We've been following 21-year-old fashion student Erika Bowes on Instagram for the last year and applauding her clean, no-fuss approach to style. A brand new face on the London fashion circuit, Erika works as a freelance stylist and photographer and is finishing her degree at Northumbria University, to the tune of 103, 000 Instagram followers. And it's not hard to see why; with her neat candy coloured bob, ace face and perfectly casual fashion sense, she's very, very – there's no other word for it – cool. Here, we take some lessons in next generation dressing. NB, it's gender-free.
From Erika:
I started getting interested in fashion when I was around 13 and started blogging when I was 14. At first, my blog was dedicated to vintage and charity shop finds, but as I got older I started to appreciate minimal, street, androgynous style. I’m a very active person, always going from place to place – uni to work to nights out – so I like being comfortable; trainers are a must as aching feet are not part of my schedule. I hope people can relate to the way I dress as I don't think it's boyish or girly. I actually get a lot of boys asking me for style advice, which I find flattering. But yeah, I guess my style is quite neutral; I love pink and I love over-sized hoodies. This is my guide to casual...
White Hair
My hair is a very big part of my image right now and too right because it’s very hard to achieve (it's seriously dead). But having white hair has been really fun. I’ve experimented with all the pastel shades, which is quick and easy to do once you've bitten the bullet and bleached. It pretty much makes any outfit. If you're in the London area, I can't recommend Butchers salon highly enough; DON'T try this at home!!
Bombers
The perfect jacket for when it’s not quite freezing outside but you want something to put over your outfit. You can wear them to go clubbing and not feel stupid being the girl in the clunky jacket. I usually pair mine with jeans and a shirt or silky long slip dress and a sheer turtle neck underneath, with some slip on vans for a dressed-up-and-down look.
Baggy Jeans
I’m obsessed with baggy mom jeans, I wear them six out of seven days. They are so comfortable, go with everything and are flattering on all body types. I wear them to uni and on nights out, as you can dress them down with a jumper and trainers or up with a low cut shirt or tee, a blazer and some boots. I’m not one to over-dress, so baggy jeans are perfect for the thrown together look.
Sports Caps
I actually bought a cap because I had really, really bad roots and needed something other than a beanie to wear. I was kind of embarrassed at first but now I love wearing a cap, especially when I’m feeling lazy about my hair and need something to cover it up. It can change the whole look of an outfit too. If I’m feeling too girly, I add a cap to even it out, or just wear one to dress down an outfit.
Crop Tops
I don't often wear crop tops because I love baggy clothes and most of my wardrobe could fit two of me in. But I do make an exception for holidays as it's just way too hot to be in an over-sized black T-shirt. If you're like me and don’t feel all that comfortable in crop tops, pair it with baggy, high-waisted trousers like jeans or flares, or culottes. You could wear an oversized jacket (denim or bomber) or layer up and put one over a baggy white shirt or T-shirt.
Socks
Personally, I hate it when people don’t wear socks with shoes, it’s a hygiene thing. That's why I get nice-ish looking socks. Quality socks look good with ankle grazers or culottes as there's often a lot of space between the hem of the trouser leg and your foot, and that space begs to be filled! I choose black socks with darker coloured trousers and shoes and white socks with white shoes, and denim. I live by the "pull your socks up" mantra.
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