Swat Style Snapshot: Philadelphia, PA, Willets
Her Current Outfit:
Guy wears a pair of black boots, well-loved as evidenced by the mismatching shoe-laces and a sizeable hole on the left shoe. Her black skinny jeans with ankle-zip details are from a thrift store. The bold cheetah print sports jacket, also purchased from a thrift shop, has shoulder pads that add structure to the otherwise loose fitting garment. “The raincoat is really crazy compared to the pants so they match together,” Guy said. Underneath the jacket she sports a simple lace camisole from Urban Outfitters. A chunky pendant necklace, a birthday gift from her grandmother, completes her outfit.
How She Describes Her Personal Style:
Although Guy attempts to lay out her clothes the night before, oftentimes her wardrobe choices are made a bit more haphazardly. “I get changed in the dark in the morning because my roommate’s asleep,” she said. Black skinny jeans and garments of dark colors and patterns are staples in Guy’s wardrobe. She stocks up at chain stores such as American Apparel and Urban Outfitters. “I’ve gone into Urban Outfitters wearing very [similar outfits] to what is on the mannequin,” she said. There have been numerous times when these coincidences have occurred, causing Guy to be embarrassed, especially when sales associates take notice. Purchases from thrift stores round out her wardrobe, adding unique and not necessarily trendy pieces. She frequents one thrift store on South Street and Greene Street stores as their wares counter what Guy calls her “generic” clothes. For Guy, aesthetics determines her outfits overall. “Sometimes my clothes are extremely uncomfortable,” she said.
Fashion Influences & Faux Pas:
As a subscriber to Nylon and Rolling Stone, Guy finds style inspiration from magazines. Her style icons vary from musicians to muses, notably Alison Mosshart from The Kills, Mick Jagger and Kate Moss. She also turns to other forms of visual media such the British sci-fi television series “Misfits” and Wes Anderson movies for style cues. Guy appreciates the diversity in personal style at Swarthmore. “I wore [a] uniform in high school so coming here it’s great to see people wearing different clothes,” she said. Pants are an apparently sensitive topic for Guy. “Leggings as pants drives me crazy,” she said. “For guys, it drive me crazy when they wear shorts in the winter.” According to Guy, demonstrating good style is about being yourself. “You can wear super cool clothes but if you’re not comfortable in them you’re not going to put off a good vibe,” she said.
On Parisian Chic:
Guy, who has paternal French heritage, lives in Paris during her summers. Paris, which has no shortage of high-fashion houses, is too expensive of a city for Guy to shop in, so, she limits herself to window-shopping. But the stylish city inspires her to replicate the French aesthetic when she returns home. “My favorite [pastime] is to sit in the cafes and watch people walk by and they’re all so fashionable.” She appreciates the simplicity of the way French women dress, citing skinny jeans, a pretty blouse and a Longchamp bag as the quintessential look of a French girl. According to Guy, French women apply make-up minimally, inspiring her to sport an au naturale look. “I think it looks a lot more natural and I definitely try to do that.”
Do you think you (or a professor) have great style? Then submit a photo of you in your best outfit to sjeong1@swarthmore.edu. Please include your name and contact information.
