I went through a lot of changes this year one of them having a lot to do with my style as an individual. I returned to New York in 2016 after so many years of schooling in Ghana. I had spent most of the past 8 years wearing school uniforms so much that I did not know how to dress when I wasn't in a school uniform. I will admit and believe me I am in no way exaggerating, I suffered (okay I might have exaggerated a little bit there hehe). But honestly I struggled with my style a bit.
Being a young muslim woman from a society that judged and awarded respect to people based on their appearances, I was expected to dress a certain way. My clothes were expected to be very decent and not tight fitting. The arms of my clothing were supposed to be long. My neck was not supposed to show. I was a very enthusiatic person and I liked to have my clothes reflect my personality. Fun, colorful, trendy but timeless. Unfortunately, I had a hard time finding clothes that suited my style. If they were decent, they were too dark. If they were colorful the way I liked them, they were tight fitting and too indecent. If I had a penny for every time my mother called me out on my clothing for being too indecent, I'd be rich. Filthy rich. Rich enough to buy Microsoft (okay Kaya you're exaggerating again). I was stuck wearing dark colors for a bit before I tried to copy my sisters style. It. Was. Frustrating.
Tip: Never try to copy someones style. You can be inspired by someones style but never try to copy it to the letter. It will backfire.
I did exactly that (copied my sister). It backfired in so many ways. I was trying to look younger but I ended up looking older than I intended to. Also, I was more of a jeans person and she was more of a skirt person. At the end of the day, I finally found clothes that suited my style (two years later). I found a loophole to wear colorful clothes and my skinny jeans (I matched those with tunics) and my mother got used to my style (after a few more "That's indecent ummi!"). It was a win win for everyone. I know like everything else, my style will continue to evolve and I will continue to discover more things that suit me.
How did you find your style? What are some of the things that make up your wardrobe? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section!
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