Quad Style: Lexie Holden
Meet Lexie Holden, a second year majoring in Political Science. She's involved with ADD.
How would you describe your style?
It’s hard to determine like one particular definition because I seriously just tend to wear what I like. For example, sometimes I will wear floral embroidered skirts with pussybow blouses and block heels, a decidedly feminine look. On the contrast, I also love this white sweatshirt dress that I just recently bought with corset details on the side. It’s far more streetstyle/athleisure than I tend to opt for, but it’s now one of my favorite pieces. I chose this t-shirt to wear because 1) it’s the title of one of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s books that I loved and 2) because Dior recently featured the book title on a line of limited edition t-shirts during their spring season this year. I love the history of Dior and how his designs were influenced by a desire to break away from the sterility and brutality of WWII. Of course, my college budget doesn’t have a room for a $600 t-shirt, but I got this on Etsy for $24. I don’t typically wear t-shirts, but if I do, I want them to say something about me and what I believe in.
What does fashion mean to you?
Fashion to me means fast paced and ever changing, but I’ve been rocking some of my favorite pieces since middle school. I prefer to think of my closet as a time capsule across the ages, both from my own life and other generations. The pearl ring I am wearing is one that was owned by my great-grandmother. It’s been passed on every generation when the daughter of the family turns nineteen. My great-grandmother also loved red shoes, so when I told my mom I wanted these block heels, she nearly teared up because they were so reminiscent to the ones her grandmother wore. While those pieces have direct sentimental meaning, I find that some of my thrifted pieces evoke a sentimentality from another time. I like to imagine where the previous owners of some pieces wore them last, whether it was on a first date with their future life partners, or the day they achieved some great milestone in their life.
“Clothing is like a scrapbook with each person who wears it adding their own memories.
”
Who or what are your style inspirations?
I grew up in Germany, and Germans are by far the most stylishly dressed people in winter. They utilize layers, patterns, and textures in such an effortless way that the same few pieces can become an infinite arrangement of outfits. The colder weather here in Chicago means I can start layering up as well. Multiple jackets like what I wore today means I can stay warm without sacrificing the style of a blazer more suited for autumn temperatures rather than frigid Chicago winds.
What is your favorite current trend?
As someone who typically dresses in lots of skirts and tightfitting pieces that show off my legs, I am really loving the more ‘masculine’ trends like straight leg jeans or oversized blazers. It’s hard for me to find pieces that fit my petite frame well, so everything ends up looking a little oversized on me. Anything that isn’t body con is on trend for me now!
What are your favorite places to shop?
I really love thrifting and some of my best pieces have been thrifted/purchased secondhand. My cashmere scarf was $1 from a thrift sale fundraiser on campus, and my beret was actually a costume piece from a musical I was in in junior year of high school. The costume designer thought it was too good of a piece not to not let me keep, and she was such a wonderful person that it makes me think of her to wear it. For more basic pieces, I find some staples like these jeans at ASOS. It’s hard to define particular places because I don’t shop based on brand, but rather if I think the piece fits well or suits me.
And lastly, most important part of any look?
Confidence is always important because as long as you feel comfortable and proud in what you are wearing, that will shine through and make even the most basic outfits a one of a king mini fashion show. I also have to make an argument for some basic beauty products that without them, even in one of my favorite outfits, I feel uncomfortable without. For me, it’s perfume, mascara, lip balm, and concealer to hide the dark circles from studying all night. With just these four things, I feel like I can go from half asleep zombie to functioning human every morning.
All images courtesy of Kiran Misra. Check out her photography portfolio here.
