We all know what the urge to define ourselves feels like. All of your friends are getting married, making strides in pursuing their careers, or just growing up in general, their image rapidly developing. Meanwhile, most of us struggle to get up every morning and find ourselves debating how high the volume on our computers must be in order to hear them from the shower. Yes, many of us want to feel the satisfaction of progress, but where does one start on this journey to adulting -- or at least seeming like you are? One of the easiest places to start shaping an heir of maturity for yourself is to define your personal style. If you often find yourself contemplating why you look like a middle schooler attending a college campus, it may be high time you update your personal image.
Everyone has that one look that radiates comfort. May it be shorts and a t-shirt or baggy sweatpants and an over-sized sweater, we all have comfort clothes. Now, think of that one day out of the multitudes when you say to yourself, "today is my day," put on your nicest clothes, and feel unstoppable all day long. A balance of these two looks, comfortable and refined, is what would be best for daily outings. A unisex example of this ideal look could include:
• A pair of comfortable jeans or pants. If you want to go the extra mile in comfort, make sure the material is cotton. If you prefer appearance over comfort, grab a polyester blend to reduce wrinkling.
• A well-fitted shirt or buttoned long-sleeve shirt. Personal preference should decide which top you go for, but if you choose a buttoned shirt, try to find a light material. This will keep you cool and comfortable throughout the day.
• A pull-over sweater or cardigan. An extra layer is good to keep around to take away the bite of a chilly classroom, as well as being your comfy security blanket of sorts. Material is all up to you here, choose whatever is most comfortable to you!
• A pair of casual shoes that offer good support. Closed-toed or open-toed depends on your personal preference, just make sure they keep your arches ache-free!
This template should get you on the right track when deciding what clothing best appeals to you, but in the end, whatever makes you feel and look best is what is important. After all, an update to your style isn't just to give you an air of maturity, it is also to form an appearance that defines you. When exploring your everyday look, don't shun your comfort clothes if you need them, everyone has those days when being comfortable is most important. This is the case for your power outfits too, rock the house with your fancy threads when you feel up to it.
We all pay extra attention to the face as it is the most reliable physical feature for judging mood. This being said, you probably want your face to look nice. The right eyewear can do wonders for you face and are even accessible to those don't need visual correction. Yes, even those perfect-visioned superhumans -- seriously, I envy your natural ability to see more than just blurs of color and smudged shapes -- can consider a pair of glasses to compliment their look. Warby Parker, the best site in my opinion to order affordable, high-quality, stylish eyewear, offers non-prescription lenses for each pair of frames they sell. In addition to this, Warby Parker offers a free five-day trial on up to five pairs of frames so you can try them on before you make a purchasing decision. For those of us who require some form of visual correction, lest we see our surroundings as some modern art project discarded behind the Fine Arts building, the decision must be made between glasses or contacts. It's all personal preference, contacts will keep your face looking natural, but many people prefer the compliment of frames. A few things to consider when selecting your frames are:
• Do they feel right on my face? Avoid frames that leave marks or pinch your face. Trust me, you don't want to feel any discomfort from something that will be on your face for extended amounts of time.
• Do they fit on my face? Typically you want frames that rest across your face snugly. Avoid frames and lenses that extend past your face.
• Where are my pupils in relation to the lenses? This is important for prescription lenses as they are made assuming your pupil is in the center of the lens.
• What type of lenses do I want? Glass lenses resist scratches but can get pretty thick depending on your prescription. A good alternative is high index lenses, offering thinner and lighter lenses and better optics for higher prescriptions.
After you have found the frames that really speak to you, add them to your look! See just how good you look with not only a newfound style, but also a newly defined face! Hopefully you can use this information to give yourself a new look that expresses your desire to be taken seriously and help claw yourself out of the despair that is typical college life and start moving ever so slightly towards the terror that is adulthood. Or at least help you look good while avoiding responsibility like the six parking tickets you have amassed. Good luck!
