STYLE GURU BIO: Kaylin Jones

Kaylin Jones. My name is the very essence of me. It’s who I am, and who I have been for my entire life, at least thus far. At first glance, I admit, it’s kind of generic, nothing too remarkable about it. It doesn’t have a story. It does nothing for the tongue, nothing for the mind. It’s a blank canvas. It’s my job to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary, to make it worth remembering. That’s kind of how I view fashion. It’s starts out as essentially nothing, and it evolves into this life form of its own that demands to be seen, that demands to be remembered.

I owe everything to my mom. She’s the one who instilled in me what it meant to enjoy fashion. She is the type of woman to go to the grocery store in heels and a full face of makeup. For as long as I can remember, she has always been this way, even as trends died and evolved through the years. To say that it left an impression on me would be an understatement at best.

As a new Style Guru from the University of Missouri, I get the chance, or at least I hope, to show off my style as a carefree, plus size woman. I want to be able to shine a light on different styles and diversity in a place that doesn’t always seem so diverse. I am a firm believer in celebrating the things that make us different, and I want to demonstrate that every chance I get.

Okay, so about what I’m wearing. If it’s not apparent enough, I have an intense love affair with the color black. First and foremost, my pants are from American Apparel. My blouse, which became my favorite over the summer, is from Forever 21. My kimono, like my top, is also from Forever 21. My choker is an old bandana that I took and folded until it was suitable size for my neck. My heels are from Chinese Laundry. Finally, my statement piece to stand out among the sea of black is my white, wide frame sunglasses from Muse, a local store here in Columbia, MO. And that’s me.

I’m looking forward to what I know will be an amazing semester.

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