Mo Kim

Happy Sunday! Today, we’re doing a double fashion feature to celebrate the weekend.

A fun fact about my job is that I work on Saturdays: in fact, Saturday is the busiest day of my work week. Because I work for an educational program that serves students across the Bay Area, it’s the only day of the week when everybody is able to make it to our program in-person. Although our scholars are typical teenagers in many ways, they’re also undeniably awesome: kind, intelligent, and above all motivated to make the most of the opportunities they have. They’re also super funny – the junior class even has a mascot, a stuffed goose named Slim Jim. He’s become something of a minor celebrity in our program, and receives a lot of attention in the cafeteria during lunch!

This Saturday, my fashion mission was to match Slim Jim: since it was the start of Black History Month, our program asked staff members and scholars to wear black, and we both came prepared!

I already wear black, so this was an easy challenge: I just guess it felt weird to wear an outfit that was almost entirely one color! Once Saturday Academy started, though, I was too busy to think about my outfit – there were students to help, classes to teach, and meetings on meetings on meetings! I like my work, thankfully, so the time always flies by.

After work, I picked up my partner, we got Korean food and snuggled, and I fell asleep with dreams of what to wear for Sunday.

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Sunday’s theme was the ’90s, a decade I should know more about considering I was born in it. But after spending my morning bathroom break reading up on all the retro fashion trends making a comeback this year, I felt ready to take it back to 1995!

Something I’ve liked about this challenge so far is that it’s given me a reason to take risks with my outfits without completely deviating from my everyday wear. I grew up in a conservative church culture where being too outspoken – or flamboyant – was the worst fashion sin somebody could commit. As a result, I’ve developed a sense of style as an adult that emphasizes predictability and comfort over expression. Even when I saw a look in a magazine or mall window that I secretly loved, I always held back, fearing it wouldn’t suit me. But other than the jacket and the Sonic hat (I’m definitely becoming more of a hat person this month), this is very much an outfit I’d already feel very comfortable in! Even after this month ends, I already see myself pairing simpler basics and statement pieces a little more often.

I guess what I’m saying is that you don’t need to completely reinvent your look to be fashionable – sometimes it’s just about knowing what you already like and iterating on it, and this month has given me the perfect excuse to do that.

I’m gonna go see some friends for dinner, so I’ll have to ask what they think. Can’t wait for Monday!

Steal the look(s):

Coming tomorrow: I take some advice from my friend Jenn and go for a lesbian look!