For Nana Efua Damptey ’27, an outfit begins with the day’s temperature, the music she’s listening to, and her own state of mind. Drawing from a closet of versatile textures, fabrics, and styles, Damptey often incorporates floral patterns, bangles, and baggy clothes into her outfits.
As spring approaches with higher temperatures and fewer puffer jackets, Damptey’s prints and patterns change with the weather.
“In terms of aesthetics, I like to wear something that reminds me of flora. I like flowers, I like the spring a lot, so having floral designs and floral embroidery on my outfits is something that I like to look for. It’s hard to find, but I try… When the weather’s warmer, I have so much more variety and versatility because I’m not confined to solely wearing long-sleeves and sweatshirts and sweatpants and baggy jeans and stuff,” said Damptey.
Damptey said she also considers her mood and state of mind when choosing what to wear, occasionally considering the music she plays that day.
“It really just depends on how well I think the day is going to go and how good my sleep was the day before. My outfits are kind of representative of my state of mind, so if I’m dressing bummy, usually I feel pretty bummy, and if I’m dressing nice, I feel pretty nice. It doesn’t always require an event or something new for me to want to express myself in a way that makes myself feel the best. It usually just has to have me in a good mood,” said Damptey.
Regardless of her clothing choices, Damptey often wears the same, unique pieces of jewelry. Her necklaces and bracelets appear in outfits with floral, Y2K, and more experimental pieces.
“I have these two necklaces I wear with every outfit. Partially because I lost or broke all my other necklaces. I have a cross necklace and then a necklace with a painting… Also, I have been into bangles for the last two years or so, and so I usually have a bangle or two with my outfits,” said Damptey.
Damptey reflected that Andover’s lack of dress code was a change for her. Before attending Andover, she went to a middle school with uniforms, limiting how much she could express herself through fashion.
“When I came to Andover, I wanted to upgrade my style, but I still found myself in a place where I was unsure of what I wanted and who I wanted to express myself as. When I’m trying to find an outfit that works the best for me, I feel more comfortable wearing fitted pieces because I have more security in my body, and I feel more comfortable wearing baggy pieces because I have more security in who I am and my identity. There are certain aspects of my style that are signature to myself. My style went from something that felt distant from myself to something that genuinely expressed who I was, and my identity,” said Damptey.
Damptey said her aunt influenced her style when she was younger and continues to do so, even though their styles are different.
“My state of mind is reflected through my choice of clothing, and, to me, I wish I had more means to express myself in more ways, but fashion is something that has always been unique to me, and something that I didn’t necessarily feel the need to conform through. My auntie, when I was younger, my family called her ‘the fashionista,’ inspired my clothing as a young girl. She continues to inspire me today, even though our styles are not similar,” said Damptey.
Damptey encouraged others to experiment with clothing, rather than leaving pieces unworn.
“Just wear what you want to wear. Take the experimental fit outside, it’s okay. I would rather one egregiously terrible fit and know that that’s not for me than never explore the depths of my closet,” said Damptey.
