I Dressed Up Like a Highlighter in the Name of Fashion, and It Was the Most Entertaining 6 Days of My Life
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Here's the thing about me: I'm pretty low-key when it comes to my fashion choices. My wardrobe's color palette usually consists of three hues: blue, black, and white. When I saw the neon trend becoming a thing — thanks to celebs like Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, and Hailey Baldwin — I pitched the idea of dressing up like a highlighter for a week, because it's good to shake things up every once in a while, or so I'm told.
I'll admit I was a bit worried about giving the trend a try at first because (a) I wasn't sure just how flattering it would be and (b) I didn't really want to stand out for the wrong reasons, you know? I figured if I styled this trend with my favorite everyday pieces (like my favorite jeans, neutral booties, and simple accessories), I could make it feel more wearable. After deciding on six neon pieces, I went about my quest of going full-on technicolor.
On the first day, I put on my lime-green Acne sweater with a pair of white Cotton Citizen jeans and hit the road. It was abnormally warm for a February day in New York, and I was barely awake by the time I made it to Starbucks to get my daily dose of caffeine. Delirious and still half-asleep, I asked for my regular drink — a tall Blonde roast — when the guy at the cash register pointed straight at me said, "That's a fly sweatshirt you've got on . . . the color is so dope!" I didn't expect to be called out within the first 30 minutes, and I smiled, said thank you, and made my way to the office a little more awake than I was a moment before.
As the week continued, I got surprisingly more and more comfortable in these vibrant hues. I realized that it's actually pretty easy to rock the trend because it all comes down to how you style it, and, of course, a touch of confidence. If you work around certain key pieces, it's really fun to wear these colors and stand out from the crowd. Ironically, during this process, I noticed so many people along the way also wearing similar hues. It made me realize that sometimes you just need to get out of your head and be confident in whatever you wear — that's truly what makes all the difference. Read on to see each outfit, and shop the looks if you're feeling inspired to give the trend a try too.
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Neon Green
This was perhaps the brightest look of the bunch, and it definitely pushed me way out of my comfort zone. I styled a green Line & Dot sweater with an equally bright puffer from R13 that was actually reversible! It took me a couple of minutes to get used to the hue, but in no time, I was actually walking around SoHo like it was no big deal. To balance out the green, I styled it with mom jeans and a pair of slouchy Tamara Mellon boots. I added a touch of sparkle by wearing Kitsch x Justine Marjan's "Feelings" hair clip because, like the Drake song, I'm always "In My Feelings."
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Line & Dot Neon Alder Sweater
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Tamara Mellon Icon Knee Highs
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Kitsch x Justine Marjan Feelings Rhinestone Bobby Pin
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Purple Haze
"That coat is FIRE," a couple screamed at me as I was attempting to take this photo. While that compliment certainly gave me a jolt of confidence, I'll admit I was very nervous to give this outfit a try. I mixed two different shades of the hue by styling a Cotton Citizen turtleneck with a cropped I.Am.Gia puffer. Since the cropped jacket was super bright, I toned down the color by opting for black I.Am.Gia pants and matching booties.
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Cotton Citizen Milan Sweatshirt
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(S)Lime Green
Since this lime-green Acne sweater came in a cropped silhouette, I paired it with white high-waisted Cotton Citizen jeans to make my torso look longer. (Whoever said you can't wear white after Labor Day seriously hasn't given it a shot.) The jeans' long belt gave my look more street style cred, and I completed the outfit with a pair of highlighter-blue Converse x Golf Le Fleur kicks.
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Acne Studios Odice Embossed Sweatshirt
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Mellow Yellow
For a relaxed everyday outfit, I styled a tie-dye hoodie from Vita LA with a matching yellow puffer coat by Aritzia and my brown Kenneth Cole boots. Since tie-dye has made a huge comeback over the past season, I decided to mix that in as well because why stop at one trend when you can do two?
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Barbie Pink
If you're looking for a way to give your favorite dress some edge, simply style it with a hoodie on top. I opted for this Barbie-pink Marc Jacobs hoodie over my POPSUGAR at Kohl's floral dress. Rather than finishing off my look with black boots, I slipped into a white pair to brighten up my look even more.
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Fun fact: I was walking back from the bathroom in the office when a coworker screamed, "OMG! Come over here — we have to talk about this sweatshirt right now." I had on a neon pink Marc Jacobs sweatshirt over a floral POPSUGAR at Kohl's dress. While chatting about my little experiment, she actually realized that the Marc Jacobs logo was written backward, which I hadn't even noticed, TBH. It's actually pretty damn brilliant because the logo reads the right way when you take mirror selfies!
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Marc Jacobs Fluorescent Logo Hoodie
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POPSUGAR at Kohl's Ruffle Smocked Midi Dress
POPSUGAR at Kohl's Ruffle Smocked Midi Dress ($26, originally $64)
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Baby-Blues
I think this was the easiest outfit for me to pull off. I've been wearing this blue Artizia coat all Winter long, and it comes in the perfect shade of blue — it's just vibrant enough! I wore it with my chain-link I.Am.Gia pants and a ribbed striped tee from POPSUGAR at Kohl's because, like I said earlier, my wardrobe is full of blue pieces, and I don't mind one bit.
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A Similar POPSUGAR at Kohl's Striped Top
POPSUGAR at Kohl's Striped Boatneck Top ($21, originally $36)
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