Tailoring! : How A Suit Can Make You Feel Like A Boss
by Brina Jeffries
April 19, 2020
Not only is thrifting a great way to contribute to the sustainable fashion industry but also a means to finding unique pieces perfect for self-expression. For CAS senior Syanne Rios, thrifting helped her find a fabulous custom two-piece suit. It’s a blue and gray, striped suit, with a sleeveless denim jacket on top and a white ribbed t-shirt underneath. Rios completes the outfit with white Nike sneakers, a denim bucket hat and silver accent jewelry.
According to Rios, she derives inspiration for her personal style from 90s fashion to Euphoria tv-show's star Alexa Demie and her sense of style within the show. Rios explained that she was prompted to create this look when she saw one of Demie’s photo shoots in November 2019 for Instyle Magazine and switched out what Demie was wearing to fit her own individual style. She also noted that she will sometimes just take time walking around SoHo and seeking inspiration from the way people dress in the neighborhood.
With skills such as being able to see how an item can be tailored into fitting you better, Rios is not new to thrifting. Since she was young, she would go thrifting with her mom, who she believes is a fashion legend, in Orlando, Florida, where she's from. Being in New York influenced Rios's style by breaking away from what everyone seemed to be wearing at her Floridian high school.
“In Orlando, everyone was wearing giant t-shirts and athletic shorts. And I thought, there has to be more than that, and there was! I remember in high school, everyone was dressed the same,” Rios said. “If you were dressed in something that I have on now people would stare. So, when I got to New York, I thought, ‘okay, now I can be weird.’”
When searching for the best pieces in New York, Rios finds that Brooklyn is the place to be. If she could only go to one thrift store, it would be L Train Vintage, but also has come upon good finds at Beacon's Closet in Bushwick. She confessed that she could spend hours in a thrift store filling her cart to the top. Regardless of the pleasure thrifting brings her, Rios recognizes its real importance to be in finding a way around the mass production of fast-fashion retailers such as Zara and Forever21 which are so easily accessible.
All of this is encapsulated Rios’ favorite outfit. Both her full suit and denim jacket were bought from Beacon’s closet, and her sneakers were a pair she has had since high school. Rios loves this outfit specifically because she likes the idea of pairing old with new while also doing style combinations that are unexpected. Pairing the striped suit with a denim jacket, allows there to be a contrast with texture while still matching the same blue-gray color scheme that she has throughout the entire outfit.
Although Rios seems to always be ahead of fashion trends, she admitted that it was not until recently that she discovered the beauty of over-accessorizing. For her, accessories can be a way to turn a mediocre outfit into a full-on “look”. Rios wear a ‘standout’ necklace bought from a local Brooklyn-based jeweler.
The other day, I was walking to Beacon’s [closet] and this older man was selling jewelry on the street” Rios said. “He [the jewelry maker] said ‘I make this by hand’. I asked him for this necklace [Rios points to the silver circular lock necklace] and he said he would give it to me for $20. This to me, really helped elevate the outfit”.
For Rios, it seems that the suit makes the outfit. She explains that suiting has been her favorite personal wardrobe staple because of its versality and the way it makes her feel.
“With a suit, you not only have cool shoulder pads but also the power to feel like a boss. Even the face that I have when walking down the street is unparalleled,” Rios said. “I’m not even going to a business meeting; I’m going to class, then on the train and then home. To be able to wear something that is traditionally formal, so casually, is the ultimate ‘I know what I’m doing.’”
