Huda Abdulrasool ’22 built this outfit around her red pants, then “sandwiched” the pop of color with a black sweater, coat, and boots. She often accessories with gold and silver, and brings attention with rings.
Huda Abdulrasool ’22 couples a black top and leather jacket with vibrant red pants and short boots, pairing this ensemble with two silver lock necklaces and a chain belt. As a finishing touch, Abdulrasool adorns her fingers with a variety of gold and silver rings.
“[I dress using] the sandwich theory…red here, then black at the top, and then black at the bottom again, so it all connects. Then for my accessories, I usually only wear either silver or gold…I don’t think I stick to one particular aesthetic. As long as I feel like myself in the clothes, and I feel good in them, then that’s what I care about more,” said Abdulrasool.
Building her closet around sustainable staples, Abdulrasool works around “centerpieces” to create her looks. Combining this approach with her “sandwich theory” method, Abdulrasool grounds each of her outfits in a cohesive color palette.
“I start, usually, from a single piece. For example, [if] these pants are the centerpiece of the outfit, I see what would go with them, what would complement them, and I try to make it work. These pants are red, so they inform my makeup, so I do red eyeshadow under my eyes, and because I chose to wear [a black sweater], my shoes have to be black,” said Abdulrasool.
A typical outfit of hers includes carefully matched makeup and accessories with her signature jacket, pants, and boots. Abdulrasool’s fashion covers a wide range of styles, reflecting her daily moods, different color palettes, and gendered aesthetics.
“It depends on the day; sometimes she just likes to be comfortable, and she just wears a hoodie and goes. Or sometimes when she wants to feel good she’s gonna be more trendy, and maybe wear her leather pants or the other pants that she likes,” said friend Emilia Fonseca ’22.
Not only does Abdulrasool incorporate a variety of styles in her wardrobe, but she has also learnt to adapt her fashion to different environments. According to Abdulrasool, she strikes a balance between dressing to serve her surroundings and remaining true to her stylistic personality.
“I have to change my fashion sense depending where I’m at. Back home, I dress more modestly. It’s a problem solving skill too, where it’s like, ‘how can I change this depending on the environment, but I still want it to feel like myself,’” said Abdulrasool.
Abdulrasool expressed that she finds joy and comfort in conveying her individuality through fashion. Even while navigating a uniform requirement at her previous school, she found ways to express herself through a ‘funky’ style.
“We weren’t allowed to wear makeup, so you’d have to be sneaky about it…and I really really like fun socks, so I would express myself through my socks, which were illegal to wear, [as well as through] my accessories…I think it’s just a fun way to push boundaries in a visible way. And sometimes you wear things that only certain people will pick up on,” said Abdulrasool.
In addition to expressing individual identity, Abdulrasool stated that she believes fashion can also help her better connect with others. She cites outfit compliments as a common conversation starter, as well as accessory matching and photoshoots as a way of bonding with friends.
“When I wear these [red leather pants] it’s always a good conversation starter, because people are like ‘Oh, pants!’ and I’m like ‘I know!’ I also really like matching with my friends…I have matching rings with my best friend…One of my favorite things to do is to put on a cute outfit and then go out with my friends…It’s just such a sweet human thing,” said Abdulrasool.
