a little bolder makeup, dark boots and jeans, and a pop of lace or color in the top. TBH my style is still sort of inspired by that show. But, back then, those outfits could have been better.
Junior year: I no longer was dancing but I had become a cheerleader. Because of this, we often had to wear our uniforms on Fridays for games, and all of the cheer stuff was pretty dang comfy. So, my style was still pretty girly sometimes, but often I would wear sweatshirts for comfort. I had no need to dress up everyday. I had no one in particular to impress. These were the years I got super into makeup. I spent more money on makeup than clothes and kind of lost my desire to do much with my closet. There were definitely days that I went to school with a full face of GLAM makeup and was in leggings and a sweatshirt. Balance was not my forte at this point.
Senior year: I wasn't at my high school for school. I went to a community college to get transfer credits. I was still a cheerleader though. So, to school, I would like not dress up AT ALL. I would go straight from cheer practice to school and then straight to the gym. I felt no need to look nice at school. But, this was also the year I started working at Old Navy. So after the gym, I would go home and shower and get ready to go to work. This is when I actually did try again with my wardrobe. At Old Navy, you're not really supposed to wear leggings, so I was forced to actually put outfits together. The employee discount was also great for stocking up on some hidden gems. It was also around then that I realized I was still wearing some clothes I had in middle school. I was literally almost the same size as I was in middle school....wow. Senior year, and especially the summer, I got motivation to change my closet for college and update my look. Throughout summer I searched for things to change up my look. I got a lot of cute pants and dresses and sweaters for the upcoming school year. Pretty proud of myself for getting rid of a ton of clothes too. I had a lot of clothes that I just wore once and never again, so I decided to clean out my closet to start fresh.
College: I have come to know my style a little bit better. There are still MANY days where I only wear leggings and a sweatshirt, but in general my friends have described my style as "preppy and put together with a bit of an edge". Whatever that means. I'll try to explain it in the best possible way. A lot of my clothes are darker, jewel tone colors and a LOT of black. I usually wear skinny jeans with a nice loose sweater, or a form fitting top tucked in with a belt or jacket. My black booties are a STAPLE in the fall, and my makeup is always done. I have no idea if that gave you a picture of what I mean, but I'll put some pictures in so you can see what I mean. I am still trying to find my summer style, but as for fall and winter, I got it down. I know what I like, what makes me confident, and what makes me look the best.
To help you find you own style, I suggest just taking a look in your closet, figure out what colors you have gravitated towards, mine being darker ones, and then look at your body shape and decide what looks best on you. After that, it is honestly a matter of trial and error with different styles you like from your inspiration. I went from Lululemon girl, to girly girl, to preppy but edgy! Pretty different. And honestly, changing your style doesn't mean you need to change your entire wardrobe. I still have some clothes from Freshman year just because they are staples. The cool thing about clothes is that they can change depending on how you style it! Don't be afraid to branch out a bit.
Outfit Inspiration
So as I said before, The Vampire Diaries is once place I get my inspiration from. The characters have a more put together look that includes a lot of darker colors which is exactly my style. I highly recommend seeing if you like a style in a TV show or movie.They have professional stylists who keep track of trends and pay attention to character personalities. Why not take some notes from them? But apart from TV shows, I also get my inspiration from a lot of other places.
Pinterest and Instagram: Hubs for inspiration of all sorts. Not just fashion. You can easily see what trends are in and how people are putting outfits together. Pinterest is great because you can look up outfits for specific pieces. Say you want an outfit with a plaid blazer. Simple type "plaid blazer outfit" and hundreds of pins will pop up. With Instagram, I really enjoy following some of my favorite Instagram Influencers to draw inspo from. Two of my favorites are @tesschristine and @summersheekey.
Celebrities: Blackpink's Lisa (@lalalalisa_m), The Vampire Diaries Nina Dobrev (@nina), Zendaya (@zendaya), and VS Angel Josephine Skriver (@josephineskriver). I love the style that all these girls have. Even though it is not necessarily mine, I love looking at how confident they are in their outfits and I love elements about each one. I often use elements that they use in their outfits within my own outfits or I "channel" their swag when wearing similar outfits. Confidence is key when it comes to fashion and these celebrities have PLENTY of it.
YouTube: Of course another big place to get inspiration. There are so many outfit lookbooks for every occasion, season, and event you could ever think of. A couple YouTubers I recommend are bestdressed, Tess Christine, MissAlex, Nava Rose, Freddy My Love and Haley's Corner. Within those 5 channels, there are a variety of styles and trends so you are sure to find one you like.
The mall: Those are all online places to find inspiration, but another way is to just go to a mall and see what stores you gravitate towards. With all these stores there is inspo everywhere. Their Instagram posts, models, and mannequins. They are also all specifically stylized to draw people in. So take advantage of the already curated outfits.
Where I Shop
As to where I shop, it really varies. I go into like every store in the mall when I shop. When I am in the mood to shop, I am IN THE MOOD TO SHOP. So, I separated this portion into a couple sections to help you navigate to what you might be interested in.
Casual: H&M, Express, Zara, Nike, Lululemon, American Eagle, Tommy Hilfiger, Nordstrom Rack
Ok. So with casual dress, I don't really have a specific store I go to to find clothes. I often just shop around. I buy my jeans at American Eagle and I have quite a few pants from H&M. Zara makes great quality pieces so when the price is right, I enjoy them. Nike and Lululemon are great for athlesiure and sportswear. I am a huge fan of Tommy Hilfiger right now. Not really sure why, but I am. I am not really picky, but these are just a couple places I make sure to go into when I go to the mall. I think as of recently, I have spent the most money at H&M just because their clothes are cheap and their sizing and style fits me pretty well.
