The Art of Style by Kit Mills 047: Art School Confidential

Gonna make some collages out of my student loan bills.

For the past few months, I’ve been taking a typography class at the School of Visual Arts. It’s a continuing education course, so the class itself is full of professional nerds like me who just want to learn about kerning and ligatures, but the surrounding environment is 100% Art School Weirdos.

Where else is it not only acceptable, but celebrated to wear five different patterns at once with blue hair and at least one facial piercing? Looking at all the student fashion felt a little bit like visiting the town you grew up in and seeing all the things you used to do and places you used to go, but with the eyes of a jaded, secretly-a-little-bit-nostalgic adult. 

Here is a fine example of the species. Art School Cute Weirdo is a definite “type,” but they come in infinite variations and color varieties. To truly achieve the look you must put aside the notion that clothing exists to flatter one’s natural body shape. This is incorrect. Clothing is your canvas, and your message is “the whole thrift store threw up on me.” Avoid delicate items that will get caught on the velcro straps of your portfolio, which you will carry everywhere. Consider getting an angular haircut, embracing strangely-proportioned pants-to-crop-top ratios, and combat boots. Always combat boots.

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