Walking My Fashion Talk
It has been years since I have covered my fashion journey on this blog. But those years were put to good use. I had a surge of inspiration after moving to NYC in 2017. While I started this blog in Florida, I achieved an incredible level-up after moving to “The City”. I started earning more money than I had ever had up until that point, and that allowed me to start elevating my wardrobe in a new direction. However, I was still refining my personal style and my closet was still very limited and rather basic. But I was off to a healthy start.
Leading up to 2019, my shopping took place predominantly at commercial stores accessible to me around the city - SOHO specifically. That mostly included ZARA, H&M, Uniqlo and Topman, but I did dabble in some other shops, like Cole Haan, MANGO, and more. There is nothing wrong with those stores, obviously, but as I reflect on my blog content I can’t help but to feel like my sense of style was not yet complete. It really was only the beginning of a deeper journey ahead.
Quarantine: A Gateway to Experimentation
Once the global pandemic hit, and we were all brought indoors for an extended season, things changed significantly for me. Spending a considerable amount of time in my solitude (which I honestly didn’t mind all that much; it was rather nice) prompted me to introspect to greater depths. TikTok really kicked off (and that’s a huge story for another blog), and gave people unparalleled access to the rest of the world and a level of playfulness/authenticity that not everyone had experienced before.
With this emerging social platform, and having taken a step back from my Instagram, I was eager to start experimenting with various forms of fashion content on the platform. While some of that included some “cringey” lip-sync and dancing content, it was largely focused on exhibiting my ongoing fashion journey and personal style development. ASOS had become my go-to for shopping; for various reasons:
They offered a broader variety of form-fitting clothes, and I love a skinny fit
The styles of clothing for men leaned into androgyny, which I hadn’t found as much of before
Their shipping efficiency and regular sales events made shopping with them convenient
As I was quickly building my wardrobe, my career was also taking off and I was growing an audience on TikTok very fast - so at that point it was inevitably time to expand my horizons.
A Wild, but Stylish Ride
With all of the rapid growth I was experiencing, my creativity was evolving simultaneously. I felt the desire to branch into new clothing varieties and push the boundaries of my personal style, content development, and gender expression. I began introducing new things into my wardrobe, like crop tops, designer luxury items and skirts. It was around this time, between the years of 2020 and 2023, that I went full experimental rode. Looking back, I was a bit all over the place, but at the same time I did know what I was doing. I just didn’t know what to expect from it.
My outfits went from standard, and for the most part palatable to most audiences, to being considerably unconventional, alternative and very much campy. The content covering my fashion leaned more and more into character-inspired outfits, to the point of practically being mostly closet cosplays. I was attempting to establish my niche, and was curious to what extent my personal style could flex. I had some viral/semi-viral hits, and some epic flops, but to me, it wasn’t only about the public perception - it was also about the ongoing journey in fashion and style that I had committed myself to.
Encountering a Crossroads
It had reached a point between the end of 2022 and the start of 2024 where my style had sent many mixed messages, and attracted audiences in very disconnected ways. The majority of my core audience on TikTok (which was where I had become a genuine mid-size influencer at that point) wanted consistent camp and cosplay, while I began growing tired of silly, over-the-top and peak maximalist looks. In getting more comfortable within my now 3rd decade of life, my style naturally began to become more relaxed and refined. I had added many more designer luxury clothing items to my wardrobe, from places like DEMOBAZA, Salt Murphy, and SSENSE.
It felt like my style experimentation period was reaching its finish line. I had dressed myself and expressed my identity in a number of different ways, so much so that I organically arrived at what I could call my personal style. Overall masculine (even if some toxic folks don’t consider it masculine enough), but with a touch of flair and plenty of range in aesthetic - there was really no further significant experimentation to be done, and no persistent curiosity to expand on it much further. I started doubling-down on my style, which is what you have seen sprinkled throughout this blog. The social media reception was not at the same viral heights I had grown accustomed to, and some people tried to minimize my efforts by not being able to “take me seriously”, but I could see a new type of audience being attracted to my style.
I decided to commit to this new path, even if it meant starting over again.
Staying True to My Personal Style
In staying consistent with my personal style and brand identity this year, I have seen new growth. I’m establishing a thriving YouTube community centered around fashion and style in some of my favorite mediums, and my online business is undergoing a rebirth. Despite how chaotic my style journey may have appeared to be, and all of the judgements I’ve experienced along the way, I feel confident in who I am and how I express myself, because I stayed true to myself every step of the way. Perhaps hit-or-miss in my execution, but genuine and authentic nonetheless.
That’s really all it takes when it comes to establishing your personal style - you have to be real with yourself. You have to own your identity, whether people believe you’re right or wrong, and do the best you can with what you have and what you’re aware of. If you only dress, act and live in a way that others expect you to, then is your style of dressing, living and being truly your own? Fruit for thought. But I personally think not. You gotta walk in a fashion that truly represents you; strut like you’re a model in your own personal fashion show. Some may think you look silly and are completely delusional, but if it feels good and authentic, then it’s probably YOUR style.