My Style Secret Is Simple — Find Your Fave Pieces, and Wear the Hell Out of Them

I struggle with fashion. I follow trends sometimes, but in general, I just buy things I like and wear what I feel good in. This means my wardrobe is an odd smattering of things: graphic tees from concerts, dresses my mom made for me, and random patterned pants that I got on clearance, among other things. And for this reason, I can never really classify my style if someone asks me. It's a little quirky, a little classic, a little basic, but very me. And when someone asks me what my biggest style secret is, it's simple: find the pieces you love, and wear the hell out of them.

I love to shop and love to have new things. My closet is forever filling up and emptying out as I change my wardrobe, but there are always a few staple pieces that stick around through every purge. Though it's always smart to have basic staples you can rely on for multiple outfits, my tried-and-true pieces tend to be the more outlandish things I own. The aforementioned patterned pants that I got on clearance (in that photo above) are not something I would have worn years ago, before I stopped caring what anyone else thought about my fashion.

Back in junior high and high school when I started to care deeply about being popular, I demanded my parents let me shop at name-brand stores, so I could be cool. I cared very little about what the clothes actually were and more about what they meant for my status. I was undoubtedly preppy, and that's exactly how I wanted it. If anyone ever said something negative about something I wore, I immediately got rid of it. Sustainability was not something on my mind as a teenager, unfortunately.

When I started seriously dating, I catered my outfits toward what I thought guys would appreciate most. During my most serious relationship, I wore almost exclusively items that my boyfriend liked rather than what I would normally pick out for myself. It wasn't until that relationship ended that I decided my fashion is for me, and I'm going to find the clothes I truly love and wear them confidently.

Those patterned pants wouldn't have gotten me any cool points in high school, and my ex-boyfriend would have hated them. Maybe that's why I love them so much now, but they will live in my closet until they fall apart. The clothing items I love most stay with me until I've worn them ragged, and even then, I sometimes have my mom turn them into something else. One of my favorite pairs of pants from my childhood became shorts after they started to fall apart, and after those got raggedy, we cut off everything but the waistband, which I kept for posterity.

You should feel amazing in your clothes, no matter what you're wearing, which is why I can't recommend enough that you find those few pieces that fill you with joy and wear them often. Throw out any preconceived notions about saving certain items for special occasions or not wearing the same outfit too often. Wear what makes you happy. When you love what you're wearing, it'll no doubt improve your mood. When I know I have a tough day ahead, I always pull out one of my favorite pieces of clothing to brighten my spirits. Find your faves now, and keep them with you as long as you can.