You won’t find Rachel Patterson wearing bell-bottoms. It doesn’t matter if they are the most popular fashion piece trending in Vogue or on the European catwalks, Rachel won’t be wearing them because she knows they she doesn’t suit them. And she’s ok with that. She believes that a person’s body type should determine her fashion, not the other way around. In her own words, she does “not feel left out of a trend just because my body does not dictate that trend.”
Fashion, Rachel believes, “can be used on so many levels.” First of all, and perhaps most obviously, fashion can allow a person to express her own individual style and attitude. Rachel also believes that getting dressed up helps her stay motivated throughout the day. She lives by the motto, “it’s better to be overdressed and overeducated.” And finally, Rachel uses fashion to help a greater cause. Take her glasses, for example. Yes, they are stylish, and they most certainly help her to see, but her glasses serve also help others. In keeping with her pattern of buying fair trade products as well as recycling and giving away clothes, Rachel has invested in a pair of Warby Parker glasses. Each time a person purchases a pair of these glasses, another pair goes to someone in need, for free.
With her unique fashion sense that helps others and makes an individual statement, this big city woman can inspire collegiettes everywhere stay true to their own style while making a difference in the world.
On Rachel:
Shirt: Black Rainn
Blazer: Free Hug
Leggings: Vera Wang
Leg Warmers: Claire’s
Boots: Aerosols
Glasses: Warby Parker
Earrings: Black one: Deb
Rings: Amethyst: Loyola class ring; Music note: Chicago street fair; Silver: Guatamala: Silver detail: Pandora
Necklace: Star of David from Greece
Watch: Kate Spade