Look Cute and Modest at the Same Time
Sometimes, it can be difficult to express yourself and not, well, suffer the consequences! But there is a way to show your personality off while still keeping your integrity and respect safely in your back pocket!
Contents
Steps
- Clean up so you can dress up. Go through your wardrobe and separate clothes that are school-appropriate from clothes that you could not wear to school. Separate absolutely everything that, by itself, would not be appropriate.
- For hanging clothes, either put these two sets of clothes on two different racks, or use some sort of barrier or something that will divide the clothes and be seen easily. (You could even use different-colored hangers!)
- For clothes in drawers, simply have piles for school on one side and piles for outside school on the other side, etc.
- If your clothes are spread across your floor, make an attempt to find them all and either hang/fold them accordingly, or at least separate them into piles so that you will remember what is wearable.
- Some important things you should remember in being school-appropriate are size, fit, coverage, condition, rips/torn seams/edges, implications, (up to date and at least faintly stylish) and possibility of disrespect, threatening, etc. By this time, you may feel the need to throw out some clothes that you can't wear anywhere/fit into anymore, or just really don't like! That will clear up some closet space for current and new clothes that you will like and will fit you. (You can also go through jewelry, shoes, makeup, etc. and clear some stuff out, about the same way) All that will make it impressively easy to work on your style!
- Look at the clothes you can wear to school and determine what you like about them and what you would like even better. Pay special attention to clothes you are lacking (e.g. if winter is approaching and you need some scarves, gloves, sweaters, an/or turtlenecks, it is probably time to put those at the top of your 'to buy' list), so that you will have plenty of fashionable clothes for every season!
- Figure out what the most consistent/important thing about your style is, so you can find appropriate clothes that have that quality. If that would be chains and pointy things, consider an alternative, like a really cool (but slightly dark and secluded?) belt or design on your clothes that follows school/other guidelines. Confusing amounts of jewelry, layers, fluff, etc., see-through clothes, awkwardly inappropriate quotes, designs, or implications are a no-go too. Those also probably won't express your style as much as becoming reasons to put you in a small, dark corner (Just kidding!) or basically, limit other people's respect for you. So for example, if you like flowers look for fun floral patterns that don't all look the same size/outdated and look for some on shirts, or maybe sew some onto your pants! If you like bright colors, use layers to show off your colorful personality, or find ensembles that don't overwhelm (like lime green and blue for example!) but still show off several colors.
- Get the goods! Once you figure that out, many of you may want to go shopping, which is a good thing if you need to, esp. right before school starts! There are good buys and good-byes for every type of clothing.
- Shorts:
- Very cute with little beads, sequins, or other colorful designs on them, esp. on pockets. These can come with a cute belt too! Fringe, patches, and jewels can be cute too.
- If you can't find any cute shorts that are long enough for school, even after checking a few stores, you can always look for Bermuda shorts (shorts that come about to the knee but not below) and now is a good time since those are well liked right now.
- Go to the boys section and grab some shorts! Long, loose, and possessing plenty of pockets these are a dream come true, and when paired with a tighter (non-baggy) top can be quite cute!
- If none of those work out, see Capris.
- Skirts: Be very careful that you don't buy skirts that do one of the following:
- Let anything show when you bend over, move a lot, etc.
- Are higher than where the tip of your middle finger is when your shoulders are relaxed (this is important, but more of a guideline of you have really long arms).
- Are really tight
- Blow up when the wind blows, especially if you won't have a free hand to keep it down (if so, shorts of some sort should be worn underneath, or it should be/be made into a skirt.)
- Provoke a lot of boys! Bad for school, no matter how much you love attention from them. However, there can be many cute shapes, lengths, and designs on these, like pastels or black and white, along with lots of different fabrics too! The possibilities are endless.
- Are really plain, and are really long with a straight-lined bottom edge. Unless your parents make you, you don't need to dress like an Amish person!
- Capris: Pretty much always cute, ties or other additions at the bottom are fun, and rolling is a good option.
