How This Jacksonville-Based Journalist Gets Dressed

Writer Zoey Fields on accessorizing first and wearing poison rings.

"Recipe for an Outfit" is a monthly series where people break down how they get dressed to understand more about our relationship to clothes. *****************************************************************************

I typically choose my outfits based on comfort. Working from home definitely eliminates the need for jeans or starchy shirts. However, my life motto since high school sports has always been “look good, feel good, play good” – so obviously, the same applies to a work-from-home setting, even if people will only be seeing me via a Zoom screen.

I am a planner to a fault. On this specific day (and a lot of others,) I often lay in bed at night thinking about the clothes that I know are clean and options for the next day. Additionally, I knew I had a brunch to attend, so I needed to level up my usual biker-short/T-shirt combo. Again, I knew the rest of my day would be spent at my desk or my favorite spot on the couch where I sit to write. This was no different.

Start with jewelry.

I think most of my “fashion” sense is surrounded by accessories. I love, love, love jewelry because it often tells more of a story than the clothes themselves (at least for me). I put on my favorite rings–a daisy ring from TJMaxx, a hand-carved ring that reads “bold”-- one that I spontaneously had made when my mother was in town visiting. She chose the word as one that she feels “describes me best.” It is a regular reminder to be the one person in the room who is sure of themselves and whatever may come out of my mouth (or my laptop keyboard as I write).

The last ring is a poison ring – a trend from the 16th century, and a morbid one at that. People would wear the rings and fill them with small bits of arsenic or cyanide; leaving the recipient, well, poisoned. I have always been fascinated by human psychology, morbidly obsessed if I am being honest. The ring is a fun addition to outfits for me and a frequent conversation starter. (I have not ever poisoned anyone, I promise.) My other accessories for this outfit were two necklaces that I layered–a silver chain-link choker and a longer one with a pendant in the center.

Next, more accessories.

A black baseball hat because that just feels like something you are supposed to wear with overalls? Going for a comfy, yet cute sort of vibe. Lastly, I put curls through my hair and intended to wear it down, but went with low-laying pigtails instead. It added a bit more of a sporty vibe (and allowed my neck to breathe in the hot, Florida heat)

Now, clothing.

The final outfit is a black and white tie-dye overall set (that, no shame, I snagged at WALMART!! – $12), underneath I wore a custom white crop top that my friend stitched for me as a memoir of our friendship. I have always loved the patch-work style tattoos and this was her inspiration for the shirt. Each item is a unique memory or “bonding” item that we shared through college. (For example, the sparkles on the shoulder represent a matching tattoo she and I have on our wrists. And, the two little heads stitched on the side represent a night in college where we work multicolored wigs out to the bars). To finish the outfit off, I threw on my Adidas all-white platform sneakers that mimic Air Forces in their appearance, but not in price.

The assessment.

I felt cute, comfy and unique once I was finally dressed! In a totally non-conceited way, I felt like my outfit was going to catch a few eyes/compliments.

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Other outfit recipes to check out:

A VP Fashion Publicist Shares Her Outfit Recipe

Backstory Founder Callia Hargrove's Outfit Recipe

Teen Vogue Editor Claire Dodson's Outfit Recipe

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Thank you for reading!!

This Stuff is a newsletter by me! fashion journalist, Alyssa Hardy. Three times a week, I unpack the ways our clothes impact the world through news, essays, interviews and more. Subscribe for free here and follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

You can preorder my book "Worn Out: How Our Clothes Cover Up Fashion's Sins" here.