Is it just me or does it seem like everyone on TikTok who moved to New York spontaneously got a sense of style the minute they got there? Well, as we learned from Glee, you’re only a true New Yorker once you’ve had your first makeover.
The city celebrates individuality more than other places, allowing New Yorkers to fully express who they are, and while it may seem spontaneous, it’s a process.
While I wish I could move to the Upper East Side and hang out on the Met steps with Blair and the gang, I have to go to college classes. The place where you fit in more if you show up in pajamas than if you show up in jeans.
It can seem daunting to dress how you would like, and you may not even know where to start. Well, all you need is a little bit of courage and a lot of my advice.
{RELATED POST: How to Boost Your Fashion Confidence & Start Wearing What You Want, Today}
So, here are a few steps that will get you taking more fashion risks, even if you aren’t living in fabulous NYC:
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Focus on accessories first
It’s all about baby steps, and that’s a great place to start, your shoes. Or any accessory, for that matter.
Try out the go-go boot trend or the new ’90s bags in 2020’s color: lime (which I think says plenty about how this year is going).
Accessories are so much easier to blend in with your preexisting wardrobe. And trust me, it’s like adrenaline, every time you get some, you’ll want more.
So, no, those ’70s pink cat-eye sunglasses you’re crushing on won’t make you look exactly like Gigi Hadid, but they are a start in you looking like your true self.
Also Read: How to Follow Anna Wintour’s Rules of Style
Pick one trend per season
Twice per year we are gifted with fashion shows. With those come articles about the upcoming trends, which are, let’s be honest, what everyone actually pays attention to (like our own, here at CF).
Fashion risks are often tied to new trends that haven’t yet gone mainstream, so challenge yourself every season to pick one trend you love and take that risk.
I honestly doubt you’ll want to stop at one. With all the compliments and copy cats, you’re gonna become a fashion risk fanatic.
Buy from thrift stores
If you live at Brandy Melville, you’ll look like every girl in America. So to dress differently, you have to shop differently.
While you can always look at less mainstream stores, thrift stores are the key place to find standout pieces that are also unique.
Don’t expect to find a $500 jacket for $5 a la Brit Robertson playing Sophia Amoruso in Girlboss, though. (Does anyone get that reference? Or am I the only person who watched that?) You’re setting yourself up for disappointment.
Truth is, the odds are that most of what you will find are clothes that belong to a J.Crew catalog from 2005, but trust me, you will find some really cool things too.
DIY/upcycle your old clothes
Quarantine has really sparked the Etsy creator within pretty much everyone. And for every new upcycle idea, there are 100 aspiring influencers that made a video on how to do it yourself.
Most upcycling projects require very few materials, probably some you already have at home.
Will it look like a masterpiece? I mean, if you have as much talent as I do, probably not… but the goal isn’t perfection, it’s personality.
By trying out some of these ideas, in no time you will be starting your own trends that other people will be trying as fashion risks.
Taking fashion risks doesn’t mean dressing up like Kim Kardashian at the supermarket, it’s all about increasing your risks so maybe one day you’re as high fashion as Kim K at a gas station. (At least, one can hope.)
What fashion risk do you want to take?
What tip are you going to try first to take more fashion risks? What tip do you have to take more fashion risks? Let us know!