Teenage Fashion: An Everyday Outfit

Posted By Andrea Lim in Fashion, Lifestyle, Photography

BreakingModern — This is not haute couture. This is not runway model material. This is not even Anne Hathaway in Devil Wears Prada. High fashion is not my purpose here.

This outfit is for those mornings when you take an extra five minutes in the shower, leaving you only two minutes to get dressed. It’s a style that says you didn’t try too hard, but you weren’t exactly careless, either.

Fashionable and comfortable can coexist, and here’s how.

How Does This Look?

There seem to be three ways people view fashion: with obsession, with confusion and with deliberate ignorance. The variety of reactions that come up when we choose to clothe ourselves makes sense — fashion is a presentation of our personality to the world. Our clothing is similar to whether or not we slouch, cover up acne or choose to speak up in class (or stay safely silent).

Especially during our teenage years, (when we constantly determine how to present ourselves to friends) fashion becomes a key aspect of our individuality. So why is picking an outfit every day such a hassle?

We’ve all spent too long staring at our closets, wondering why it seems like we have nothing to wear. Yet, in reality, most of us have way too much clothing. When we tell ourselves we have nothing to wear, we’re really telling ourselves that we’re at a loss of how to wear clothing that makes us feel fresh, comfortable and confident.

Today’s goal is to alleviate those fears of being judged by what you wear. And, hopefully, to make that decision a little quicker. No more panicked mornings and no more staring endlessly at your closet.

After years of studying color pairings and Pinterst-ing nonstop, I have developed a personal style that is tailored for the everyday fashionable teenager, and I’m here to share it.

Today, and in every future article, I will suggest an outfit that is effortlessly chic-an outfit that is easy and breezy, yet still allows you to walk with confidence throughout your busy day. Affordable, yet classy. In time, outfits will come together seemingly without any effort, and life will be that much more awesome.

So let’s jump right in.

The Scenario:

Today is a typical Californian summer day, which means the sky is a cloudless blue and the temperature won’t break 75 degrees. I’m meeting up with my friend at Peet’s before I start an 8-hour shift at Nordstrom’s, so I need a versatile outfit. It’s got to be casual enough for getting a coffee with friends, comfortable enough for running around fitting rooms all day and professional enough that customers know I’m an employee right away.

The Outfit:

I bust out my slim-fitting cropped Paige jeans from Nordstrom Rack and pair it with one of my Brandy Melville black t-shirts.

These Paige jeans are the softest, most comfortable jeans I’ve ever owned, and thus have been a staple in my outfits all summer long. Plus, since I am petite (the nice word for “short”), these skinny-straight jeans are a better choice than boyfriend jeans, which I believe only extremely tall models with extremely thin thighs could pull off. For normal people like myself (i.e., people who like to eat ice cream), these jeans make my legs look longer and show off the results of all those squats I’ve been forcing myself to do.

The Brandy Melville Quinn shirt is also one of the softest clothing items I have ever owned. I never used to shop at Brandy Melville because the closest store was an hour drive away, but PacSun recently opened a Brandy Melville corner in every store.

This shirt is made of 60% cotton and 40% micromodal, so I assume any shirt that has the same components would be just as soft. The one drawback about Brandy Melville is that most of its items are one size. Luckily for me, I fit into most of their products. But, with this brand it’s a guessing game as to what will fit and what will look like this.

Notice in the photo that I’ve tucked the shirt into the waistband of my jeans, but only along the front. I do so to reveal where my jeans sit on my waist, and to let my brown leather belt peek out. I also tuck in my shirt so that the long-line hem of my shirt doesn’t skew my body proportions by lengthening my torso.

I then layer my casual (yet professional) blazer, also from Nordstrom Rack, over the Quinn shirt. Usually I go for cropped blazers, again because of correct body proportions, but this long-line peach-colored blazer works because I simply tucked in my shirt to reveal my waistline.

Choosing a blazer as a layering piece was a no-brainer because they are the number one way to look professional without giving up comfort. Go for a pastel-colored one instead of the classic black for a more laid-back look.

For shoes, I chose laser-cut, off-white flats so my feet don’t die at work.

These Earth Begonia flats have a cushioned sole and arch support, two important features for my low arches. It’s always important to think ahead about all the activities you will encounter in your day when choosing footwear. No matter how cute those heels are, your feet will not forgive you at the end of your 8-hour shift. Save the 3-inch strappy sandals for a day when you’re on your feet less, and invest in a really comfortable, stylish pair of flats.

To top it all off, I’ve thrown on a gold locket in the shape of a house (there’s little carved rooms and everything!) from Modcloth.

Color-wise, I’ve chosen all solid neutrals that are summery yet polished. Because of the clean palette the black shirt provides me, I can afford to showcase my statement necklace. As an added bonus, the gold accessory warms up the peach blazer and the cream-colored flats.

And voila! I look like a teenager and a responsible adult. My outfit is fashionable, yet comfortable and casual enough for the day. I’m all ready for morning gossip at Peet’s and an afternoon as a cheery salesperson.

For Bmod, I’m Andrea Lim.

All Images: Andrea Lim