It’s funny the things that stick in your memory. I distinctly remember being told, aged 12, by a somewhat tactless PE teacher, that I was ‘top-heavy’. I can picture, with an acute clarity, crossing my arms over my chest and slumping my shoulders self-consciously.
What followed was years of hiding my ‘top-heavy’ body: avoiding anything tight or low-cut (too revealing), filling my wardrobe with black (more discreet) and immediately dismissing anything oversized (you’re top-heavy, remember?).
For me, abiding by a rigid set of style ‘rules’ based on other people’s opinions was at best boring and at worst downright distressing. After all, fashion is supposed to be a fun, creative expression of who you are.
So, when Clearpay challenged me to ditch my self-imposed ‘shoulds’ and ‘shouldn’ts’ and dress exactly how I’ve always wanted to for a week, I jumped at the chance.
In a bid to break my style rules and say sayonara to my body hang-ups, I used my existing wardrobe, alongside a few extra pieces bought online with Clearpay, to put together five dream looks to push myself out of my comfort zone and – hopefully – change my relationship with clothes for good.
1. Goth, but make it sexy
At the ripe age of 25, I’ve never owned anything much tighter than a crewneck knit. As someone who has grown up feeling conscious about their *ahem* assets, this slinky midi slip dress from Free People would usually have me running for the hills
But by styling it with a leather jacket and chunky boots, I felt pretty badass. Maybe I don’t always have to hide under oversized T-shirts after all.
Slip dress, £68, Free People
2. All in purple
For day two, I went from one extreme to another, with an outfit that can only be described as ‘Violet Beauregarde goes to the skate park’. I never normally brave bright colours, so this monotone purple ’fit was a baptism by fire.
I paired these 90s-inspired lilac cargo-style pants with a cropped button-up, bag, earrings and eyeliner all in purple tones. Honestly, I loved this outfit. It’s hard to feel sad when you resemble a bar of Dairy Milk, and the injection of colour was an instant mood lift.
Similar trousers, £45; ribbed polo top, £18, both available at Urban Outfitters
3. Ultra-oversized
Like any millennial raised on a diet of Passport To Paris and When In Rome, my style icons have always been the Olsen twins. Gone, however, are the halternecks and miniskirts; these days, MK&A are all about supersized silhouettes.
While my budget doesn’t quite stretch to The Row, with the help of Clearpay I was able to afford the perfect dad suit by splitting the cost into four fortnightly payments. I submitted the first instalment at checkout and will be reminded of my next three instalments by email. As with any financial service, it’s important to use Clearpay responsibly, and it’s encouraging to know that if I ever miss a payment, Clearpay will pause my account so I can’t spend beyond my means.
When the suit arrives, I’m impressed. Yes, the oversized blazer does sit wide on my shoulder, but rather than antagonising a decade of insecurities, I felt like a total boss. With the help of this suit, maybe I too can amass an Olsen-worthy £400 million fortune…
Similar blazer, £34.99; similar trousers, £24.99, both available at ASOS
4. Lots of layers
My Insta feed is filled with chic Scandi girls who have mastered the art of layering. While I’ve certainly embraced minimalist (see: lazy) dressing, I tend to avoid lots of layers that feel unflattering.
But in the spirit of the challenge, I piled a T-shirt, blazer and coat over one another, adding a pop of colour with my beanie and some matching socks. I loved this outfit – but I realised something was missing: a great belt.
Enter Watson & Wolfe at Immaculate Vegan. Made from vegan leather and coming in at £50, this brown belt wasn’t cheap. But with Clearpay, rather than spend less on a cheap belt I’d have to replace often, I was able to invest in this higher quality basic – made more accessible by paying it off in chunks.
Belt, £50, Immaculate Vegan; socks, £3.50; trainers, £75, both available at ASOS
5. Go big or go home
For this outfit I wanted to embrace Gucci-inspired maximalism, including TikTok’s favourite noughties headscarf trend (this was a vintage find from Urban Outfitters) along the way.
Zipping up my snake-print boots on the final day of the challenge, I felt a little bit apprehensive. What if everyone looks at me? And, well… they kind of did (have you *seen* those boots?!). But after a week of experimenting, I felt so confident, despite being completely beyond my comfort zone. Result.
Vintage headscarf, £12, Urban Outfitters; rollneck jumper, £17.50, M&S
Conclusion
So, what have I learned from a week of dressing how I always wished I could? Truly, I’m kicking myself for not having the bravery to do so sooner. Getting stuck in a style rut can be uninspiring – especially when you’re subscribing to a set of outdated ideas about what’s ‘flattering’. As for the biggest lesson I learned this week: you do you, boo!
This article was written adhering to government COVID-19 guidelines at the time
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