Squeezing a chair into a packed, circular lunch table, I asked all my friends who their celebrity crushes were. My question ended in a meticulous PowerPoint presentation of all our crushes, and a side-by-side comparison of our favorite physical traits. During this spontaneous social experiment, I discovered my distaste for “perfection”. A common denominator through all of my celebrity crushes was an element of chaos: either they had untamable hair, their dark circles too pronounced, or their nose crooked in a way that promised a backstory. These imperfections led me to believe these were the hottest men I could’ve chosen for my slide.
And with this same mentality, I craft all my outfits: with the power of a slight imperfection permanently in the back of my mind. I never leave my dorm in a “picture perfect” ensemble, always curating a slightly undone element to accompany it. Without further foreplay, here are the unmentioned elements that I use to transform an outfit:
Unbuttoned & Untucked
I apply this particular principle to any type of shirt, honestly. For button-downs, leaving a couple of the top buttons open and popping the collar creates an interesting plunge neckline, while leaving it uncuffed also adds a fun, different look.
For other shirts, deciding how to tuck them in is also an aspect that can add to the perfect imperfection. I tend to tuck half of my shirt and leave the other untucked in a classic "half-tuck". But just the same, you can make something imperfect by leaving it fully untucked. A fully tucked shirt can make for a cool statement, but I wouldn't classify it as "imperfect".
Last Night’s Mascara
Perhaps that name is misleading. Just a disclaimer, I do not condone wearing makeup to bed! We've moved past that point, leaving public enemy number one of skincare behind in the 2000s. However, what I mean by "Last Night's Mascara" is the look I tend to sport on a night out, or in other words: a smudged, smokey eye. It contrasts beautifully with a sleek hairstyle and minimal outfit, giving it a rough and raw edge.
I'm a firm believer in makeup looks that pose a single statement: either a bold eye or a bold lip. I tend to go for the former, simply preferring to frame my eyes (you know, the windows to the soul?). Over the years, I've somewhat perfected my routine, and although it could always use improvement, here are the steps to my ideal imperfection:
First I layer on lighter to darker shades of brown from my Makeup by Mario Master Mattes Palette, framing my eyes. Going in with Urban Decay 24/7 Gel-Liner in the shade Perversion around the outside of my lashline, I smudge it outwards into a small wing with a tight brush, while tight lining my waterline with Covergirl truNaked Eye Pencil. Setting the pigment on the waterline with black or brown eyeshadow, and the lash line with Rare Beauty Liquid Liner makes the look last all night. Depending on how loud or dark I want my look, I'll top it off with a dusting of Huda Beauty's Pretty Grunge Palette. To top it off, I'll curl my lashes and add a coat of Ilia's Limitless Lash Mascara on my top and bottom lashes, giving them a second layer with L'Oreal Telescopic Lift Mascara. The best part about this look? It thrives on mistakes. The messier, the better.
Anywhere But the Knee Ripped Jeans
I love jeans. The environment might despise me for it, but I can't help but praise classic blue denim. This adoration for jeans goes both ways: ripped and unripped. One important detail in all my favorite pairs of ripped denim, the detail that merits the power of imperfection, is the location of the rips.
A pair of jeans with a ripped knee might as well be a pair of virgin denim. Give me the peak of an upper thigh, tell a story with how worn out the hem of your denim is, and cause an uproar with the worn-out hole on your ass. One of my favorite pairs of jeans had a hole on its right butt cheek, a parting gift courtesy of my school safety scissors.
A look I've been loving lately is a romantic top (perhaps lace, maybe a puffed sleeve), with a pair of disgustingly demolished denim. Serve me the best of both worlds on a silver platter.
Two Sizes Too Large
Fit is one of the most important factors in dressing well. And what I mean by this isn't that all your clothes should be perfectly tailored to your body. Of course, a well-tailored piece of clothing can work miracles, but that's not what I'm looking for.
The imperfection I'm searching for lies hidden between folds of excess fabric, just waiting to be found in two sizes too large. A pair of denim that hangs comfortably on your hips creates an entirely different ensemble than one created with skinny jeans. An oversized t-shirt, sweater, or blazer creates distinct interest. And anybody who's worn a hoodie before knows that sizing up is a key element to its comfort.
Oversized items provide, in addition to an imperfection, balance. If I'm wearing an oversized top, I'm comfortable wearing a tiny bottom. If my frame is concealed by a large blazer, I'm chill with adding an accent via a small top.
Lion's Mane
If you know me, you know my hair is up and out of my face 99.9% of the time. However, that 0.1% of the time it's down, it's for a strategic purpose. Bearing a slight resemblance to Mufasa, my Lion's Mane only makes an appearance on select occasions, and it's when my outfit needs something untamable to complete it.
Hair is a powerful accessory that I feel most people overlook on a day-to-day basis. For instance, the other day I wore an outfit composed of a simple silk skirt and a sleek black top. Wearing a slicked-back hairstyle would've made sense, but leaving my disruptive curls in their natural state added a whole other element of interest and imperfection, adding depth to an otherwise cute, but bland outfit.
Such a Tease
A wise woman once said, "Sometimes you need to show a little skin" (for those wondering, it's Cher Horowitz in Clueless). And she's totally right, sometimes you do need to show a little skin. I like to take it one step further though.
A pretty widely known rule in fashion is to never let your bra strap show. But, honey, if I'm showing you a bra strap, you better believe it's on purpose. A black bra under a sheer or white shirt, the rumor of lace beneath a tank top, or even a little side-boob action, can do wonders.
Imperfections tell a story. They're a spark that leads to fire: a conversation starter. Like celebrity crushes, and even life, too perfect can be too much. We need a little mess, a little chaos, to bring it all together and appreciate the pristine parts even more. At the end of the day, dress however you want, this is a personal preference: a little edgy and never flawless.
Some people will probably say that this idea of the perfect imperfection is contradictory, and I totally agree. The mistakes in my outfits are anything but accidental, instead a carefully calculated strategy to find a perfectly imperfect balance. But let's leave the mind games and paradoxes for later. For now, I encourage you to wield the power of a slight imperfection.
Love,
A contradiction
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