Samantha Elise started Instagramming her outfit images only for enjoyable whereas in highschool in Missouri. Folks took discover, and she or he’s now working as a stylist in Chicago. “I’m lastly attending to a spot the place I can have a good time who I’m and what I do,” she says. “It feels liberating.” Right here, Samantha shares 5 seems to be she wore in every week and talks about ballet, rising up adopted, and the place to seek out excellent blazers…
Shirt: Everlane. Sweater: ASOS. Denims: Madewell. Glasses: Jimmy Pretty. Watch: “hand-me-down from my mother.” Purse: classic.
“I name this my ‘no-fuss uniform.’ The denims are unfastened, so I can eat fortunately. It’s layered, so I can put on it in a lot of areas, like a museum the place the AC is blasting or with the sweater thrown over my shoulders outdoors if it’s hotter.”
Vest: Madewell. Pants: Bare Wardrobe. Glasses: Jimmy Pretty.
“You’ll be able to put on a vest by itself or over a T-shirt or turtleneck. Simply mess around and embrace the trial-and-error of determining what feels good. I don’t know anyone who comes up with their favourite outfits the primary time they put one thing collectively.”
“My sister drew this window tattoo. It reveals my residence in Boston, the place I lived for six years whereas dancing for the Boston Ballet College. I danced ballet from age three to 19. I cherished it for a very long time, however the transition from doing it regionally to dancing for an organization was surreal. It’s just like how the media portrays it — very intense and aggressive. The entire ambiance felt like Black Swan.”
“I wore a leotard eight hours a day, six days every week. The one time I placed on actual garments was Sundays, my time off. I’d put collectively outfits and go folks watch. Boston has a ton of schools, so I’d see cool, inspiring streetwear. I additionally noticed folks strolling round in refined workplace put on, like superb fits and attire. It felt so totally different from St. Louis, the place the garments leaned in the direction of consolation, like sweatpants and Uggs.”
Tank: Madewell. Skirt: Madewell.
“I’m adopted, and as a child, I assumed rather a lot about my identification. My entire household is white, aside from my different adopted sister who’s Black and Puerto Rican. And ballet is a predominantly white area — I used to be the one Black woman throughout my time on the Boston Ballet College. For the longest time, I used to be actually quiet as a result of I couldn’t determine the place I belonged. However I all the time expressed myself via garments.”
“You already know that TikTok video of horses operating free on the seaside? That’s how I felt the second I ended dancing. About two weeks after leaving this system, I chopped my hair off. To fulfill the corporate uniform requirements, I’d needed to warmth practice my hair, which left it broken. I additionally began getting tattoos and dedicated to dressing myself each single day. Again then my #1 factor was resisting something pores and skin tight. It felt too just like a leotard, and I wished nothing to do with that.”
Blazer: thrifted. Shorts: Dissh. Poplin shirt: Hole Manufacturing facility. Loafers: Dole.
“I love a superb blazer — they immediately make me really feel assured. The most effective place to get them is a thrift retailer. I’ve discovered classic Ralph Lauren blazers for $5! And all the time search the boys’s part. Males’s blazers are the very best as a result of the shoulders are enormous; they add drama and really feel so stylish.”
“As a child, I shopped for garments at Goodwill with my mother. It felt like an enormous treasure chest, and every little thing was inexpensive. In center faculty, I’d discover patterned blouses with large shoulder pads and pair them with my Jordans. My #1 thrifting rule is to by no means skip an aisle. Lately, I wish to stroll in with a playlist that’s no less than an hour lengthy. Then I’ll take heed to it as I comb via each single piece of clothes. It feels therapeutic.”
Shirt: Goal. Denims: Madewell, comparable.
“While you perceive denim washes, you can also make denim-on-denim look easy. I wore this outfit 50 instances this summer season. Folks suppose it’s a set, however the denims are Madewell and the highest is from an outdated Goal collab that I discovered on Poshmark for $10. Nonetheless, as a result of they’re each a medium wash, they work collectively.”
“I’m an intuitive dresser. Earlier than selecting my garments, I check-in with myself. If I’m not assured, I’m going to placed on one thing that helps me really feel assured. And people items change over time. For some time, I cherished bolder items, like fire-truck crimson pants. However at present I wish to put on impartial colours with unfastened silhouettes. They only really feel like me.”
Thanks a lot, Samantha! You might be great.
P.S. Extra folks share their week of outfits, together with an structure professor with a pink energy go well with and vintage supplier with the very best button-downs.
(Photographs by Kendra Lynece for Cup of Jo.)
Notice: In case you purchase one thing via our hyperlinks, we might earn an affiliate fee or have a sponsored relationship with the model, for free of charge to you. We suggest solely merchandise we genuinely like. Thanks a lot.
