Autumnal Edginess

Post 1, here we go. Before I get started, I need to get something off my chest; what is with this weather recently? It is the very end of October and it went into the high 60’s/low 70’s yesterday evening. How is that possible? I’m located in the greater Pittsburgh area, so maybe I’m not used to things around here. Back home, in Northeast PA, we would’ve already had our first snowstorm by now. I’m not complaining; I love warm weather. Warm weather means shorts, sundresses, and tank tops, all things I enjoy. Even if, in late October, I can only wear a pair of shorts for a few hours while it’s still nice enough outside to do so, you can bet I’m going to do it. 

This brings me to today’s entry. While it was nice outside yesterday in the late afternoon, I only had a few minutes to come back to my dorm and change after my back-to-back classes and meetings from 9am-5pm. I had to get to the black box theater for 6:30 to set up chairs for a Halloween show I’m directing. Last night was our dress rehearsal, so it was the last night to iron out any kinks in the show. I needed to wear something that made me feel like a more confident and elevated version of myself, but what? 

I checked the weather and it was 70 degrees, and it would stay in the 60’s until much later that night, so that meant shorts were an option. How could I pass up this opportunity? I grabbed my navy plaid shorts and started to work. Since my shorts have a bow in the front that I wanted exposed, I paired it with a plain black bodysuit. So far, so good. I wanted a jacket to layer on top in case I got cold in the theater or in case I ended up working late and left rehearsal when the temperature dropped drastically. I tried on my jean jacket and felt a little too preppy. My leather jacket would be too hot to wear outside, and a hoodie wouldn’t be dressy enough. I flipped through my outerwear and took a good, long look at my unworn thrifted military jacket. 

I got this jacket over the summer when I visited my boyfriend in Pittsburgh. He’s gotten me more into thrifting since we started dating and on that particular day in late July, he took me to one of his favorite thrift stores. We found some nice stuff for both of us while we wandered through the aisles, and after accumulating a heap of clothes for each of us, we started to wander over to the fitting rooms. I was walking quickly ahead of him so I wouldn’t drop all my stuff, and he called out to me, “Wait a minute, Look at this.”. I turned and he pulled out this jacket from the rack. It was cool and edgy in a way that I normally don’t dress. I humored him and tried it on, and it was surprisingly flattering and comfortable. I didn’t end up getting a whole lot from that store, but I got that jacket for a mere $6!

Since that day, the jacket has been sitting in my closet, unworn. Maybe it’s because I was scared of looking too edgy or maybe it’s because I didn’t know what to wear it with. In any case, I tried the jacket on with my shorts and bodysuit and I was surprised by how much I liked the ensemble. I buttoned two of the middle buttons to give the look some polish, but leave the bow on my shorts exposed. The combination of the shorts with the bow, the  bodysuit, and the jacket balanced out the preppiness of my base with some edge. As an added bonus, the plaid pattern of my shorts with the jacket gave my outfit a punk rock vibe that I normally try to achieve with my combat boots and a denim jacket. All that was left was the accessories.

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Since the patches on the jacket and the plaid pattern on my shorts already make a statement, I didn’t feel moved to add much more to the outfit. I left my titanium studs in my second ear piercings and forewent any earrings in the first piercings. On my right wrist, I kept on the bracelet that my boyfriend gave my last summer because it looks like a delicate chain, which adds to the punk rock aesthetic. On my left hand, I put on my class ring because it matches my other silver jewelry and it makes me feel confident and like I have legitimate credibility. 

Now for shoes: I confess, I may or may not have a shoe problem. My roommate always makes fun of me for the number of shoes I bought to school, but I think I’m justified. Shoes are the icing on the cake of an outfit. They’re that little extra something that tie an outfit together and determine how dressy the outfit is. Since my event last night was a dress rehearsal, I wanted to be a little dressy, so I chose to wear my velvet booties that taper in at the ankle. I love the chunky heel on them because they are easier to walk in than stilettos. The velvet and the silver hardware add some subtle texture and match my jewelry. Practical, comfortable, and stylish: the Holy Trinity of style in my humble opinion.

I decided to leave my hair in a low and loose ponytail because the outfit all together gave me a punk rock and 1960’s look with the ponytail. When you put a lot of work into an outfit, I believe that less can be more when it comes to hair. It depends on the look you’re going for.

For makeup, I used my sparkly purple liner on my lower eyelids, some subtle brown eye shadow, and some liquid liner on my upper eyelids. I usually like to wing my liner, and I think it worked here.

And there you have it! With an unconventional twist, a basic preppy outfit became a punk rock outfit with a 1960s twist. If you’re curious, I felt awesome in this. I felt like I had the power and confidence to be the authoritative boss lady I needed to be at rehearsal. 

Would I wear this outfit again? Absolutely. One of my actors shared a picture of me on her Instagram story during rehearsal and I shared it to mine. I got a decent amount of compliments, and of course one of them came from my boyfriend. I thanked him for picking out the jacket for me and told him I need to let him pick stuff out for me more often. I guess that’s the moral of this story. Sometimes our loved ones see good things in us that we don’t always see in ourselves. What would happen if we found a way to embody those qualities, even for a little while? It might sound silly, but I think style, self-care, exercise, prayer/meditation, a combination of those things, or whatever makes you feel good can do that. Who would’ve thought that something as simple as a $6 jacket could make you into an elevated version of yourself?

Want to create this look for yourself? Start with a black bodysuit. I used one I bought last spring from American Eagle. It’s sometimes hard to find a good bodysuit that isn’t see-through, and I’ve found American Eagle’s to be reliable and comfortable. Mine has t-shirt sleeves, but you can easily use a long-sleeve or tank-top style. Click here for a tank top version and here for a long-sleeved version. Plus, these bodysuits are on sale right now, so why not take advantage of that?

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My shorts were also from American Eagle. They are no longer available online, (but if you really scour the clearance racks, who knows?) but these are on currently on sale at American Eagle and they would both achieve this look. The yellow shorts scream 1960’s to me and the denim ones with the bodysuit and an army jacket would sell the punk aesthetic.

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Next is the army jacket. If you can’t thrift one, there are plenty of places to get one. You can purchase one with a camo pattern on it, but I prefer the plain olive green because camo mixed with plaid would be much too busy pattern-wise. Ideally for this look, you’re looking for a plain jacket, perhaps with patches, that is either a little large or tapers in a bit at the waist. Yes, that was a contradiction, but it all depends on how you want to feel. If you get a jacket with no patches at all, you can add your own for a personalized look. For example, this vintage jacket is a little darker and more tailored while this one looks like a looser fit.

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To finish off this look, add either black combat boots or black booties. You can even wear black sneakers or Converse. If you want, you can also add black tights if you want a little more coverage. The important thing is that the outfit is comfortable, practical, and and confidence-building for you.

See you next week, fellow self-stylists!