Street Style: Grandma’s Style with a Twist

In downtown Durham, styled in baker boy hats and thrifted dresses. Every article of clothing goes through a cycle. Thrifting is a way to bring dead clothes alive.

Jacklyn Googins, junior at UNC-Chapel Hill, shops for most of her wardrobe at thrift stores. Googins said, “This sounds crazy but my Nana is actually my style inspiration. She’s like the epitome of simple serene and elegant. She doesn’t like if you add too many old elements it will distract from what’s already there. She tries to direct attention to one element. She chooses to place the attention on the asymmetrical element of the shirt to keep people from being distracted by contrasting elements that takes away from the outfits value.” Sarah Kreitzer, junior photographer at UNC. While Googins dresses differently than a lot of her friends, she also said she’s shy so she doesn’t like receiving too much attention. “I never liked to be the center of attention. More subtly sophisticated. Not what everyone’s eyes are on at first but when they do look at it it’s subtly telling my story I guess,” said Googins. The dress Googins is wearing was found in a thrift store. “I was shopping with my grandma in Williamsburg Virginia and we found the dress and it was missing a button so she had to like dig into her button collection and find s similar one so it made it more special because it had a touch of my grandma,” said Googins. Googins said, “I saw bloggers wearing the baker boy hat. I like how old timey it looks. Classic but at the same time old timey. Modern take on older look.” The red baker boy hat was taken from my own mother’s, Janet Eleazer, box from clothes she wore 30 years ago. Fashion may always be cycling, but for thrift shop frequenters the past is always the present style. Kreitzer said one of her favorite shops was The Mothership, a unique store we visited during this shoot. The cashier had her dog sitting at the register and the racks had everything from a white nurse style dress to a pink flowery free people top. Googins said, “I’ll say I don’t like bold colors or prints I like my style to be transmitted the sophistication of it from different angles and textures.” Googins prefers to dress in neutral colors and Kreitzer says her fashion is identifiable as unique to her.  Googins explains that most of her pieces come from thrift store because she likes to not only experiment, but can afford more. Googins  said, “At anthropology you can find a statement piece for $125 and that’s all you get. And you can go to a thrift store and get ten pieces for that same prices and it’s more ecofriendly. And you’re carrying on that piece of clothings story. It’s really cool this item of clothing might have been really special to someone at some point and you are carrying that on. You’re wearing s piece of history especially if you get something vintage.”

ASHTON ELEAZER