Stayin’ in style with a dress code
Stumbling into first grade with a collared shirt and a skirt down to my knees, I entered into the days of dress code, and I didn’t even know (sadly). No sweats or PJs. No opened-toed shoes or flip flops.
There’s no doubt in my mind that you’ve never had a dress code. Whether it’s work, school, or a party, there’s always a dress code to be followed. I’ve been following the school dress code since the first grade. I’ve had my fair share of dress code in middle school where we had uniforms, but once ninth grade hit, I still had no style. I wore khaki pants and I alternated between three collared shirts. Now that I’m a Junior in high school, I decided to spice it up a bit. No mo’ jeans and a regular polo, nonono. This past year I’ve completely changed my style. You wouldn’t be able to recognize Sophomore and Freshman Lina if you know Junior Lina. Sophomore Lina wore long socks over black leggings and a hoodie (Okay… so I didn’t completely follow the dress code here because leggings are not allowed at school, but it was comfy. Can ya blame me?). Everyday. I saw my Junior year as an opportunity to completely re-create my style and enter a new school year with being proud of what I wear. I traded my leggings and jeans to flowy pants and trousers. I traded my baggy hoodie for a simple mock neck. And I traded my Jansport backpack for my Zara tote. I not only follow the dress code, but I added a little bit of spice and everything nice to it. So I’ve got a few tips to follow the dress code while also following the latest trends, but also not going over-the-top.
So tip number one: Don’t over-do it. When I say add spice, I mean invest in a pair of Mom Jeans (because we all know that baggy pants are in style and you always gotta follow latest trends) or pants from Free People (if you like a more boho look, which I adore). For example, I love to wear corduroy flare pants with Doc Martens and a white textured blouse on a regular day. That is one of my favorite outfits for school because it makes me look put together with a ’70s vibe to it, but it’s muted and comfy. As far as accessories go, I wear rings on all of my fingers… all of them. There’s not a day that I don’t wear my rings. They’re all different metals, which I think adds a great sense of individuality because I’m not sticking to just gold or just silver. I like to add a layered gold necklace from Free People to my look (it’s a 3-in-1 necklace, so it has three necklaces all connected to each other). Whether it’s a white mock neck or a blouse that I’m wearing, a layered necklace is a great, simple statement piece.
Staying in dress code is no big deal, and there are so many ways you can spruce up your outfit. For example, trousers are a perfect idea if you absolutely hate jeans like me (I have one pair of jeans that I barely wear). Trousers with a mock neck, a turtle neck, or a blouse are other comfortable options that don’t let you break the code. Now I know you’re probably thinking, “I don’t have time to try on outfits, and I just wanna be comfortable,” and I get that. But dressing up doesn’t have to mean flared jeans and blouses every day, it can mean joggers, a mock neck, and a denim jacket and AF1s. It can mean a white polo under a Sublime pullover, black jeans, and Doc Martens. That’s rarely any effort and still looks good.
What I used to do is shop at stores that only sold polos and khakis like Gap, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, you name it. But now, I still shop at my favorite stores like Free People, Shore, Urban Outfitters, Brandy Melville (you get it). Instead of saying, “Dang, I can’t shop at these places because my school has a dress code” I say, “Okay, let’s look for some pieces that I’ll be comfortable wearing in and out of school.” And this strategy works so much better because I now wear things that I feel confident in.
Here are some of my favorite stores where you can find vintage or trendy pieces:
- Free People
- Tea You
- Djerf Avenue
- Na Nin
- Sabo Skirt
- Shore
- Urban Outfitters
- Pacsun
- Brandy Melville
- Lululemon
- ASOS
- Nasty Gal
- Princess Polly
Don’t worry. I didn’t forget about accessories:
- Gorjana
- Bracha
- Luv AJ
- Verdier
- Free People (had to include)
Xoxo
-Lina