Words by Maggie Gannon

Since a young age, I have always cared a huge amount, (probably too much), about my outfit for a particular day. Whether it be a shopping day with the girls, a night out, grabbing a coffee, or simply chilling at home, the question of ÔÇÿwhat on earth should I wear?ÔÇÖ springs to my mind daily. For me, what I choose to wear, in turn, gives off an impression to other people about my sense of identity. However, as I have become older, (and hopefully wiser), my style has certainly evolved through various trends and inspirations. I have found myself slightly less focused on my outfit being trendy, and more so on it being comfortable and something I genuinely like. DonÔÇÖt get me wrong, I am a sucker for the latest tik-tok trend like the next person, but gradually I am slowly finding my feet with my style and beginning to purchase things I know will last me a few years and not just a night out.

As soon as I could voice an opinion (approximately at around 2 years old), my mother began to give up choosing me outfits and letting me decide which tutu my wellie boots would go best with. Having been yet another girl obsessed and fixated on the idea of becoming a ballerina, some of my first outfits focused solely on big, pink dresses with tiaras to match. As the years went on, very stereotypically ÔÇÿgirlyÔÇÖ colours did not seem to leave my wardrobe, although I did find myself reaching for tutus less. This fixation on ballet and performance, however, drew me towards films starring the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews.  I really began to look up to the elegance and minimalism of their outfits, (quite the contrast of some of my previous looks).

Audrey Hepburn is largely considered a fashion icon, known for her elegance and love of ballet flats, tailored trousers, and oversized shirts. As I began to watch more of her films such as ÔÇÿRoman HolidayÔÇÖ and the iconic ÔÇÿBreakfast at TiffanyÔÇÖsÔÇÖ, I became inspired to relate this into my wardrobe, and I began to build up key pieces that I could switch up depending on what sort of outfit I required. This primarily ranged from a few pairs of blue jeans to simple t-shirts and knitwear.

However, during my main teenage years, I definitely drifted from this, with the pressure of wanting to wear the right thing and always own the latest trainers certainly influencing this.  A lot of my wardrobe became heavily branded and thus the cycle of my clothes would be ever so short due to the latest trends changing extremely quickly.

Having said this, as I approached the end of my teens, I began to gain back control (in a strange way) over my style. I began to buy pieces that I would definitely wear again and not because they had a brand on them. My love of the social app Pinterest also grew, and if anyone reading is unsure about where to take their style, itÔÇÖs a great place for gathering inspiration and discovering what style makes you excited. I would definitely say coming to university can also change your style habits, whether this is changing your style completely or perhaps gaining the confidence to feel as though you could wear slightly more ÔÇÿout-thereÔÇÖ pieces.  This time in my life definitely made me reflect back to Audrey, a woman who had influenced my sense of style greatly. If I had learned one thing from her, it was that basic, timeless pieces can go such a long way, but what those pieces are was up for me to decide and not for me to copy off of yet another trend.

I still, like a huge amount of people, use Instagram and social media to keep up to date with trends and gather inspiration for my next fashion splurges, however, I believe it is so important to remember those who have influenced your sense of identity. For me, Audrey Hepburn embodied elegance and grace, something I would dream of doing with my own outfits. To this day, she still remains a huge influence over my sense of style.