You Look Like You're From New York.

Let's be honest,

who amongst us has ever truly disliked hearing that we look like someone cooler?

Cooler, of course, being relative- hence exemplifying the quintessential "grass is greener on the other side" syndrome.

Which is interesting, because I feel as if all of us also take pride in having our own "individual sense of style", even while we are perpetually idolizing that of others.  

Case in point: 

I like to think sometimes that my style is "different", but then I get all flustered and flattered when someone tells me that I "look like I'm from New York" - 

which happened the other night while I was dressed in this exact ensemble (which I oh-so-New-Yorkishly actually thought was quite boring). 

Maybe, our (positive) stereotypes of others' style comes from the oft-assumed perception that theirs is entirely "effortless" and natural, while ours takes thought. Even if that "thought" is just the few clicks it takes to purchase an item on Zara.com, or the 20 (billion) minutes spent waiting in line at H&M, it's still another step that further removes fashion from the completely organic origins we assume for, say, a Parisian woman's perfectly-fitting monochromatic outfit.

Maybe we do appreciate the individual and independent but have a hard time seeing it in ourselves because we're so aware of our own influences. We know that we saw that pair of black heels on Karla's Closet or that giant blanket scarf on Man Repeller, and we know that our urge to wear the same was anything but organically-instilled.

Maybe we're doomed to continually put the styles of others on pedestals while depreciating our own. Just as I'm sure they do the same. 

Or maybe you're actually super happy with yourself all the time and I'm just an incredibly discontent outlier.

coat: ASOS (similar), shirt: Madewell, jeans: J.Crew, boots: vintage

Well. I'm certainly an outlier. 

Cheers.

Photos by Matthew Engelhart