Author: HCG Style

The classics.

In my experience, the best fashion advice you will ever receive is from fabulous woman over the age of 60. They have lived through countless phases and eras of trends. Their prime was in the years of international fashion icons like Audrey Hepburn and Princess Di. They breathed the classic designs of Gianni Versace and Giorgio Armani. I admire these women in awe and envy. There poses no question when it comes to their personal style. These ladies know what they are wearing. They hold a solid understanding of what works, and what absolutely does not. And they’re not afraid to tell you.

This old English couple strolled into the pub I serve at a couple months ago. They sat at the bar, ate hummus, and consumed copious amounts of beer together. The older woman sported a stylish lilac purple bob haircut. Tousled but straight. My heart fluttered with intrigue. I broke the ice by expressing how much I loved her hair. We clicked instantly. She wears Coach, tortoise shell rimmed glasses, and an incredible sassy attitude. She tells me how they lived on the French Quarter in New Orleans and all the crazy experiences. Crowds of drunk people and folks shitting in the street. Then proudly confesses to me about her wild days of the 70’s. She broke into concerts, like the Rolling Stones, and Queen. Oh, the glory! Then she endearingly calls me “bitch” in her proper-like English accent, and I really feel like brilliant gold.

Yesterday I walked into the pub on a day I wasn’t working. Not long after walks in these two wonderful people. I sat down next to them at the bar to join their afternoon beer binge. The woman and I start talking about fashion, as she noticed the Vogue magazine I was carrying with me. As she naturally never runs out of things to say, this subject genuinely lit up her words, and I hung on every one. First she told me, even as a bit of a “spendthrift” herself – never pay full price for high end fashion. There’s always someone wanting to sell last season gems for 75% off on some outlet site. Keep an eye out for something you find remarkable, and snatch it. Fashion is forever changing, but honey, style is forever. Next thing she says – never underestimate the power of an incredible accessory. It can change your entire look. From common to uniquely stellar. You can wear an outstanding designer accessory with an outfit from Target, and you will still have that je ne sais quoi. Finally, the most important of her philosophies – always go with the classics. With a classic piece, you can never be wrong, because it simply cannot be compared.

As we relish in the topic of classics, my beautiful Nana instantly comes to mind. There is no better example of someone so fashionably classic, as her. She always reminded me of Julie Andrews, with her sandy blonde pixie cut. When I think about my Nana, I think of her round silver dangle earrings embedded with the clean Tiffany & Co. label. I was about 8 years old when my sweet Grandpa started to date her. As a kid enamored by fashion since the beginning, she was the first woman who showed me the importance of being classic. Her style is Venetian-like. Simple outfits with subtle accents that stand out among the rest. Everything she wears is handpicked, and just right. Her house is like a palace of her own. Decorated with fancy European paintings and wondrous lampshades. The perfect color of red, which took her months to decide, throughout the walls of the entrance and dinning room. The thing I’ve always appreciated about her is that she never settles for anything mediocre. Something subpar to the idea the idea in her head, just simply won’t do. Looking up to this wonderful woman truly shaped my fashion sense. I wanted to make myself elegantly classic, like her. And believe in this lovely truth – If there’s something you want, pay close attention, and you will always find it. Never accept anything less than what you desire. You design the world you exist in.

In my own journey with discovering myself and my personal style, I will always hold this belief close to my heart. Be daring, be bold, and never forget the classics darling.

Soft Glam Aesthetics with a Sweet Edge.

I’ve pressed the reboot button on my own personal style. My closet is wrapped in yellow tape with big black letters warning you: UNDER CONSTRUCTION. This is normal for me. Every few years my fashion sense undergoes a complete personality shift. I just get bored. Time to change it up, and explore a new part of myself. Middle school was my wacky rebellion. Nothing matches, my Converse shoes ride all the way up to my knees, and I dare you to say anything about it kind of phase. High school was my Spencer Hastings type, preppy hipster phase. Riding boots, knit sweaters, and Cardigans galore. (I was still a terrible student) Into college I was your typical Tumblr girl. Flannel’s and graphic tee’s. Then I was a college drop out, and I abandoned the cookie cutter looks as I became a more raw version of myself. Bad-ass gamer chic. Now as I grow I’m becoming closer to my feminine side, and there is where I feel the true aesthetics of my inner soul come out to play.

If I can’t see myself wearing it on a boat in the white sunshine during the middle of July, or gracefully strolling through the cobblestone streets of Italy, then I move on. My thoughts come to me through rose tinted filters, and I let myself get lost in them. Maraschino cherry red against a lovely sandy tan. Daisy flower fields on the side of a road. Going camping along a lake and wearing a swimsuit all day in the 90 degree weather. The outfit you wear to the carnival on a warm night, and the dress you put on to go to the river the next day. Summer is inching it’s way back to my heart. Oh, how I love and long for this season. I can hear my high wasted shorts whisper to me from the back of my closet. As summer is my favorite season because of the sweet sun beating down on me and the outdoor activities. It’s also of course, because it’s where I feel like I can express my personal style to the fullest. The less layers I have to wear, the better. Tank tops are my addiction. I remember one time in the 6th grade I wore tank tops, no jackets, all throughout the winter. (Middle school. My wack fashion rebellion.) “Aren’t you cold???” Everyone would constantly ask me, especially my grandparents. “If I wear tank tops, then I feel like the universe will get the hint, and summer will come back faster.” I’d reply, and I’m not exaggerating.

