Our lady of Style Pray for us

and my time management skills

High school has begun and with it a new and completely disturbing array of uniform rules, from ban on skirts to multi-colored polos, the dress code that rules Purcell Marian has been a challenge only divine intervention can help me face. 

Day to day 

As I alluded to in the middle of summer I was completely side swept by a ban on skirts. That's right, skirts, the basis of any catholic girls uniform. Suddenly, my entire plan to make the most of my uniform had to be tossed and I began to explore the exciting world of Bermuda shorts. The options were unsurprisingly limited but among the too tight, khaki, middle aged man wear was the tainted plastic pearl of wide leg shorts. Hear me out

Think French 60’s movie star, think female gym coach, think preppy camp counselor, there was a way to make this work. So with new vigor to make the best of a bad situation we embarked to the mecca of middle aged woman wear: Ann Taylor Loft. 

  Ann Taylor did not disappoint. A plethora of wide leg vanity sized shorts were uncovered and quickly purchased with anticipation for the upcoming semester. Come the beginning freshman year and donning my maybe allowed athletic polo and Bermuda shorts the aesthetic was definitely more camp counselor than movie star. Despite any shortcomings I can confidently say that, should you also be forced into the troubling predicament of your only outfit options being khaki Bermuda shorts, the wider the better. By juxtaposing a tight polo and wide dramatic khakis you can create a classy and intriguing ensemble that even an awful dress code allows for. Though come desperate times, desperate measures must be taken.

The students of Purcell Marian are no stranger to desperate measures, from exquisite nails to limited editions shoes and the occasional tailored vest, if nothing else it proves that limitation sparks the best of creativity. My own desperate measures came in the form of two pairs of khakis at the salvation army. Armed with a pair of scissors and a mostly complete vision I began to cut. The first pair in the best shape gained six high slits. The second was quickly reduced to long strips. And then like the 1996 spice girls hit, 2 became 1. The product was one gorgeous pair of wide leg khakis reminiscent of the design of chitose Abe or Chopva Lowena (props to my art teacher for introducing me to a plethora of amazing designers).

This project was such an enjoyable way to return to sewing after creating my 8th grade graduation dress, which after over 4 months I’m finally sharing with y’all. 

As a part of our Montessori education each year as middle schoolers we got to create a project completely of our own making and see it through to completion. In seventh grade I altered a pair of bell bottoms, In eighth grade I upped the aunty and created something completely from scratch. It felt like a fateful way to end my year of style with something completely of my own making, but even more it feels like the best way to start this new year of our lady of style, (admittedly a quarter of a year late). While I can’t promise regular posts I can promise new fits, more fabulousness, and a whole new dress code to fight. Stay in tuned for more of our lady of style, new year new looks.