Sitting at Gate A6 I must have seemed like a pale, inanimate ghoul. Every ounce of blood that rushed from my head was replaced with the overwhelming thought: What in the world have I just done?
Studying abroad. You’ve just ordered a whirlpool of emotions served in a picturesque packaging of mountains, oceans and 11th century castles. History is an inescapable discipline of the abroad experience. What you may not realize, however, is the opportunity before you to make history while living it.
People often classify an era by the nuanced style that besets it. Fashion has inspired generational mindsets and dictated cultural institutions such as music, art and film.
Life abroad is a renaissance; it’s a rebirth away from the clouded slate we call “home.” Assimilation into your host nation’s culture is the key to success overseas – fashion is what propels it.
While abroad, don’t be afraid to embody the revolutionary attitude of today. Absorb your surroundings and take note of the contrasting old and new. Three hundred year-old buildings adorned with graffiti murals. Ancient temples with dazzling sundown light displays. It’s modernity juxtaposed against a backdrop of the past.
Forward thinking is what built everything that surrounds you. Let this serve as your sartorial storyboard. Break down barriers and challenge the antiquated ideas you arrived with. In order to find yourself you have to take chances.
International fashion is heading back to its roots: Fun. Living in France, I have taken note of this avant-gardist uprising everywhere.
The idea behind this principal is simple. Take something humdrum and make it extraordinary. Test the waters of black and white by injecting them with something exciting. Go beyond the limits of yourself in an effort to interact with your new home.
Before going abroad, someone gave me the best advice I could have ever gotten: Do something once a week that places you outside of your comfort zone. Daring yourself allows you to make the most of your experience. You’re already trying something new, so why not go beyond?
Allow your clothes to be a reflection of this new perspective … this personal revolution. Life abroad is the most fun, carefree and daring thing you’ll do in these four precious years. Make the most of it. Make history your personal accessory.