High End Brand Names: Rebecca Minkoff, Chanel, YSL, DIOR,
Not that I shop high end brands because I am a poor college student, but these are ones that I like. Ha
Boutiques: Bohme
I honestly gear away from boutiques here in Utah. Washington doesn't have many, but Utah is FULL of them. I just don't love the style. I have bought a couple things from Bohme, but other places are just not my cup of tea. I find that their products usually don't end up fitting me or looking good on me. A lot of people love the boutiques here though so don't let me stop you from going there if that is your style.
Shoes: Vans, Nike, Nordstrom Rack, DSW
Shoes I just buy them anywhere that is cheapest honestly. I am pretty basic with shoes and buy what is on trend usually. When looking for shoes though, I look at how it will match with my outfits, and if its a heel, I look at the height. I am pretty good at walking in heels and don't get uncomfortable, but I am 5'10. I don't need or want to be taller than 6'2 very often...
Shoes/Bags/Accessories: Nordstrom Rack, Target
Now I rarely buy accessories, but I am trying to update my collection of jewelry so, for this I actually need YOUR help. I want to find some jewelry that is higher quality than Forever 21 and Target but still isn't crazy expensive. If you're trying to find a brand name bag for a fraction of the cost, Nordstrom Rack has some amazing bags. I got my two favorite Rebecca Minkoff bags from there, and one of them had been discontinued right before I found it in Nordstrom Rack! I was actually so happy. Target also has some super cute bags too. They have really updated their clothing and accessory sections in the past couple years, so take advantage.
Outlets: Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Lululemon, Nike, Kate Spade
In both Washington and Utah, I was able to find outlet malls that are actually pretty good. My favorite would still be the Washington Seattle Premium Outlets, but Utah's aren't bad. Outlet malls have a lot of popular brands like Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, and Calvin Klein for a lot cheaper prices. There is almost always a sale happening at the outlets. I really like the Seattle outlets because they have a Lululemon outlet store, and a Kate Spade store. These are brands that RARELY have sales or discounted items, so this outlet is amazing to go to. I go at least once a year just to check out what they have. Highly recommend to go to an outlet mall before going back to school.
Thrifting: Savers, Deseret Industries, Consignment Stores
I actually sometimes really like thrifting. I really have to be in the mood for it since it takes a lot more time and effort, but it's fun to go with friends. There are two types of thrift stores you should look into. First would be Donation Centers like Savers, Goodwill, and DI. These places will take anything you donate. Here I often find lots of cool T shirts or crazy patterned items. Usually the items are old, out of date, or possibly damaged, but sometimes that can be what you are looking for. I don't usually find too much other than T shirts at these places. But, in Washington, not so much in Utah, there were quite a few consignment stores that I really liked to go to. These stores take items that are less worn or brand name and pay you for donating them. These stores will have more trendy items or items that are more expensive and worth more like Lululemon, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, etc. They tend to have a higher price than donation centers, but still, their prices are amazing in comparison to regular stores. I could do a whole other post on consignment stores.
Warehouse Sales: Boutiques, Threadwallet
Since being here in Utah, I have been to quite a few warehouse sales. A lot of boutiques and smaller companies tend to do them here. Warehouse sales are pretty fun actually. They have a ton of product at discounted prices. The main struggle is A) finding out about them, and B) trying on the clothing. I find out about most warehouse sales on Instagram or Facebook. They are often heavily advertised to the local demographics on social media. The stores want to get rid of product, so they know that local is the best bet. Regarding the clothing itself, most warehouse sales are final sale, so you need to be sure about what you are buying. Most people will just start trying on clothing over their clothes in a corner of the warehouse. I highly suggest doing that. So, wear tight fitted clothing that will allow you to still see how the items will look on you. You also want to make sure you are early because warehouse sales are a lot busier than you would expect.
Online: Princess Polly, shein, missguided, ASOS
To be honest, I don't really like shopping online. I just don't like shipping costs or return costs. I am often in between sizes, so I like to be sure that what I buy will fit me. But, here are a couple online stores that I like to look at and often find cute clothing that I would buy if I did buy online. Most of these all have coupon codes you will be able to find online if you look too.
Speaking of coupons, this is not sponsored, I wish, but when I do shop online, I often use Honey to help. Honey is a free browser extension for computers. It allows you to make lists to keep track of what items you want to keep an eye on, automatically finds the best deals and coupons for you, and even can send you emails and notifications when prices for your items change. I really like it because it is so easy to use and it helps me get the best deal for things that I want to buy.
In general, I feel like shopping for the perfect outfit and style is a lot of trial and error. It has taken me a while to figure out what I like and what I don't. I have found that "trendy teenage fashion" is not my style at all. I don't enjoy Urban Outfitters or Brandy Melville. I love the style on other people, but through testing it out for myself, I know that it does not make me confident or happy. Your style should make you feel like the queen that you are. It should give you confidence and make you feel comfortable with yourself. Never compromise your self-confidence for trends or what is popular. You do you and don't let anyone else tell you how to do it.
I'm excited to see your style show this upcoming school year! Be sure to follow me on Instagram and comment what stores you like to shop at, what your style is, and what inspires your style! I would love to know! Tune in next week for some Back-To-School Extra Must Haves to find out some things you never knew you needed for school.
XO
Alena
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