{"id":99626,"date":"2025-09-19T06:26:58","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T06:26:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/19\/a-week-of-outfits-samantha-elise\/"},"modified":"2025-09-19T06:26:58","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T06:26:58","slug":"a-week-of-outfits-samantha-elise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/19\/a-week-of-outfits-samantha-elise\/","title":{"rendered":"A Week of Outfits: Samantha Elise"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\"A<\/p>\n

Samantha Elise<\/a> began Instagramming her outfit photos just for fun while in high school in Missouri. People took notice, and she\u2019s now working as a stylist in Chicago. \u201cI\u2019m finally getting to a place where I can celebrate who I am and what I do,\u201d she says. \u201cIt feels liberating.\u201d Here, Samantha shares five looks she wore in a week and talks about ballet, growing up adopted, and where to find perfect blazers\u2026<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Shirt: Everlane<\/a>. Sweater: ASOS<\/a>. Jeans: Madewell<\/a>. Glasses: Jimmy Fairly<\/a>. Watch: \u201chand-me-down from my mom.\u201d Purse: vintage. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI call this my \u2018no-fuss uniform.\u2019 The jeans are loose, so I can eat happily. It\u2019s layered, so I can wear it in lots of spaces, like a museum where the AC is blasting or with the sweater thrown over my shoulders outside if it\u2019s warmer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Samantha<\/a><\/p>\n

Vest: Madewell<\/a>. Pants: Naked Wardrobe. Glasses: Jimmy Fairly<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can wear a vest by itself or over a T-shirt or turtleneck. Just play around and embrace the trial-and-error of figuring out what feels good. I don\u2019t know anybody who comes up with their favorite outfits the first time they put something together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cMy sister drew this window tattoo. It shows my apartment in Boston, where I lived for six years while dancing for the Boston Ballet School. I danced ballet from age three to 19. I loved it for a long time, but the transition from doing it locally to dancing for a company was surreal. It\u2019s similar to how the media portrays it \u2014 very intense and competitive. The whole atmosphere felt like Black Swan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Samantha<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI wore a leotard eight hours a day, six days a week. The only time I put on real clothes was Sundays, my day off. I\u2019d put together outfits and go people watch. Boston has a ton of colleges, so I\u2019d see cool, inspiring streetwear. I also saw people walking around in refined office wear, like amazing suits and dresses. It felt so different from St. Louis, where the clothes leaned towards comfort, like sweatpants and Uggs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Samantha<\/a><\/p>\n

Tank: Madewell<\/a>. Skirt: Madewell<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m adopted, and as a kid, I thought a lot about my identity. My whole family is white, except for my other adopted sister who\u2019s Black and Puerto Rican. And ballet is a predominantly white space \u2014 I was the only Black girl during my time at the Boston Ballet School. For the longest time, I was really quiet because I couldn\u2019t figure out where I belonged. But I always expressed myself through clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Samantha<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know that TikTok video of horses running free on the beach<\/a>? That\u2019s how I felt the moment I stopped dancing. About two weeks after leaving the program, I chopped my hair off. To meet the company uniform standards, I\u2019d had to heat train my hair, which left it damaged. I also started getting tattoos and committed to dressing myself every single day. Back then my #1 thing was resisting anything skin tight. It felt too similar to a leotard, and I wanted nothing to do with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Blazer: thrifted. Shorts: Dissh<\/a>. Poplin shirt: Gap Factory<\/a>. Loafers: Dole<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI love<\/em> a good blazer \u2014 they instantly make me feel confident. The best place to get them is a thrift store. I\u2019ve found vintage Ralph Lauren blazers for $5! And always search the men\u2019s section. Men\u2019s blazers are the best because the shoulders are huge; they add drama and feel so chic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u201cAs a kid, I shopped for clothes at Goodwill with my mom. It felt like a big treasure chest, and everything was affordable. In middle school, I\u2019d find patterned blouses with massive shoulder pads and pair them with my Jordans. My #1 thrifting rule is to never skip an aisle. These days, I like to walk in with a playlist that\u2019s at least an hour long. Then I\u2019ll listen to it as I comb through every single piece of clothing. It feels therapeutic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Samantha<\/a><\/p>\n

Shirt: Target. Jeans: Madewell, similar<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you understand denim washes, you can make denim-on-denim look effortless. I wore this outfit 50 times this summer. People think it\u2019s a set, but the jeans are Madewell and the top is from an old Target collab that I found on Poshmark for $10. Still, because they\u2019re both a medium wash, they work together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Samantha<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m an intuitive dresser. Before choosing my clothes, I check-in with myself. If I\u2019m not confident, I\u2019m going to put on something that helps me feel<\/em> confident. And those pieces change over time. For a while, I loved bolder pieces, like fire-truck red pants. But today I like to wear neutral colors with loose silhouettes. They just feel like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thank you so much, Samantha<\/a>! You are wonderful.<\/strong><\/p>\n

P.S. More people share their week of outfits<\/a>, including an architecture professor with a pink power suit<\/a> and antique dealer with the best button-downs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

(Photos by Kendra Lynece<\/a> for Cup of Jo.)<\/p>\n

Note: If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission or have a sponsored relationship with the brand, at no cost to you. We recommend only products we genuinely like. Thank you so much.<\/em><\/p>\n

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