Taking time off

Anytime someone writes about fashion and style they are expected to fit the mold. They must be up on all of the latest trends and always put their best foot forward. One tiny misstep and people begin to question how fashionable you really are. It gets to a point though, when you want to cut yourself off from the fashion world for some time. I feel like this all of the time. I think I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't at least try to look somewhat put together everyday. Like everyone else, though, I have those days where I just want to throw on a pair of jeans, a hoodie, and flip flops. As of late, I've had many of those days.

The end of the semester is one of high stress. We have to worry about finals and research papers. We have to line up jobs and internships for the summer. Who has time to get ready in the morning? Who has time to go shopping and stock up on what's hot for summer? Who has the time to care about anything going on in the fashion industry? I certainly haven't had anytime to pamper myself as of late, and I certainly haven't had time to devote to the industry I have written about for the past two years.

What I'm trying to say is I give up for the rest of the semester, which isn't much longer. I'm taking time off; going on a vacation from my closet. I'm just going to throw on whatever I feel like wearing. No more thinking about it in advance. No more thinking about what other people may be expecting of me. I'm just going to concentrate on me. I have way too much on my plate to care what shirt I'm going to wear with what jeans.

Recently one of my roommates said that it was nice to see me dressed down for a change. It was eleven o'clock in morning and I had just gotten back from a night in Boston. Of course I thought I looked like complete crap with my hoodie and jeans on. But I could see where she was coming from. She was so used to seeing me get ready that it was like a completely different person who was standing in front of her. Apparently I looked fresh faced.

It's one thing to take pride in one's appearance. Sometimes I've taken it further and changed several times before class, and I still wasn't satisfied with what I was wearing. But what I've come to realize is that no one here cares about what they look like. It's a typical college campus, dominated by sweatpants and hoodies. This means I have to start making changes to how I run things with "Craft Style Files".

Thankfully the summer is right around the corner. I can completely disconnect myself from school and fashion and just do what I want. Hopefully when I return in the fall I will have fresh perspective on what can be covered as far as this campus is concerned. It is one thing to have your friends read your column and always praise you. It is another to have complete strangers compliment you on it. I love to write. I wouldn't be a part of this newspaper if I didn't. This summer couldn't come at a better time. A brief hiatus is all I need to come back ready to dish out some new, interesting tips and hopefully a new format for "Craft Style Files".