May Flowers and Fits

It’s over.

As I write this, the sun is beating down on my MacBook Air while I sip from a Cherry Poppi. School's (almost) out. The Kiss of Venus by Paul McCartney, and Gen Z's one-man-Beatle, Dominic Fike, is blasting in my headphones.

It's all coming to a close. So is my time with 404 Error.

Dearest readers, this will be my last weekly post on the blog. While I will occasionally contribute, my consistent posts will be no more. I will be directing my writing pursuits elsewhere. You can see what I do next on Instagram or LinkedIn. I am always a DM away. 

To close out this semester-long journey, I wrote about my May outfits. What defines dressing in this awkward period? 

Heck if I know, but I attempted to figure that out. Read on as I discuss my fits, captured in varying camera qualities.

The dorm mirror that I'll miss dearly...

Spring in New York is almost always rainy, but your girl doesn’t own a raincoat. In the wise words of Doechii before the Met Gala, “I need more umbrellas. Now!” 

The college-student version of braving the rain is wearing as few layers as possible. This Sunday morning, I woke up a little later than I should have, so I quickly put on the sorority girl’s uniform: a black T-shirt and jeans. 

As many of you know, I work at Madewell's Soho location. As part of my hiring process, I was allowed to pick a few items for free, including this T-shirt. I don’t make commission, so when I tell you it’s the perfect T-shirt, I mean that from the bottom of my heart. It hugs in all the right places and falls perfectly against my Levi's Low Loose jeans. 

My day consisted of bagels with a close friend, an off-Broadway show, and going to the NYU dorms, so I knew the outfit had to be simple, flexible, and cute. I dressed up the look with my Kenneth Cole pointy boots and a shoulder bag I thrifted back in Portland, Oregon. She’s a bit basic, but she braved the weather. What more can a girl ask for?

Okay emo!

April showers bring May flowers, but May flowers bring fashion school finals. 

Monday, we wrapped up my product development class with a final exam. I dressed the part by donning my Guess jean jacket, pulled from the Tompkins Square flea market racks. The jacket fits me perfectly, so I hate to pack it away for the summer. Alas, black denim just isn’t the vibe in 70-degree weather.

I layered the jacket on top of a thrifted little black dress and my Everlane black mock-neck tank. I have this weird fear of wearing color (probably stemming from my eclectic middle school wardrobe). In color’s stead, I buy primarily black, white, and blue pieces. I’ll compromise on an occasional red piece, too. Call me Ms. America. 

Here’s the thing about the belt: I never buy pieces to wear them once. Before I buy anything, I try to imagine it with at least three different outfits. However, I purchased this leather beauty at William Temple Thrift Store in PDX for a last-minute costume. The character? Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club. The belt was perfect for the costume, but not my style at the time. It would remain in my dresser drawer at home for months, pulled out for the odd fit. 

Now that I’m at college and feel freer to experiment with my style, I find the belt goes incredibly well with an all-black going-out outfit. Today’s look is the day version of what I wore a few weeks ago.

Okay emo-er!

After class, I changed my denim jacket for my Aritzia hoodie and cowboy boots for Adidas Sambas. I ran errands, wrote five hundred words for my journalism class, went to another class, and then ran back to my dorm to change before dinner. Such is the life of a fashion school student. It was raining throughout the day, so the wide hood on my hoodie easily accommodated my headphones. 

Something that has nothing to do with the theme of this blog post: buy your flowers at Trader Joe's. 

When I was quoted $30 for a bouquet of roses at Whole Foods but $15 for a slightly smaller bouquet at Trader Joe's, you can bet where I spent my money. You can also make such a cheap and gorgeous bouquet for under $15 at Trader Joe's (I am not being paid to say this. I recognize that my audience is college students who need to save a buck.) I’ll link the TikTok tutorial that I used here to make my bouquet. 

Liz Rosenbaum

It’s nearly impossible to wear the same outfit for an entire day in college. Monday, I proved that statement right. For dinner, I changed into my Madewell Arc-Leg jeans. Barrel leg was never a trend for me, and I type that loud and proud. I’ll admit it, I dress on the basic side. What I love is the ability to play in my self-imposed box, precisely what the barrel leg does for me. The jeans’ taper creates a fun silhouette when paired with my pointed-toe Kenneth Cole boots, once again. 

After checking the weather, I realized the night would be chillier than expected. I ended up stealing this stunning Louis Vuitton sweater from my girlfriend's closet. She found it at a consignment shop in Mexico over winter break, but hasn’t taken it out of her closet yet.

Of course, I’m obsessed with the color palette, but what cements this sweater for me is the buttons running across the front of the left shoulder. I’m given an option: do I bare my shoulder to the world, or keep it buttoned away for another day? I decided the latter. I also considered wearing the matching scarf, but it wasn’t that cold. 

Melina Popp

Once again, I woke up too late to plan a proper outfit. On Tuesdays, I have back-to-back classes, meetings, and a shift in the Style Shop, so I knew I had to throw on something functional yet cute. I spied the striped LV sweater draped across my desk chair. That’ll do (she said, jumping over the moon.)

My summer uniform is a rotation of t-shirts and tank tops, always worn with the same two pairs of shorts and my cowboy boots. The warmer weather meant I could bring back my summer pieces, so these little denim shorts were a must-wear. When paired with my Banana Republic tote bag and little red belt, I’m ready for whatever May may bring (Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo, if you will). 

Thanks for reading to the end. I’ll be back soon enough. Until next time, 404 Error!