A Week of Looks: Glenys McGuire
A Week of Looks’ aim, at its creation, was to provide deeper insight into the daily fashion choices of people with eye-catching and thought-provoking personal style. In this third installment, Glenys McGuire, a first year in the College, gives me insight into her style and its evolution from London to Chicago (including her love of thrifting and second-hand shopping). She also even shot and edited all of her own photos of her daily outfits herself, and here’s a little more about Glenys:
My name is Glenys, and I am a first year. I grew up in London, but this past summer I moved to New York, where my dad is originally from. I applied to UChicago as a Global Studies major. In high school I was really invested in learning about aid, development, and human rights—for both intellectual and personal reasons, as my Mom's side of the family is Haitian. I have not decided if that is definitely what I want to pursue because I am also interested in exploring anthropology, sociology, psychology, and Italian. So, I'm keeping my options open for now.
On campus I write for MODA Mag and I help out with the WHPK social media. I'm still discovering what I want to invest my time in, which has been challenging to figure out because of COVID. My personal interests are mostly centered around visual arts, writing, and music.
Is there anything about fashion that scares you?
I wouldn’t say there is anything about fashion that scares me. That’s not something I have always been able to say, but I think that coming into myself and my style has made me more open to taking risks, as well as worry less about the way I am perceived. Something that has become less scary for me over the last few years is dressing for my body. I used to be scared that if I didn’t dress modestly or in clothes that were much too big for me, that I would be sexualized or perceived as dressing for people other than myself. This stopped me from feeling comfortable and confident in tighter or more “revealing” clothing. While it’s still not the way I feel most comfortable dressing, it’s no longer something I avoid; I’m able to feel confident in all the ways in which I choose to dress myself and no longer fear the judgement of others.
While related to learning how to dress for my body, coming into my femininity was something I found incredibly scary. From childhood well into teenage years, stereotypically speaking, I dressed like a boy. I wore baggy jeans, t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, and sneakers. I would never put on a dress unless forced to. Heels were always a no, and I did not wear any makeup. Fashion only became interesting to me when I started seeing it as a method of creativity and self expression.
The current TikTok trend of women “wanting to be feminine the way men are feminine” goes to the core of this idea that when men express femininity it is seen as self-expression, but when women dress femininely they are fitting a societal mold. Learning to associate femininity with creativity and self-expression, instead of associating it with my fears of being judged or sexualized, completely changed my relationship with my body, my clothes, and my identity.
How do your style choices change day to day?
Besides the practical aspects of dressing for the weather and putting on comfortable shoes if I am going to walk a lot, my style often varies according to the extent of femininity I want to present on any given day. This is not something dictated by external circumstances or plans, but more truly just how I feel internally each morning. Dressing in looser, more “masculine” clothing is something that comes very easily to me and makes me feel comfortable, whereas putting on a dress or skirt is how I dress when I want a change or more of a step outside my comfort zone. I feel my most confident when blending the elements of my closet together; for example, satin slips and oversized sweaters (which is an outfit staple I have in multiple variations).
There are some elements of my style that do not really change. When I was younger, I used to have to wear a uniform every day to school, so I got fixated on personalizing the way I looked every day as much as possible. This was what began my accessory collection, my love of painted nails, and the need for statement jackets in my closet. Those three things are also the things people notice or compliment me the most on now. I always have my nails painted lots of colors or with little dot or heart patterns; I find painting my nails really therapeutic and they feel like another accessory for me. My Harley Davidson leather jacket, that I have owned for about four years now, is also a staple that people instantly recognize me for, especially in a world where we always wear masks. In fact, some people that I am now friends with called me “leather jacket girl” before they knew my name.
How has the transition to college affected your style?
If anything, the transition to college made me cling to my style. A huge part of the way I express myself nonverbally is through my clothes, and I did not want to change the way I present myself just because I was entering a new environment. At first, I worried that I was sticking out too much or that I would be seen as “intimidating” or worse: “trying too hard.” However, recognition of the way I dress also made me a lot of friends as it was a great conversation starter and hopefully made me somewhat memorable. My worries faded, and I very quickly realized that the people who appreciated the way I dressed were interested in getting to know me, and I, them.