I’ve been drawn to this delicate kind of pastel glam. A huge fashion inspiration of my mine recently has been Selena Gomez. When I think of her I see gold baby hoops, and clear lip gloss. I want to live inside the fantasy of her Fetish music video from 2017. The soft, pale summer tones, and psychotic love themes drive me absolutely wild. Her yellow ankle length dress she wears with the stark white sneakers is a classic look with a twist of street edge. I’m obsessed. It takes all of my previous phases and meshes them into one. Maybe my fashion sense is like a collective mind creature. Every time it dies, the thing that killed it morphs into a part of it, and it comes back stronger.

I saw this lady from the bank at the store today. I said hello, and she looked at me startled. “Oh, Hannah. I never recognize you, because you’re look is always changing.” Always keep em’ guessing, honey. As I’m going through this recent closet transformation I’m remembering how amazing metamorphosis feels. Shedding your old skin, and becoming a better version of yourself. Unleashing the inner working of your core without shame. Be present in the person you’re meant to be, and evolve into the one you’re meant to become. It’s a beautiful thing.

Butterfly clips and Platform Flip Flops.

Fashion, will forever be my first love. The affair began in the early 2000’s as I sat in my bedroom watching Mary-Kate and Ashley movies over and over again. They were always gushing over the latest fashion, and showing off their unique personal styles. Mary-Kate: tom-boy and edgy. Ashley: girly and soft. The chunky shoes, hair berets, and baby tee’s dazzled me from the beginning. I’d watch memorized by what everyone was wearing, rather than the story line itself. To witness the perfect outfit set my heart a blaze. Like whiskey to an alcoholic was like fashion to my young soul. For every birthday when asked what I wanted I’d just reply “FASHION!” with stars glittering in my eyes. On my 4th birthday I opened up a box with a glorious corduroy jacket that was vertically stripped with a sort of Scooby Doo like, color scheme. Slime green, turquoises, and violet. The cuffs were lined with white fur, and they came with matching pants. Oh, the thrill. I’d wear it everywhere. When complimented on my new threads I’d strike a proud pose, and simply say “It’s fashion.”

Today’s popular fashion trends send me into a bit on a depression sometimes. Everybody dresses like they want to look the same. Personal style dwindling before my eyes as I walk into bars, and I can’t tell anybody apart. Are you afraid to stand out in a crowd full of sheep? Afraid of the fox maybe? Self-judgement can eat away at you, if you let it. I guess the internet sets the stage for what’s in style, and people who get paid to post picture of their brand deals. Monochromatic nudes, everywhere I look. The mantra seems to be, if you go with something neutral then you can still look good without standing out too much. But, in my eyes your personal style should be a statement. It’s a form of self expression. Tell me who you are by the way you put yourself together everyday. Or maybe it’s the person you want to be. Don’t fall into the deep gray pit of the overly produced, and over-branded. The airbrushed, and the squeaky clean. I’m sick of our perfectionist culture and everyone trying to look like Instagram models. Individualism is power, baby.

I think the reason why I’m enthralled with the early’s 2000’s fashion scene is because authentic personal style in pop culture, was still alive. Y2K – a brand new start. Grasping onto the new century and destroying the old ways. It granted the freedom to be something different. The rules didn’t exist yet. You look back at some old pictures from this era and laugh at yourself. What the hell was I thinking wearing a skirt over jeans? All those baby tee’s with giant hot pink sparkly letter’s that spelled out “DRAMA QUEEN”. JUICY Sweatsuits. Tinted sunglasses decked out in rhinestones. Layers on layers on layers. The fashion atrocities that arose in the 2000’s are a grand symbol of people just trying to figure it out. It was raw style. Maybe at times it did look as though you took all the colors of paint, and mixed them all together making it a terrible poop color that nobody likes. We were all just guessing what looked good, and that in itself shows off a powerful statement. This is me, and this is what I want to wear. Celebrities would show up to red carpets in their street clothes! Spaghetti strap tank tops, low rise jeans, and sneakers. They wore whatever they wanted, showed up messy, and it was fucking awesome.

A quote from Paris Hilton, the true 2000’s fashion legend, caught my eye the other day. “Be like a diamond, precious and rare. Not a stone found everywhere.” So, you put on something that’s speaking to you in the moment. An accessory, or clothing item. If you think to yourself, maybe I should change I don’t know how it looks on me, that’s your sign to walk out the door right now. Don’t question it anymore, you look fabulous darling.