Taking a nod from Vogue, the fashion industry and fashion-forward students around campus, The Bison is issuing our own September Issue, joining the ranks of publications this month highlighting the newest trends and stories behind the trendsetters. In this series, read how four Harding students have made fashion part of their personal stories. Follow this link to see the full spread.
Senior Dannis Tidwell has mastered the art of finding deals. If you follow her on Instagram or are familiar with her style, you may never guess it, but much of her wardrobe comes from local thrift shops such as Goodwill and Dirt Cheap. Her style is made up of different pieces she has collected over the years from various “deals” she’s been lucky enough to find.
Thrift shopping is one of her favorite pass times, and for anyone interested in trying it out, Tidwell offers a few tips:
“Be picky. I used to … go to Dirt Cheap and be like ‘Oh my gosh, this shirt is slightly decent and it’s a dollar and I should buy it,’” Tidwell said. “It took me a long time to learn that just because it’s cheap and you might wear it to sleep in doesn’t mean you need to buy every single thing that’s cheap.”
One tip that took her longer to learn is patience.
“You can’t be impatient if you want to find deals,” Tidwell said. “You also can’t have an end goal. You can say you want to go in and get a couple new shirts and that’s fine, but never … walk into Goodwill and say you want a blue collared button up with embroidery on it. … You have to wait for it to come to you.”
Dannis’ best style tip is unexpected.
“I never leave the house without lipstick. It can take your outfit of joggers and a sweatshirt from being slouchy to chic. … It makes you look all spruced up and ready for the evening.”
As far as accessories go, Tidwell said she loves anything that is simple and adaptable.
“Neck scarfs are so cute — I have one on my purse because I feel like it just kind of adds something to a bag or a backpack as a cute detail, and then you can take it off and use it in your hair,” Tidwell said. “I just think versatile aspects are really fun. … I am also really into the French tuck or the side tuck on button ups and bandanas.”
Trend: Scarf accessories.
Tidwell said much of her style is inspired by various fashion bloggers she follows, but that she also enjoys creating outfits of her own and sharing them on social media. In the future, Tidwell said she would love to channel her love of style into her own clothing boutique — starting out as an online business, later moving into her very own store.
Her style aside, it is clear that Dannis Tidwell knows how to make “cheap” look like a million bucks. Being a put together thrifter has never looked so good.
