So for those of you who don't know about her, Safiya Nygaard is a youtuber who makes a lot of experimental videos, such as melting lipsticks together, buying from questionable online brands, and trying fashions that aren't hers. The latter is the inspiration for this post. One of the things Safiya is known for is trying out different styles, whether it be dressing up like other popular youtubers, trying different decade's fashions, or trying alternative fashions, she does it all! I've watched her videos for years and these type of videos were always my favorites, but it didn't click until recently when I rewatched her Lolita fashion makeover what made her style experiments different from my own: She goes all in. And I could definitely take a page from her book.
So what does that mean, going all in when trying a style? In Safiya's case it means doing research in the style or styles she plans to represent, finding an expert in that style, and buying and wearing an entire outfit (or outfits) to wear for a video. Needless to say the majority of you reading this probably aren't Youtubers, but there's still a lot to learn from this format, even if you aren't making outfits for Youtube videos or instagram posts.
#1: Research!
The first thing anyone should do when going into a new fashion is research. What are the main aspects that sets this style apart from others? Are there different substyles? Start a pinterest board, folder on your phone or computer, or a list and start taking note of what makes that style. For example, bell shaped skirts, soft lace and ruffles, and bows are some of the key aspects of Lolita fashion. Predominantly black clothing, detailing, and extravagent or edgy hair are key points for Goth fashion.
For substyles of a larger fashion whole, what makes them stand out from each other? Since Goth fashion is such a huge umbrella term, let's use that as an example. The points I used above when describing it are so vauge because there's so many different styles, it's hard to pinpoint specific details and say 'oh yeah, all Goth fashion has _____.' Romantic Goth has softer silhoettes, corsets, lace, and an overall dark, dreamy sort of feel, where as Traditional Goth tends to have fishnets, teased hair, and casual clothing with a general 'eff the world' sort of feeling. (I'm not a huge expert on every Goth substyle, so sorry if I'm a bit off in places.) If you're getting into a style that has many different substyles, you should do enough research to be able to tell the difference between them and decide which you like and don't like. Also worth noting is that different eras can count as different substyles, even if they have the same general name. If you wore Lolita fashion from the late 80s and early 90s today and posted in a Lolita fashion group, you'd have a lot of people telling you that it's not Lolita fashion because the style's changed so much over the years it's become it's own substyle or sub-genera.
#2: Find an Expert
Thanks to the ease of using the internet and searching for things online, it's pretty easy to find an expert on many alternative styles. Unfortunately it may be hard to find an individual who will personally walk you through putting together outfits in a style in one go, but there's plenty of blogs and videos out there where people describe what makes a fashion. There's also groups where you can ask for advice on outfits you've put together or are thinking of putting together. If you're still unsure where to go after doing your research on a style, groups like this can be extremely helpful as you don't have to rely on one person in particular to help you.
#3: Buy an Entire Outfit
So this part of Safiya's videos is what really hit me: She always buys and wears a whole, complete outfit, makeup, hair, and all. When I look back at some of my previous outfits and style attempts, I realized that's what I've been missing. I've done pretty much nothing but research, research, and more research to the point of becoming an expert in a lot of styles while simultaneously half-assing my wardrobe and outfits. So I'm basically an expert, but no one would believe me if they saw the way I dressed compared to others who have more extensive wardrobes than me. And this is why I've struggled with feeling like I fit into certain fashions because I didn't always go all in when I wore them.
I recognize we can't all walk into Shibuya 109 or a giant Goth wearhouse and walk out with an entire outfit, hair, and makeup all put together when we start wearing a fashion, and that's fine. If you have the resources to, I highly recommend buying a complete outfit and taking the time to learn how to do proper hair and makeup to go with that style or find someone who can do the hair and makeup for you. If you're unable to, for example, drop $900 on an entire Lolita coordinate in one go, find pieces you like that would make a complete outfit and buy them one by one as you can afford to. If you can DIY or upcycle pieces while still remaining true to the fashion, great! However, what I highly recommend you DON'T do is be like me and buy things just because they're convenient and somewhat fit into the style you're trying to wear. It's a waste of time and money and you're better off just buying the thing you actually want.
Once you have a full outfit, do your hair (or wig) and makeup accordingly and wear it all together. If you end up liking the outfit, but don't want to pursue the fashion further, no worries! It was a learning experience and you can always hang onto the pieces you got and wear them as a whole some other time, you can wear the same thing as many times as you want! If you do like the style, you can use the pieces you have to expand and build a wardrobe that works together. And if you ever decide it's just really not you, you can sell the pieces or give them to a friend who does wear the style.
I hope you guys enjoyed this week's post and that it gives you an "aha" moment if you're struggling with your fashion identity like I am ❤
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this this this! Sadly, like you mentioned most readers might not be youtubers(i used to youtube now i pretty much just blog) but this is information everyone who features different styles needs to read! Even with vintage clothing and eras! Like, many believe people need to be a purist to certain decades, others will include 70s elements and call it 50s, when in reality you could wear mostly 50s and include a few 20s elements and still call it 50s- secondhand existed then, too. Research is so important but it seems like many don't care unless they're the ones being misrepresented-and that is the true shame. ��
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