STYLE GURU BIO: Ricky Pinela

Hey, everyone! My name is Ricky Pinela and I’m a junior at the University of Central Florida. I am currently studying radio/television with the intentions of heading into the world of broadcast journalism. When I’m not pretending to study, I like to explore my city with my friends, eating unnecessary amounts of food and re-watching past seasons of Big Brother. The only thing I love more than food is travel. I recently just spent three months as an English tutor living in Rome, Italy.

No matter where I go, I try to make sure I look my best. A lot of my style is influenced by the past. I love looking through my parents’ old photo albums and seeing the different styles that when on throughout the decades. I don’t dress up like I came out of an’80s movie, but I do like to incorporate certain details from my parents’ old wardrobe into my outfits. I feel like the way you dress is a good reflection on you and your personality, which is why I like to express myself through fashion. I get a lot of my basic clothes from places like H&M, but I like to incorporate my Goodwill finds or things from my father’s closet just to add a little flare to what I’m wearing.

Living in Florida does make fashion hard sometimes. There are days when I want to wear a nice coat, or maybe a sweater, but the humidity decides to kick in and makes them unbearable. But since I’ve lived here my whole life, I usually find ways to make it work, and if not, I just sit around waiting for a day where the weather is below 70 degrees. The outfit I’m wearing in the photos here was perfect for a cooler day amidst the Florida heat. I found this denim jacket at Goodwill, but you can find one similar at ASOS or get lucky at your local thrift shop. I like this classic denim look because it really gives me an iconic ’80s feel. I decided to keep the vintage trend going by wearing a custom made tie-dye shirt. I paired it up with some plain black jeans from H&M and my favorite pair of Chelsea boots. To me, this outfit is always a go-to if I need something that’s simple and shows my individuality.

I can’t wait to get started and to share more of my style with you all! Let’s make this semester a RAD one!

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