The Comfort of the City

It has been exactly nine days since I have been living in a new city and the best way to describe my experience is this: different. No surprises there. But different is good! Better than good, actually. It has been filled with too much freedom, an abundance of homework (syllabus week must be a lie), and an overwhelming amount of new people who already feel like my best friends. Being able to walk to my classes in the heart of D.C. has been this almost out-of-body experience that is, as I have just discovered, what I really needed. A wake up call. Living in the suburbs was my 18-year-long fantasy and the city is now my reality. Only one week of living here has given me this sense of productivity and the idea that "this is really happening". This new environment has inspired me to go out and off campus and use my experiences for the greater good of this blog. What used to be a high school hobby is now something I can put on my college resume. Things are becoming serious.

Skirt by Madewell. Shirt by Adidas. Bag by J. Crew. Shoes by Urban Outfitters.

Ever since I committed to attending GW this past spring I've been nervous that all my fashion-related dreams and desires of making it big in the industry would vanish and that I would want to randomly become a politician like everyone else at this school. I thought that the city I'd be living in would change me, but it's actually just enhancing who I already am. A fashion scene actually exists here, to my surprise, and when I'm walking to classes in Foggy Bottom during the week I see inspiration on every corner. My style might be more similar to the out-there edge (or, in simpler terms, the "weird as hell" style) of fashion hubs like NYC and Paris, but I have come to realize that I fit in with a part of D.C.'s signature style. Not the business-casual looks of the rapidly growing work force or the preppy trends of Georgetown, but the fashions of those who love clothing for artistic purposes but also incorporate the practicality of living in a fast-paced city into what they wear. I feel that this aesthetic is what I've been trying to accomplish for the past two years and that I've finally reached some sort of finish line in the "self discovery in fashion" game. It was a reassuring moment that told me I'm in the right place. Finally. To prove my discovery, I headed east of campus to Chinatown wearing an outfit that I truly felt myself in. An asymmetric skirt by Madewell that would work for a job interview or a casual Friday evening in Chinatown, depending on how it's styled, with an Adidas tee to loosen things up and add to my personal style. I've said this multiple times on the blog, but I'm a strong believer of dressing to feel more like yourself vs. dressing to become someone else. I'm not sure if it was just the bandana around my neck or if this was actually a revelation, but I finally felt like myself solely based on the clothes on my body (how superficial does that sound?). This idea simply felt comforting in such a new environment. D.C., I'm ready for you.

All photos shot by Gavin.

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