The Style Syllabus: A Guide to the Essentials

Do you ever feel like your closet is so cluttered you can't even get dressed. This easy read will cut 20 minutes off your morning routine.

If you are anything like me picking out an outfit in the morning is a four-credit course. It’s not as simple as pulling out a pair of pants and a T-shirt and calling it a day. Opening my closet is like solving a color-coordinated puzzle with no correct answer. Every shirt has 12 different possible bottoms to be paired with and each bottom has 12 tops, and lets not even mention shoes and accessories. When I’m really in a frenzy I know I can always fall back on my keystone pieces: my favorite wide-leg Zara jeans and a cropped black tank top with my go-to Doc Martens. Not only do these pieces add value by alleviating my stress, but they remain timeless in my everyday wardrobe. While being fashionable may seem like a full-time job, that is all just perception. After all, who’s to judge what is right and wrong in the world of style? In the words of Paris Hilton-

"The only rule is don't be boring and dress cute wherever you go. Life is too short to blend in."

So as much as I would love to take this time to critique every fashion trend that comes through the door from gaudy sunglasses to the unforeseen resurgence of crocs, I figured it would be more worthwhile to start off my blogging career with a twist on the traditional bible- a rule book for the ensemble-y challenged.

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Here are 5 essentials to get you through your next wardrobe malfunction

JEANS THAT FLATTER YOUR FIGURE

Cliche as it may sound, you can never go wrong with the right pair of jeans. While a pair of pants could be the best thing since sliced bread if they don’t work for your body you won’t feel confident. After all, Ellen said it best- “You’re never too old to play. You’re only too old for low-rise jeans”. So while low-rise boot-cut jeans may be all the rage right now and it feels like you are being consumed by external influences sprawled across your Instagram feed, they may not be for everyone, and that is okay. There is nothing wrong with rocking a pair of skinny jeans. While I’m not saying you can’t switch it once in a while with some fun leather pants or festive denim, don’t be too quick to ignore those old reliables. Embrace your individual differences and be confident in clothes that make you feel like your best self.

WHITE SNEAKERS

Open any teenage girl’s wardrobe and you are bound to find at least one pair of white sneakers...or for shopping addicts such as myself, a million variations of the white shoe. These shoes deserve a medal for the amount of wear and tear they get from the everyday wardrobe. Utilitarian motivation to purchase this product is so high that every major shoe brand wants a piece of the white sneaker pie. Not just functional but fashion forward too there is a style for all individuals. Air force ones, Converse, Stan Smith, Golden Goose, Adidas… the list is endless. Each product has its own brand personality specific to its target market, ultimately enabling the field of white shoes to grow faster than the line for mall Santa on Christmas.

BASIC BLACK TOP

I can confidently say that I have never gone wrong with a black tank. If you are looking for an essential item that will go with just about anything you want to wear, a black top is the purchase to make. The key to this step is finding the right top for your lifestyle. Whether you’re looking for a comfortable and appropriate top for class or a light workout top, this product will add immense value to your wardrobe. So while that pink cropped top may be getting more involuntary attention than the “boring” black tank top in the back of the store think back to the last time you said you wished you had a plain shirt that went with your outfit and top off your receipt with this closet essential.

CLAW CLIP FOR A LOOK ON THE GO

Even though it took me a while to get on the claw clip bandwagon, it may be my favorite accessory that I have picked up this past year. After constant ponytail crimps in my hair, I had a Zero moment of truth and knew it was time for a change. It’s amazing how much value this $5 piece of plastic can add to your daily look. Just got back from the gym? Grab a claw clip. Woke up having a bad hair day? Grab a claw clip. Don’t have time to do your hair for work? Easy. Grab a claw clip. I know personally, it was a bit daunting at first after watching girls with luscious locks make it look so effortless. After trial and error though, it is clear that this clip can do the job for just about any hair length and mediates the stress of fixing your frizz in each mirror you get the chance to glance in. So don’t fret about the post-purchase regret, because you are bound to make this clip a routine purchase.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlJBIirXGCU

EASY GOLD HOOPS

Gold hoops have become such a staple to my wardrobe that I almost forget to take them off before I go to sleep. Whether I’m in need of an understated accessory or a simple sparkle to pull my look together, I know I can rely on a pair of small gold hoops to give me a little more class. Wanna wear sweatpants to class and not look like you just rolled out of bed, a pair of gold hoops can do the trick. Now I’m not saying you need to break the bank on a pair of hoops that will last a lifetime, luckily amazon is always up with affordable trends. So take advantage of the ability to amp up your every day look.

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While I am an avid connoisseur of festive clothing, I have recently come to realize the importance of having a few staple items. Time and time again I find myself ignoring value consciousness and purchasing extravagant clothing that hangs with the tag in my closet until the proper occasion finally comes around to wear them. It wasn’t until I was packing for college this year that I realized just how little time I had given to finding those essential pieces. A wise woman (known as my mother) recently told me that you should only spend as much on an item as the value you will get out of it. That being said it may be to ditch the one-time wears and start investing in the classics.

XX,

Maddie

Word count: 1090

Value-added pieces: Quote and GIF from Paris Hilton, Video on styling Claw Clip, Image from Pinterest

Citations:

Babin, B. J., & Harris, E. G. (2018). CB: Consumer Behavior: 8th Edition. Book. Cengage Learning.

Duhigg, C. (2014). The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. New

York: Random House Trade Paperbacks.

Links to Non-Owned Images/Videos:

Pinterest photo→ "https://assets.pinterest.com/ext/embed.html?id=569916527853419692" height="336" width="236" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" ></iframe>

Youtube video --> https://youtu.be/LlJBIirXGCU

CB Concepts:

Perception: a consumer’s awareness and interpretation of reality

Individual Differences: characteristic traits of individuals, including demographics, personality, and lifestyle which influence the way consumers react emotionally and react to emotions in a consumption situation.

Lifestyle: The ways consumers live and spend their time and money.also known as context specific personality traits

Utilitarian Motivation: drive to acquire products that can be used to accomplish something

Involuntary Attention: attention that is autonomic or beyond the conscious control of a consumer

Zero Moment of Truth: The point when a shopper moves from passive to active and seeks out exchange alternatives.

Brand Personality: human characteristics that can be associated with a brand

Target Market: identified segment or segments of a market that a company serves