'I've lost my personal style, so I tried a completely new look each day for a week.'

I recently found myself drowning in a sea of oversized band tees and baggy pants. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love this combo – if done properly it’s very effortlessly cool. But, I loved it so damn much that I lost myself to it and then I lost my personal style altogether. 

I started to notice a pattern. I’d wake up, turn on auto-pilot, and dress myself in a variation of the same outfit each day. And though this is not a bad thing for everyone, I hated it for me.

Watch: Mamamia Reviews Non Family Friendly Fashion. Story continues after video.

I align with many varying values and interests, and they all piece together to form one big, mismatched, identity. My versatility and love for all things different are my favourite things about me – yet I hadn’t been showcasing that part of myself at all recently.

I used to dress like my mood. I would take risks with what I wore and show myself in a different way each day. But, for some reason, I wasn’t doing this anymore and because of that; I was feeling uninspired. 

The weight of the fabric from my oversized band tees was holding me down. I was having a style identity crisis.

Once I realised I was caught in this funk, I decided the only good thing to do was to enter myself into a dress-up challenge.

The challenge: wear a completely different look to work each day for a (work) week, using clothes already in my wardrobe.

Day one look: ‘Elder emo has a job.’

Elder emo inspired, this look is an ode to my younger, angsty self. I had just gone to see My Chemical Romance live the night before and was clearly experiencing a moment of pure, unadulterated nostalgia. 

TBH I nailed this look. 

I loved this look, I absolutely adored it. I’ve always liked anything against the grain. 

Would I wear this look every day? No, I need to be in the mood for it. But, would I take inspo from it all the time? Absolutely! Wearing it made me feel fierce, confident, and bad a**. It actually made me feel a bit more like myself than I’d felt in a while (can confirm, inner-Laura is still an emo girl).

Day two look: ‘Frocks and socks.’

I took inspiration from our Mamamia frock extraordinaire (and one of the most incredibly dressed people I know), Em Gillespie, and went down the dress path! 

I NEVER wear dresses. Like seriously, I wear them maybe once or twice a year for special events and that’s it. But this was my moment to dive in. 

And dive I did, head first into a pretty polka dot dress with white sneakers and white ankle-length socks.

I absolutely understood the assignment with this one.

I actually developed a pep in my step from wearing such a cute and fun outfit. I wanted to skip through the hallways of our office and smile at people for no reason. 

It’s not a vibe I connect with entirely, but I love the happiness it brought me. So, maybe there are more dresses and polka dots in my future…? 

Day three: The ‘Hailey Bieber / Clean Girl’ look.

This look really gave, “I go to the gym, I drink green juice, I am cute”. And I’m here for it. 

Okay, fine! I admit this outfit ended up steering a little too close to my normal style because of the oversized tee. BUT I GOT MY PINS OUT OK. And, I slicked my hair back – in true Hailey style. 

I’m the one on the left, if you can’t tell. Image: Supplied + Hailey Bieber's Instagram. 

This one was easy – if not a little boring. Considering I was really wanting to jump outside of my every day, I’m a bit annoyed I didn’t add a little bit of ‘va va voom’ to this look. 

I stand by the fact that a pair of knee-high boots, like Hailey, would have really completed this look and given it the edge it needs. If only I could wear boots at the moment! I broke my foot recently so am still only able to wear sneakers so instead, imagine the boots there.

Day four look: ‘Y2K inspired.’

I hate to say it but this look was my least favourite. Is it because I remember wearing this exact outfit when I was nine years old? Possibly. In fact, I’m pretty sure the khaki top I’m wearing is something I kept from the early 2000s… does that make it vintage? 

Actually, please don’t answer that question, I don’t want to know.

Despite it being my least favourite, I received so many compliments from people on this outfit! People love the Y2K-inspired look at the moment and I think they also like to see people giving something a bit different a go. 

I even added Y2K butterfly clips in my space buns and I cannot believe I forgot to take a picture to show. What was I thinking?! Image: Supplied + Getty. 

The hair and make-up was cute as hell and I’ll definitely do the space buns again, but the *almost* low rise vibe is just not my jam. I felt a bit uncomfortable in this fit all day and it made me quite self-conscious – which is the opposite of how clothes are meant to make you feel.

Day five look: ‘Arty bae.’

This look was inspired by one of the only men I will ever love: David Rose. 

Fine, the shirt was oversized, so I was still within my usual realm, but look at the puffy sleeves! It was modern, it was a statement, and it definitely gave, “I run an art gallery” vibes. 

I promise I ironed my shirt before I left the house… Image: Supplied + Schitt's Creek. 

I would hands-down wear something like this all the time. I walked to work strutting my damn stuff, I was so confident in the outfit. I even went out for after-work drinks in this look, it was that good.

By the end of the five days, I had rediscovered my style. 

The changes in my routine reinvigorated my love for trying new things and shone a light on all the unused items of clothing that had been collecting dust while I was stuck on a hamster wheel of my own creation. 

I can honestly say, with absolute certainty, that I still love all things oversized; but now with an extra pinch of sparkle, confidence, and excitement. 

Me, the week after the challenge.

Feature Image: Supplied

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