Cultivate: Aesthetic 

Written by Claire Weltz

Originally published April 15th, 2020

In our last blog post regarding our quarantine theme of “Cultivate,” we talked about creating a home environment that benefits us. It can be as simple as decluttering a junk drawer or doing the dishes, although we focused on the matter closest to our hearts: our closets! A stable and clean home environment is critical to our wellbeing, but we cannot neglect the person we see in the mirror every day. The person we are or want to become boils down to aesthetics and interests. (Surprise! Interests is our third Cultivate topic. Back to your regularly scheduled programming - aesthetics.) 

At L. Royalty believe each individual should be exactly that: an individual. We are all united in our humanity, but each person is unique with their own aesthetic and personality. Be fearlessly you! Express yourself in a way that is meaningful to you. That could mean wearing shocking neon green eyeshadow. Go for it! Maybe you’re more into a preppy button-down. That’s amazing too. We want to encourage you to be yourself but also to step out of your comfort zone in order to get to know yourself and your preferences a bit better. We’d like to add that it’s okay if you don’t know who you are yet. There is lots of pressure to have it all figured out, but like most aspects of life, it’s a growing process that takes time. Growing? Huh, sounds a lot like our buzzword “cultivate,” doesn’t it? (Yes, we did that on purpose!) This time of social distancing is the perfect opportunity to cultivate your aesthetic, and our suggestion is to break it down into three categories: clothing, hygiene, and personality. 

We’re getting ahead of ourselves. Before you dive into who you want to be, take a step back and do some research. Journal for a bit, asking yourself what you admire about yourself and others. Include style, personality, and other aspects of life that are important to you. It can be intimidating to start changing when you don’t have a direction, so this step is important.

Fashion is a shell that protects us from the world. It tells others who we are and who we want to be. So, clothing is a logical place to start when it comes to cultivating and aesthetic. Fashion is our life at L. Royalty, and we draw a lot of our inspiration from Harajuku and Japanese trends. Be sure to check out our shop for a glimpse into this style. Even if Harajuku isn’t your thing, we have standout pieces that make everyone a showstopper. Personally, we’re loving these culotte style denim overalls  in our store. They’re the perfect transition piece from spring to summer, so have a peek! If you don’t find something that you love in our store (Which we doubt…), our next suggestion to develop your style is to use what you have! Pinterest has some awesome DIYs that can help you transform your wardrobe from drab to fab. Check out our boards  for some inspo. 

Hygiene is another important aspect when it comes to aesthetics because no matter how good you may look in your power outfit, if you’re unkempt, it’s for nothing. Dab on a little foundation or swipe on some mascara to elevate your look. Maybe you’ve been hearing the hype about highlighter and contour. Give it a shot! Don’t worry, your bathroom won’t rat you out if it’s not what you expect. Maybe you’re scared to whiten your teeth. Try some at home strips or buy a whitening toothpaste. (Thank goodness for Target.) Go through your perfume collection and pick one to be your signature scent. Learn a new technique to curl your hair. Or, go heatless and attempt the Curly Girl Method! We aren’t endorsing or condoning bangs, but if that’s what your heart desires, watch a few Youtube videos before chopping. 

Lastly, it doesn’t matter how amazing you look if your personality is stinky. Always be nice to others; a kind heart is a beautiful heart. Especially in times like these, volunteer. Donate to causes you support and give of your time. Sew masks for friends, family, and hospitals.

As for our last tip, we suggest cultivating some new interests to make yourself, well, interesting! Don’t worry, we’ll be helping you out with some advice for that in our next installment of our Cultivate series. Until then, try something new with your aesthetic! We’d love to see what you’re doing, so be sure to mention us on social media! We can’t wait to see what you all decide to do!