WRITTEN BY SHARRA GREENE | PHOTOS BY MONICA KRYSTEL ROSE
Growing up, one of my guilty pleasures was (and still is) watching reality tv shows with my mom and sis. And as crazy as it may seem, my favorite part about it isn’t even the drama and crazy storylines that most of us watch reality tv for in the first place. I mean, obviously that’s what initially sparked my interest. But after a while, I realized my favorite part really is looking at all of the looks the people on the shows wear, and having side convos with my fam about what we liked and what we didn’t like, who we thought always dressed well (and who we thought needed MUCH help), along with how we would’ve worn or not worn certain things differently.
Difference in perspective is what makes fashion culture so interesting. What I think is fly is not necessarily what someone else may think is, and vice versa. And to be honest, without us all having different tastes, fashion would be really boring and uninteresting. Personal style is what makes all the difference. That’s why I always encourage my fam, friends, and even my clients to always stay true to themselves, despite what may or may not be currently “in fashion”. It’s cool to incorporate trendy pieces but it’s so much more important to wear pieces that speak to who you are because you never know how your unique take on something could inspire someone else, which is inherently what keeps the culture moving forward and what keeps us all on our toes.
Shop the Look: I am wearing a Naked Wardrobe bodysuit, faux suede thigh slit maxi skirt & studded jacket from Akira, Lemon Drop by Privileged feather boots, House of Rehab runway bag, Nasty Gal “babygirl” earrings, Forever 21 ring bundle.
I wore this look while I ran around NYC during fashion week, catching shows. After a show, I stopped in Chipotle to eat and charge my phone. As I was scrolling away, a lady came rushing in and came up to my table, telling me how much she looved my outfit and asking me where I got my jacket and boots (shop the look above). She mentioned how she would’ve worn the jacket with a matching gold skirt instead. As I explained to her how I always like to add an unexpected element into my fits, it sparked a dope convo and we ended up talking for an hour about how we as women use personal style to express ourselves and how our style usually evolves as we enter different chapters in our lives.
It made me think about how something as expressive and fun for us should never just be limited to what’s “on trend” and what’s not. With everything from top designers to social media and fast fashion factories selling us an image day after day, it’s easy to get caught up in what’s poppin’ and what’s played, losing our sense of individuality. But as exciting as it is to study trends as they come and go, at the end of the day, I gotta be me… you gotta be you. Never let a temporary wave keep you from serving a look that’s authentically YOU. Our different points of view when it comes to style are so necessary.