Something that changed recently, but not because of college, was my interest in makeup. I started wearing minimal makeup on the weekends during my senior year, but during quarantine, I started to really like eyeliner. Putting on makeup with nowhere to go was a good way of practicing, and now, putting on eyeliner is something I do almost every day. In the same way as putting on nail polish, I see it as an accessory. It’s not necessarily something I need to feel good about myself but something I really enjoy nonetheless.
How did you start shopping almost fully second-hand? Why is it important to you?
My closet is the visual representation of my style evolution through shopping second hand almost exclusively for the past two years and exploring the best places in London to do. My style is sentimental too: a lot of my clothes carry memories, and my closet definitely holds a lot of stories because a lot of time, effort, and curation has gone into it.
My initial incentive for shopping more sustainably was the environment. I also wanted to practice being a more conscious consumer while I was young so that I can carry those habits on when I become financially independent. What made me cut out fast fashion (with the exception of occasional gifts and important items like shoes/socks/underwear) was the confidence I gained shopping second hand. Cultivating an individual style really helped me come out of my shell, both literally and figuratively. It became a way of spending time with myself and learning more about myself.
The more I did it, the less I was drawn to buying new clothes as it was not satisfying or necessary for me anymore. I was also able to encourage some of my friends to shop more sustainably: I would take them shopping pre-COVID, and during quarantine, I started personal shopping for my best friends (sending them link after link from eBay, Depop, etc.). For me, setting a trend is more than someone imitating what I wear (I have a twin sister so that is not unfamiliar to me). It is someone appreciating the way I dress, how personal it is to me, and the way I achieved that through shopping second hand, and wanting to do the same thing themselves.
Monday
What was your inspiration for this fit?
On Monday, there was snow on the ground, so I knew I wanted to wear boots. However, rather than wearing a big sweater, I decided to layer with long sleeves. My long winter coat gives me a lot of flexibility when I get dressed knowing I will stay warm, so the weather does not influence my outfit choices too much.
Instead of wearing a lot of different colors, I wanted to wear lots of different textures. Keeping my color combination to black and white, with blue accents on the argyle of my pants, allowed me to mix lots of different textures together. I am wearing two layered mesh tops: a ribbed high-neck top underneath a scoop neck blouse with elegant mesh sleeves and buttons at the wrists. The tank top I am wearing over the mesh tops is a slim-fit velvet tank top. The black and white color-block in combination with the layered textures kept my outfit interesting without it needing to be super colorful. My fur coat and white leather boots also added more textures to the outfit.
What are you wearing?
I am wearing two separate white mesh tops layered with a thrifted black velvet tank top. The high neck ribbed mesh top was purchased on sale from a boutique a few years ago, but is from a brand called SEEK THE LABEL . The mesh top with the sheer sleeves was a gift from Urban Outfitters. My pants are Hot Lava, and my boots are the Jadon Dr. Martens. I found my coat on Ebay, and I wear it pretty much every day when it gets cold. It is a long black coat that is actually reversible: one side is faux fur and one is waterproof nylon with a faux fur trim. So, it goes with my closet really well and is good for all winter weather.
I keep my accessories pretty similar each day, plus or minus a couple pearl necklaces or rings. My accessories are my most sentimental items, and so, they are an element of every outfit I wear. On this day I added a couple necklaces for more pearls and layers, to keep it a little dressy and start the week off well!
Tuesday
What was your inspiration?
I wore boots again to keep my feet dry and warm, and they give me a little height so the bottom of my jeans don’t touch the floor. Other than that practical decision, I wanted to add some color to my outfit on Tuesday, so my multi-color mesh top was an easy pick. The way I matched on Tuesday was incorporating a lot of square shapes: the pockets on the back of my jeans are square, in addition to the color-blocks on the mesh top and the square buttons on my cardigan. The material of my cardigan also matched my hat, which was another way I pulled my outfit together.
What are you wearing?
I went for a different layered look with a mesh top and a tank top where I layered a thrifted black, lace-trim tank over my color-block mesh top, bought a couple years ago from UNIF (which I no longer shop from). I then put on my very warm and fuzzy cardigan, which I got on Depop. My jeans are high waisted and 70s-inspired with wide legs and square back pockets. They are thrifted and so is my belt with a gold buckle that matches my staple gold jewelry. My boots are Dr. Marten, and my Kangol bucket hat was purchased on eBay!
I kept my accessories the same as the day before, but I added my black Kangol hat to match the fuzzy cardigan and my winter coat and to keep me warm! You can also see my beaded bracelets I made with my little brother, which I also wear every day.
