Wardrobe Basics for an Indie Wannabe

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     Don’t be offended by the title. I am still an indie wannabe, but I’m an indie wannabe who knows what you should buy. Up until recently I’ve been super unsure where to buy clothes to build my closet. Growing up in Texas, you would expect me to feel like I need to suppress that side of my style, yet living in Austin I’m more inspired than intimidated. I know that starting a new style can be extremely expensive, but I believe good pieces that can be used in many ways are worth the price. I also absolutely adore statement pieces. I have wanted a good way to find more cheap things, but I do not want to buy from a fast fashion chain that will harm the environment and use child labor. So now you’re asking, “Grace can you stop explaining and get along with the article?” yes, I can.

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     Let’s begin with the tops to wear. Cropped tank tops are something that you should always be on the lookout for. Now if you prefer to go with a more modest look you do not need this top to be cropped. Starting with a good black or white tank top is something that will make the rest of the outfit very easy to build around. We are going to discuss the 4 most common tank top neckline styles: scoop neck, halter, V-neck and crew necks. Scoop necklines pull the eye downward with its dip, creating a look of a longer neck and emphasizes your collarbone. It is very versatile and can be worn with most body types. Along with being kind to most body types, people with shorter necks have the most benefit from this neckline. Halter tops are very similar to scoop necks in the fact they’re friendly to most body types. The people who get the best look from halters are people with a larger bust or wide shoulder. V-necks are kind to all the decision is just depending on how deep the V is. While a deeper V will balance your silhouette, if you have larger boobs they are less of a basic item. Lastly a crew neck is created with the target of highlighting the face and shoulders. This particular neckline is a classic style which best suits wide shoulders, women with breasts on the smaller side and long necks. You can find a lot of good tanks at Pacsun, Nordstrom, Walmart, or a thrift store (be sure to check out my How to Thrift Like a Pro article, coming soon).

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     We all hate jeans shopping. With a strong passion. It’s exhausting to find something that hugs all those areas the right way. Luckily for you and me, the jean style you want to look for when buying for your newly indie wardrobe is either a mom jean or denim utility pants. Once you have found the right fit, they accentuate the butt and you don’t have to find a pair that shows your legs the “right” way. A straight cut along the leg looks more grown up and these jeans tend to be on the comfier side which is quite the relief. Someone who has an indie style will either go with a low rise or very high-rise jean. Do not buy mid-rise jeans. While I respect them with the right style this is not what we are aiming for. You should try and play around with high-rise and low-rise to find what makes you feel the most comfortable. The distressing on the jeans is a personal choice and can range from person to person same as the rise of the jeans. A good place to invest in well-fitting and well-made jeans is American Eagle. If they seem to be out of your price range, I adore my jeans from Target and Pacsun.

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     How about we stay on the topic of bottoms? Tennis skirts have a larger range than you would expect. There are your classis tennis skirts with a more fitted look combined with an elastic waistband. While these are on the side that fall into harder to style, they can be cute if you know how to wear them. This type of skirt can be found at most athleisure stores such as Dick’s or Academy. The second type of tennis skirt are pleated. These are easily found with a more casual fabric. The pleated tennis skirt is what you will find most outfit inspiration for. The pleating of the skirt is very flattering for someone with a smaller bottom. While people with larger butts can wear these as well just keep in mind it may ride up in the back. You can find these at H&M, Princess Polly, and athleisure stores too. The last style of tennis skirts is a bit of a hybrid of the first two. It is a straight fabric in the front and pleating in the back. This is excellent at creating the illusion that your bottom is bigger the same as the second style. These tend to be the hardest to style out of the 3. You can find these on Lululemon and other athleisure stores.

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     We are going to finish this off with outerwear. A sweater vest or a knit sweater on top of a collared shirt is very appealing and can pull together the whole look. On the flip side worn correctly the vest without a collar is also very stylish and looks especially good with the pleated skirts. Another very comfortable piece is an oversized zip up sweatshirt. The zipper is essential so that you can unzip it and allow your outfit underneath to be visible. I recommend buying these in a neutral color so they can be worn with most outfits. Both of these items are easy to find when thrifting and at most stores.

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     Keep in mind another great place to shop is Zumiez. They were not somewhere that I have personally bought any items on this list from, but I have bought things from them before. Keep in mind no matter what you’re buying you can buy it from unexpected stores.

 

Check out my Pinterest for outfit ideas on how to style these pieces at gracejackson2004

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~Grace Jackson