Lambert Senior Darcey Reid has obtained the reputation of “fashion icon” among her peers. From her garish dangled bell bottoms to her jazzy off the shoulder tops, Reid has never failed to disappoint in her daily attire – she is so dedicated, in fact, that she has never worn the same outfit twice to school since her freshman year.
“It’s really fun,” Reid spoke about the serendipity of her outfit plans. “It challenges me to use all of my wardrobe in ways that I wouldn’t have thought of.”
Reid came to Lambert from Pinecrest Academy where in the sterile gear of school uniforms, she did not have the chance to explore all elements of her wardrobe.
“I always loved fashion, but I went to private school, and so I was very limited with my options,” Reid attested. “[Coming to public school] I had the chance to express myself, and I took advantage of that.”
Because Reid grew up with school uniforms, her closet lacked school-standard outfit choices. At this juncture, she dove into freshman year sporting jumpsuits, dresses and grand jeans as routine. Many at school took notice of her bold and voguish garb among the array of everyday sweatpants and shorts and her status as a ‘fashion icon’ was born.
“It kind of just spread around,” Reid said regarding this title. “I just always wore something different and fun and unique. And I think when you’re a freshman you don’t draw too much attention to yourself because you’re new and you’re young and everyone’s already noticing you and picking on you in the first place…it definitely was a little scary because sometimes people would make fun of my outfits.”
Darcey did not let these fears override the finding of her personal style, after trying various aesthetics her freshman year, she found her flair for blending abstract colors.
“For people who wear neutrals, it’s really easy to pair outfits together but with someone like me who loves colors and patterns, you have to really intricately plan on an outfit,” Reid said.
Her fashion choices have interestingly led her among meeting new companions, as well as boosts in self-confidence.
“I have met so many friends from conversations started about my outfit,” Reid said.
“I’ve really felt a growth in myself, being more adventurous and versatile with my options. [Fashion] has helped me in many ways other than just outfits.”
Reid attributes aspects of her affectionate and lively nature to her clothing choices. She feels that making an effort to wear something you feel confident in can shift your daily moods. She has enjoyed living up to the standards set by her style, but with any reputation comes unsought expectations.
“I definitely do get that fear where if I come in wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt people will notice more than me wearing a nice outfit, and that’s the downside of it,” Reid said. “Last year I came into picture day with a crop top and sweatpants and people were like ‘Oh my god, what’s wrong?’”
These remarks don’t bother Reid, in fact it propels her fashion pursuits forward. In the future, she’s not opposed to working in the fashion industry.
“When I was younger, my dream was to be a fashion designer, and I am thinking of majoring in business; if that brings me to the fashion world I will take that step, but it’s not my number one goal at the moment,” Reid said.
Reid has spent the past four years proving her fashion icon status to her classmates, and she would greatly cherish the Senior Superlative title of “Best Dressed.” Seniors should definitely think of Reid when weighing options for this title.
