Dressing up for School

Nine to Five

Feb 25

Hello Darlings,

Does school and fashion go hand in hand? Probably not, but in my world they definitely could and should. Being a university student, I face this dilemma everyday when getting dressed: how can I be stylish and still not be perceived as “trying too hard”?

My personal style is preppy girl meets fashionista. So when dressing up for school, I can never really define what+what = Marta Tryshak’s style. Let’s just say that I like feeling pulled-together and neat.

Let’s just put it this way: University of Toronto is academically oriented, so sadly the majority of the student body is too busy to switch out of their pj’s, Lululemons, and Uggs. Forget about heels on campus: wear heels and you will be visually executed!!! But what I refuse is to downplay what I love: dressing up, playing with my clothes and feeling fabulous.

I’ve never really cared overly about what others thought of my appearance. I don't really care if someone loves/hates my outfit so long as I feel great wearing it. However, I do care to be taken seriously, so let’s just say that wearing bows and other such girly things does not get you points in the serious department. But I figure that if someone wants to be short-sighted and judge my intellectual capabilities based on my appearance… that's a poor decision on their part. People need to stop stereotyping and move on. Brains and beauty do happen together (more often than expected). You shouldn’t have to sacrifice your love for clothes and style; you can look neat and pulled together, even during mid-terms and finals! All I can say is believe in who you are (no matter how cheesy this sounds) and that you are fabulous (do not second-guess this!) and you will be able to look past what others think and embrace yourself. If pink bows are part of it, thumbs up to you anyways. Please do not feel intimidated to try!!! It is hard at first, but it is even harder to try to fit in…plus, why would you want to? Do what you love, wear what you love…just be YOURSELF! That is always the best possible version of you!

Give it a try… It’s better to fail trying than to settle without trying!!! Ladies (and gentlemen), life is too short for these insecurity issues, so just let go of it and enjoy the ride. It is easier said than done, I know. But trust me, it feels awesome when you can do it.