Samantha Elise started Instagramming her outfit images only for enjoyable whereas in highschool in Missouri. Folks took discover, and she or he’s now working as a stylist in Chicago. “I’m lastly attending to a spot the place I can have a good time who I’m and what I do,” she says. “It feels liberating.” Right here, Samantha shares 5 seems she wore in every week and talks about ballet, rising up adopted, and the place to seek out excellent blazers…
Shirt: Everlane. Sweater: ASOS. Denims: Madewell. Glasses: Jimmy Pretty. Watch: “hand-me-down from my mother.” Purse: classic.
“I name this my ‘no-fuss uniform.’ The denims are free, so I can eat fortunately. It’s layered, so I can put on it in plenty of areas, like a museum the place the AC is blasting or with the sweater thrown over my shoulders exterior if it’s hotter.”
Vest: Madewell. Pants: Bare Wardrobe. Glasses: Jimmy Pretty.
“You’ll be able to put on a vest by itself or over a T-shirt or turtleneck. Simply mess around and embrace the trial-and-error of determining what feels good. I don’t know anyone who comes up with their favourite outfits the primary time they put one thing collectively.”
“My sister drew this window tattoo. It reveals my condo in Boston, the place I lived for six years whereas dancing for the Boston Ballet Faculty. I danced ballet from age three to 19. I beloved it for a very long time, however the transition from doing it domestically to dancing for a corporation was surreal. It’s much like how the media portrays it — very intense and aggressive. The entire environment felt like Black Swan.”
“I wore a leotard eight hours a day, six days every week. The one time I placed on actual garments was Sundays, my break day. I’d put collectively outfits and go folks watch. Boston has a ton of schools, so I’d see cool, inspiring streetwear. I additionally noticed folks strolling round in refined workplace put on, like wonderful fits and attire. It felt so completely different from St. Louis, the place the garments leaned in the direction of consolation, like sweatpants and Uggs.”
Tank: Madewell. Skirt: Madewell.
“I’m adopted, and as a child, I assumed so much about my identification. My complete household is white, aside from my different adopted sister who’s Black and Puerto Rican. And ballet is a predominantly white house — I used to be the one Black woman throughout my time on the Boston Ballet Faculty. For the longest time, I used to be actually quiet as a result of I couldn’t work out the place I belonged. However I all the time expressed myself by way of garments.”
“You understand that TikTok video of horses working free on the seashore? That’s how I felt the second I ended dancing. About two weeks after leaving this system, I chopped my hair off. To satisfy the corporate uniform requirements, I’d needed to warmth practice my hair, which left it broken. I additionally began getting tattoos and dedicated to dressing myself each single day. Again then my #1 factor was resisting something pores and skin tight. It felt too much like a leotard, and I needed nothing to do with that.”
Blazer: thrifted. Shorts: Dissh. Poplin shirt: Hole Manufacturing facility. Loafers: Dole.
“I love a very good blazer — they immediately make me really feel assured. The very best place to get them is a thrift retailer. I’ve discovered classic Ralph Lauren blazers for $5! And all the time search the boys’s part. Males’s blazers are the very best as a result of the shoulders are large; they add drama and really feel so stylish.”
“As a child, I shopped for garments at Goodwill with my mother. It felt like an enormous treasure chest, and the whole lot was inexpensive. In center college, I’d discover patterned blouses with large shoulder pads and pair them with my Jordans. My #1 thrifting rule is to by no means skip an aisle. As of late, I prefer to stroll in with a playlist that’s no less than an hour lengthy. Then I’ll take heed to it as I comb by way of each single piece of clothes. It feels therapeutic.”
Shirt: Goal. Denims: Madewell, comparable.
“Whenever you perceive denim washes, you may make denim-on-denim look easy. I wore this outfit 50 occasions this summer time. Folks suppose it’s a set, however the denims are Madewell and the highest is from an previous Goal collab that I discovered on Poshmark for $10. Nonetheless, as a result of they’re each a medium wash, they work collectively.”
“I’m an intuitive dresser. Earlier than selecting my garments, I check-in with myself. If I’m not assured, I’m going to placed on one thing that helps me really feel assured. And people items change over time. For some time, I beloved bolder items, like fire-truck crimson pants. However at the moment I prefer to put on impartial colours with free silhouettes. They simply really feel like me.”
Thanks a lot, Samantha! You might be fantastic.
P.S. Extra folks share their week of outfits, together with an structure professor with a pink energy swimsuit and vintage seller with the very best button-downs.
(Photographs by Kendra Lynece for Cup of Jo.)
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