Mar 10, 20222 min read

The Underdogs

In the two years since moving back home, I haven’t gotten around sharing much of my style journey. This had a lot to do with me struggling with it at the onset of the pandemic.

As I have gradually made my way back to sharing my style journey, I have been spending my time reimagining it and how I want to go about sharing it. This reimagining has been focused on coming up with ways to share my style journey in a way that rings true to me. A key part of that is a preference to work with what I already own and to avoid buying new. Doing this has helped me build a deeper understanding of my wardrobe as well as reconnect with the stories behind my clothes.

I recently came up with the idea to write an essay about the underdogs in my wardrobe. The intent was to select and style five items of clothing from my wardrobe that have been neglected or rarely worn, albeit for no good reason. To look beyond the minor stuff I disliked about them and to instead reconnect with them by creatively styling them by working with what I do like about them.

Here are five "Underdogs" from my wardrobe, revived and given life anew!

White shirt, from Guess

I purchased this sparingly worn white shirt way back during my teens. Thanks to the lesser wears it has received, it is still in fantastic condition. I love the gold detailing on the front shoulders, and the shorter sleeves and lighter fabric make it a good choice for hotter days.

Pink graphic tee, from Esprit

A rarely worn tee, mainly because of its tighter fit. What I do love about it is the color and the quality of the fabric. Although I have grown less fond of graphic tees over the years, I don't mind this one as much and have had fun working with it.

Flannel shirt, from Esprit

A remnant from my flannel phase (which luckily didn’t last very long). Another piece that is in decent shape thanks to being worn sparingly. The shirt can be layered with a tee on colder days, but also works on its own.

Jeans, Evisu

The only skinny jeans in my wardrobe; I purchased them during one of my travels while in college. Although a prized possession, I have not worn them over the years as I outgrew skinny jeans (literally and otherwise). As often is the case, more wears have translated into them opening up a bit and I haven’t found them to be as skinny anymore.

Checked Shirt, from Tommy

Possibly the oldest piece in the bunch, this shirt used to be one of my favorites during my teens. It was purchased during my obsession with all things checked and has received many wears through the years. The shorter sleeves have come in handy on warmer days. The fact that the shirt is still in pretty decent condition after all these years has been surprising.