What Po'boys and Clothes Have in Common

Advice for anyone wanting to develop their personal style

At the end of 2018, I started documenting my outfits. I’d been let go from a job at Rent the Runway and was searching for what to do next. Dressing became a creative project. No more shopping mass-produced fashion brands. I wanted beautifully-made clothes. I decided that I could no longer support companies that forced their factories into paying garment workers less than a living wage to maximize their profits. There had to be another way for me to dress without a young woman on the other side of the world, the demographic of many garment workers, having to pay the price for a brand thinking solely about its stockholders.

Every morning I put together an outfit. I’d start with a rental, then build a look around it. After renting clothes for a year, I’d learned how to pick pieces that enhanced my wardrobe—mostly H&M, Zara, Madewell, and Uniqlo, with a few secondhand items sprinkled in—and still feel like me. Then I’d take a photo of what I was wearing in the exact same spot. Kept the focus on the clothes.

One of my favorite outfits. A rented bomber jacket paired with a Uniqlo long-sleeve shirt, Zara sailor-pants, vintage belt, Converse sneakers, and rented bag. For the final touch, I pulled out my Granny’s mink hat. I like how it matched my hair and added an unexpected touch to the sportier elements.