In Vogue

Among the daily sights and sounds that bombard my senses, I appreciate (and slightly envy) the beautiful, stylish men and women who inhabit this great city. During one of our orientation sessions back at Stanford, our student advisors gently warned us that people in Europe dress, well, better than most Americans. In order to avoid looking painfully touristy, we should minimize the frequency with which we wear jeans, hoodies, and workout attire in public. Oh, and those Rainbow flip flops that Stanford students seem to live in year-round? Better stow those away now because no one will ever be caught dead wearing such casual footwear in public.

For most, these dress norms require some adaptation but are of no real inconvenience. But for others - myself included - this discussion of American vs. European style prompted a series of thoughts like "Crap, my closet just shrunk to half it's size," "I can't wear my Rainbows?! Now I have to buy 'real' shoes." and "Now that I think of it, I can't remember the last time I didn't wear jeans, a hoodie, or workout clothes..."

Obviously I am slightly exaggerating, but it really was a point I personally had to address. I'll be the first to admit I have no style whatsoever. I still remember a particular day sophomore year when I put significant thought into my outfit, my then-boyfriend took note and said (I quote) "You know, you dress better than you used to." I wasn't sure whether to  take it as a compliment or an insult, mostly because this was a person who had less interest in his personal style than anyone else I knew. If after a year of knowing each other, not to mention a year of trying to impress him with good looks, one outfit was deemed only good enough to be called "better," then I clearly must look like a buffoon to the normal world.

Thankfully, I had a beautiful and stylish roommate at Stanford in the fall to prepare me for the world of European style. This is a woman who wore more dresses, cardigans, and silk blouses in one week than I probably did all quarter long. She is most likely the best-dressed female undergrad Mechanical Engineer at Stanford, so basically all I needed to learn about style was living in the same room with me. I definitely became much more aware of my own appearance, but I really only feel my style improved slightly throughout the course of the quarter. I lack the natural insight into the way clothes look and how different pieces fit together which is necessary to be truly fashionable.

Now I try to draw inspiration from the women I encounter on the streets. I see boots and scarves and bold colors that I feel I would have the courage to try. But after trying on a series of trendy pumps and boots that I have seen to be quite popular among women right now, I realize that ultimately I can't try to make that style my style. This means I may lose the edge that comes with flashy clothes or those new trendy shoes, but I like to think its a "timeless" look (or at least "hey, I'm trying"). I'm sure that at some point between now and June I'll find a way to dress less American than I do now.

(As long as I don't look like this ^^ I think I'm ok)