- Pants: skinny jeans are in, jeans in general are good, but stay away from the extreme mom jeans and go towards somewhat low-rise pants that don't get smaller at the bottom. Bell-bottoms that don't stick out a whole lot are especially nice. And these come with belts and other things too! (See shorts) make sure these go at least below your ankle, and longer is best with boots/high shoes.
- Shirts: T-shirts with little phrases in the middle are fun, long is currently in, with a lot of 'tattoo-like' designs all over them. You can be that casual and still cute as long as the shirt isn't really tight OR really loose. Also, you can get very fancy with different types of layers, sleeves, bottom lines and necklines. T-shirts are hot on high, round necklines, and fancier shirts (that would be school appropriate) showcase the v-shaped neckline and include but are not limited to (not cut after purchase, but pre-cut and sewn) cut sleeves up the shoulder, three-quarter sleeves, button-ups, and more!
- Hats: If allowed at school, brim caps, jockey caps, baseball caps, beanies/beanie caps, visor hats, newsboy caps, etc. are ‘hot’.
- Shoes: There are a lot of shoes out there… so choose wisely. Go for comfort, good looks, and sensibility. Heels are good but pumps usually aren’t… sneakers are good but not if you draw on them too much… and flip-flops are cute in different styles, some sporty, some sparkly. Look for shoes that go with more than one outfit to keep on a shelf.
- Try em' on, then try em' out. Try different outfits on together to see what you can combine. If you have too many shirts, and two are similar but go with only one set of bottoms, take one out, and keep one if you like. Make sure every top has a bottom that matches, and vice versa. Once you found the clothes you like, check out a few accessories that go with more than one outfit. Then you are pretty much set!
Tips
- Sometimes keeping it simple can be a good thing. You can get a little fancy, but lots of fur, shiny things, colors, layers, and frills can turn off the good look you were hoping for and cause people to get a deer-in-the-headlights look whenever they see you... which isn't a good thing! But not too much though...Also, being caked with makeup, spikes, and/or skulls isn't very appropriate. If that is what you are into, keep away from a lot of skulls and what was mentioned above. Basically, overdoing the good things can look just as bad as what isn't school appropriate.
- Add your own personal touch with jewelry, but dump the bulk. A matching bracelet and necklace or a few subtle necklaces can make a big statement. Try not to buy TOO many shoes, but have a pair for each type of outfit you own (e.g. a pair of boots for jeans, a few pairs of flip-flops, tennis shoes for when you are on the move, etc.) Look for some fun, and maybe original earrings. These can almost always make a statement about who you are. Belts can go the mile... and can be made from anything-even bottle caps, or a marquee!
- Have fun with different fabrics (silk, cotton, wool, etc.), colors (so many combos, so many more ensembles), and shapes. The fashion world is your oyster! Layers can be fun too... with jackets, tanks and tees, whatever will please!
- Don't go crazy on the clothes, but make sure you have enough clothes for the school year. And try to buy clothes you will want to wear for several years, or until they don't fit. Buy clothes that will fit you for a while, but make sure that includes when you buy them! Don't keep clothes that don't fit appropriately either, that can fill your head with doubts. Dress sensibly, but fashionably if you like and confidently! School rules don't keep you from wearing fun/cool clothes altogether!
- If you have another store in mind, google that (usually the name and then .com)or the name of the store and catalog (e.g. Old Navy catalog.) You can even subscribe for updates by email on new trends and freshly-shipped in designs.
- If you have a small budget to work with, shop at Kohls, Target, or even Walmart! Kohls is best with clothes, and Target is best with shoes. Walmart is pretty cheap with everything.
Warnings
- Don't wear something over a tank that is uncomfortable or that you may take off, dress for everything. Especially Physical Education... but probably bring a bag with your P.E. clothes in it so you aren't sloppy and sweaty all day.
- If you are a guy, most of these tips on the actual clothes section will not suit you... excepting button-ups, phrase shirts, Capri, etc. The catalogs or your friends and family are your best fashion tips, but remember pink is still pretty in, and so are bright colors!