Wednesday
What was your inspiration for this fit?
The weather did not influence me much on Wednesday as my busy class schedule kept me inside most of the day. However, my mixed material sweater is actually very warm. I love wearing white in winter, so it was a great excuse for another color-block outfit with layered textures. I also wanted to mix masculine and feminine elements. My off-white baggy carpenter jeans with a delicate lace top was the perfect combination. My Nike Air Force 1s were chosen because they’re comfortable and the blue, black, and white color block added blue accents to another black and white outfit.
What are you wearing?
I am wearing baggy 90s jeans with big back pockets and the word ‘boss’ written down the zipper and across the back (above the pockets). I got them from Goodwill and they are one of my favorite pairs of jeans because I have found so many different ways to wear them. My shoes are Nike Air Force 1s that I found on eBay.
My top underneath is the same thrifted black lace trim tank—a huge layering closet staple. The statement item of this outfit, my sweater, was bought together at a boutique with the white high neck mesh top, but it is by Nature Rose. It has a triangular panel of speckled mesh and a ribbed collar, but the rest of the sweater is a black loose knit that is semi-sheer and has a chunky rib seam that crosses across the front and back diagonally.
My accessories were more minimal on Wednesday as the mesh and knit top was the main statement. However, I did add a black leather belt with a gold buckle to add shape to my outfit and dress up the jeans a little.
Thursday
What was your inspiration for this fit?
My inspiration for Thursday and Friday’s outfits was Valentine’s Day with the weekend approaching. Red is one of my favorite colors to wear, so I’ll take any excuse to wear more of it. I also think my closet has two main color ranges, which you can see as I wear a lot of blues and white and reds and black.
What are you wearing?
My GB sweater is probably the most sentimental clothing item I own. I bought it at Portobello Market, a vintage market a few minutes away from where I grew up in London. I spent a lot of time there as a kid as my Mum sold antiques there, and as I grew up, I began buying a lot of my clothes there. When I found out we were going to move to America over Summer 2020, I started walking around London more to fully appreciate the time I had left. One of the ways I did that was walking home from school (for over an hour) every Friday I could. I would purposefully walk down Portobello Road, where the market set up on Fridays and the weekends, on my way home as it is one of my favourite streets.
Right before COVID hit, I met a seller while he was packing up to go home on a Friday evening, and I convinced him to sell me the sweater for the small amount of cash I had on me. When I bought it, all my friends thought I bought it for my initials (my middle name is Beatrice), but all my friends in the US think it’s a reference to Great Britain. Either way, it’s my most cherished item as it has personal significance and holds a lot of fond memories of London for me. I matched this sweater with a slip skirt (from Depop), layered tights and Dr. Marten boots.
Except for a few of my necklaces which I received as gifts and my beaded bracelets that I made with my little brother, all the jewelry that I am wearing here, and the rest of my entire jewelry collection, has been purchased from second hand sources: eBay, Depop, vintage markets, and thrift stores. My jewelry is also another part of my outfit that lets me layer! I wear pretty much the same jewelry every day, so it’s definitely a staple part of every outfit for me.
Friday
What are you wearing?
Wanting to wear red again, I put on my thrifted vintage red wrangler jeans with a super high waist and long belt loops with v-shaped seams at the front and back. To match, I put on my black and red gimme! Coffee baby tee, which I got at a Goodwill, but is originally American Apparel. I found out over winter break that the logo is actually a coffee shop in New York, and I coincidentally passed one in an Uber. I spotted the awning from the car, so I was not able to look more. However, it turns out the shops are now sadly closed as a result of the pandemic. Under my baby tee, I put on a black long-sleeve, and over that, I added my white sheer under-bust corset (that I got for Christmas) to dress it up and add some detail.
For shoes, I put on my Nike Uptempos. I became obsessed with these Scottie Pippen Uptempos after watching The Last Dance with my Dad on Netflix, and I scoured the internet for weeks to find a pair second-hand. I eventually did, but when they came, they were fake and not in the condition described. I was super upset, but I managed to get a refund. On the day I returned the shoes, they came back into stock on a UK shoe website. I purchased them immediately and have no regrets. I love these shoes as they add some spice to my otherwise quite simple shoe collection, and although most of my clothes are second hand, I think buying new shoes you love and are going to wear a lot is always a good investment.
All images were taken and edited by Glenys McGuire.
