So, my journey with fashion started with a closet. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a fashion-conscious mother or sister whose pre-curated collection of pieces could give me a head start. What I did have was my father’s closet. Ransacking it made me look like a rapper… just one who wasn’t cool and was constantly tripping over oversized hems meant for someone twice her size. My teenage era was thus dictated by baggy everything, oversized jackets, and chunky sneakers (all back in style now, for the record).

Eventually, I got rescued by a part-time job at a bustling teen fashion hub: a place where the mainstream met hints of alt rebellion and pop-culture energy. This is where I learned the basics of fashion, and my interest in gothic deepened from there. Now, I know this isn’t the maximalist, optimistic 2010’s Tumblr era where you could freely express everything all at once. These days, it’s about the details: for example, the way someone drags their eyeliner just a bit longer, as a subtle nod to 60s mod energy. Or, say, wearing a vintage band tee under your blazer to let people know you’re into something beyond business casual, or adding one statement piece that hints at your actual taste without HR getting involved.

That balance is what I’m figuring out here: how to build a wardrobe that pulls from Harajuku’s maximalism and gothic’s edge without looking like you’re headed to a costume party. If you’re trying to dress like yourself while still showing up to work like a functioning adult, or you’re rebuilding your style after years of just wearing whatever was around, stick around. I write about what I’m wearing, what’s shifting in fashion, and how to make it work without losing what makes you interesting in the first place.