Dare to Be Different

Dare to be different. That’s what we all strive to do. And in such an accepting society, we can do so. Then why, are we lowering our fashion to plain and casual? I don’t go one minute on the street with out seeing 10 people decked out in what appears to be Hollister/Abercrombie/TNA/etc clothing. It is all the same! I understand it may be hard for some to walk outside in platform heels or a cheetah print jacket, shoulder pads, or crazy polka dots (please don’t wear all those together!). So I have compiled a list of some risks that you should keep in mind, next time you’re at the mall. Once you take more risks with your wardrobe, you will see how fun it is! I’m an example of this. Shoulder pads and prints no longer scare me. Sure I’ll have the occasional “miss”, but for the most part I couldn’t be happier at where I am with fashion at the moment. So here goes:

Coloured Bottoms
 Beginner: An “off Neutral” colour, such as yellow, or blue in a short.
 Advanced: Go for full out coloured pants! Try them in a red or neon. At this point, the sky is the limit. Experiment with leg warmers, leggings and so on, but all in crazy colours!

Floral
 Beginner: Start off slow with a scarf or bag, but work your way up to a shirt covered with a plain jacket and denim.
 Advanced: Get right up there with a jacket, or a dress in an obvious floral. Don’t skip Beginner for this one, as floral is a delicate fabric and can turn on you easily.

Shoulder Pads
 Beginner: Shoulder Pads give your silhouette a defined shape. Begin small with hidden ones in a jacket.
 Advanced: Colour, lace, and embroider those shoulders; anything a little girl would want, throw them on!

Stripes
 Beginner: Thin stripes of white and a blue, or yellow will tone down the boldness of the design. The less contrast between colours, and the thinner the stripes, the less “out-there” it will seem.
 Advanced: Basically do the opposite of the “Beginners”, by increasing the contrast and width apart. Take it to the next level by putting those stripes on something other than a shirt…such as a dress (the very thought of it excites me!)

Military
 Beginner: Military now comes in a convenient hoodie. Check them out at H&M, Forever21 and even Old Navy and the likes are adapting this trend into casual wear.
 Advanced: Hit the mall to get the design in satin or leather and dress it up with sequins.

So now you have somewhere to start, see what you can do with these other trends!
Studs
 Tweed
 Sequins
 High Waist

So in a nut shell, here are some general guidelines for going crazy! Go for contrast, bright colours, funky shapes but don’t do things just for attention.

I Dare You!