THE SCRAPBOOK: A Journey to Finding My Style

Visual Art by Genka M.

For those who got it, got it. I am not one of them. This is something I had to learn.

If it’s one thing I’m good at, it’s studying, organizing and mastering an art. Fashion and styling are an art. My wardrobe became a puzzle to me: putting clothing pieces together, removing items that didn’t belong or no longer fit my aesthetic.

And when I’m focused on something… oh, it’s tunnel vision.

Growing up, I was never given the freedom of expression to choose the clothes I wanted to wear. I never got to explore or try new things to see what I liked and what best complimented me. Whatever I was given to wear was what I wore — and that was that.

This robbed me of any real care about fashion, but as I know now — how you present yourself truly does matter. As shallow as this world can be, first impressions are everything. We judge people by what they put on their bodies, no matter what's beneath the surface. This was a reality I needed to come to terms with.

So, I created this scrapbook — just like I did for my beauty goals —to put my desired style direction into perspective. It was fun to put together and will continue to be my guide until I have the wardrobe of my dreams.

As of right now, I like to think that my style is a compilation of trends that I fell in love with, whether they are currently in or out of style. The way I see it is: if something looked good to me then and still does, why wait until it's popular again to wear it?

It’s not about trendy looks and expensive clothes, but about what looks good and feels good — what makes you feel beautiful on the inside. I’ve realized that when my style was off, I wasn’t my best self and that’s something that needed to change. I wanted to get this right, I had to get this right.

My ultimate goal in everything I wear is to look chic and well put together. I like to switch things up — incorporating street, casual, and formal styles, sometimes seamlessly blending them. The ability to be comfortable, cute and look effortless while doing it has always been something I admired in people who just got it, even when I didn’t. I've adopted the mindset that less is indeed more.

For me, this is an art that will take time to master, but I’m excited for what the outcome holds.

Stay tuned,

styling mistakes I made in the past

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