Teen Night @ The High Museum

I've always been a fan of going to art museums. Whenever I travel to a new city, one of the first things I look up is where all the art museums are (next to the best shopping streets, of course). I obviously love the art (if you knew me in real life, you would know that I'm the epitome of an art student), but I also love the people in these museums. Anywhere you go, you can observe the people around you, but at art museums, it's so much more interesting. Maybe it's because I consider myself to be like those other art lovers, but to see the different attitudes and styles of art museum-goers is one of my favorite things to do. With all of this in mind, of course I'm going to go to Teen Night at the High Museum in Atlanta, which is free admission for students to the museum that also includes events like live music, art-making, and a poetry slam. On Saturday, I went down to Atlanta with a few of my friends (yes, I'm blessed to have art-loving friends) to go to the event. I've been twice before in the past, and I remember having a good time, but this one was definitely the best. Maybe it's because I have grown into this self-aware person, but I actually believe that it was planned better than previous years. Apart from the scheduled events, I loved seeing a huge cluster of art-loving people who all happen to be teens. When you're stuck in conservative suburbia where everyone idolizes sports teams, it's difficult to find your crowd. When I went to the High, it felt like I was surrounded by people like me -- people who care about art, their "aesthetic", and even social issues. It's an amazing feeling to be surrounded by people your age who care about the same things that you do. Some say that the youth continues to get more and more inspiring with each generation, and I think that's true (maybe because I'm part of that youth...). Maybe we do care more about what we're wearing than the latest presidential debate, but then we'll connect our clothing choices to a way of self expression, which then leads to even greater social issues. I definitely saw this at the poetry slam -- there were poems about huge issues ranging from rape to police brutality, and there were also poems about smaller, more personal topics that still brought everyone to a standing o. Along with this self-awareness that I love about our generation, teen art lovers usually care about their aesthetic. This could be in terms of hair, clothing, tattoos, body piercings, etc. The thing about art kids is that they want to stand out, and this is usually apparent in their aesthetic choices. This definitely allowed me to fit in -- everyone looked impossibly cool in their own, individual ways, and I wanted to capture all of their looks but it was too crowded to get a good shot. However, I did know from the styles of the other students that my style could definitely fit in with that of an art kid's (even though I already am one). I want to make a statement through fashion, but also do this in my own, unique style.

Dress by Topshop. Shoes by Adidas. 

Photo taken by my wonderful + talented friend Danielle. 

I always strive to self express through fashion, but I definitely wanted to achieve that while being surrounded by other kids who have this exact goal. While I still always like to keep up with today's trends, I try to make sure I'm still dressing for myself, not just for trends. That's why when I shop, I gravitate towards the items that I actually love, then I realize that they fall into a certain trend. That's what happened with the corduroy dress I wore to the High. I've understood that a rustic, '70s fashion is returning in a modern way, and this could include those burnt-orange pieces, button-up dresses and skirts, and fabrics like suede and corduroy. However, when I bought this dress, I knew that I really wanted it just because I knew it could renovate my style with a piece I normally wouldn't wear. That's how the art kids at the High dressed -- they did it all for themselves, even though they looked like they stepped right out of a street style blog. I paired this dress with my favorite sneakers (yes, I still wear them almost every day. I can't resist the comfort) because they somehow match everything and because they fit into my goal of self-expression with my unique style. Usually with this dress, you might see people pairing it with booties, chunky sandals, or even Doc Marten oxfords, but I wanted to make it unique by wearing it with cool-girl sneakers. Finally, I definitely fit in with the rest. Not because I was impeccably dressed, but because I had a chance to dress without listening to the fashion standards that you see at school or simply walking down the street. Everyone was in the same boat as me, so I felt a little bit of freedom that night.