This week’s style icon felt like an odd choice at first. Don’t get me wrong. Sam White of Netflix’s Dear White People deserves the title just as much as anyone else. The elements I love about her wardrobe are virtually the same as her predecessors’. (I.e.: she boasts the same effortlessly cool vibe as last week’s style icon, Mickey Dobbs.
What didn’t feel right was to take such a pivotal character, from such a relevant, sociopolitically-conscious piece of television and only speaking about her wardrobe.
But upon some further inspection, I realized I was missing the point of a topic my own degree is in. Watch any episode of Dear White People closely, and you’ll find that the costumes tell a story of their own, just as Sam’s wardrobe speaks volumes about her character.
Sam, a “junior media studies major and local provocateur”, is probably the coolest character I’ve come across in awhile. I would have liked to be her friend in college, despite how intimidated I would have been by her adorable hairdos, effortless style, and a set of eyebrows that I can only assume are threaded by tiny baby angels while she sleeps.
Sam’s style definitely embodies the thrift store chic look that’s popularized itself in the past few years. More often than not, she opts for pants and destructed/distressed outfits. They can definitely be seen as an allusion to her militancy and her tendency to stir up what some might see as controversy and destruction.
These are statement pieces, and that statement is, “I won’t back down from anything.”
She’s not here to make peace. She’s here to make a point. And she’s going to do that perfectly accessorized.
Who’s your style icon? Who should we cover next? Let’s chat in the comments below and be sure to check our the rest of our series!
Tristan George
Tristan puts her fashion business degree to good use as the operations manager at Jordandené. She spends most of her free time writing, baking, and watching reruns of The Office.
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