The American Girl Style: What Is It, How Do You Get It?
You’ve seen in just about every other movie, the classic American girl. She’s from a large city or a rural country home, nothing ever in between. She’s got long blonde hair, she wears jeans and a tank top with a leather jacket. She’s got strawberry cheeks, pink lipstick and likes to wear boots wherever she can. She is the classic American woman that has had her own unique corner of the style world for decades. It’s incredibly interesting to try and understand styles and where they come from, why they are popular and how you can get them yourself. So let’s explore this style now and see if there have been any changes made to this world-renowned look.
Does America have a style?
Most of the world’s best fashion usually originates from Europe. We all know that some countries have a large history when it comes to fashion. It’s no secret that France is head and shoulders above some other countries and parts of Italy and Spain have some vast designer outlets. America is a Western country but it is very far from Europe. So the question is, does America have it’s own style or is it just late to the show when it comes to European fashion crossovers?
The answer is yes, America does have it’s own style. American style originates from the farm. Slightly larger clothes than usual, flared wherever possible and simple. This is why you can see that the flared trousers are still so popular in the states. Tank tops are pretty normal in the US, just go to Miami, Florida to see the laid-back attitude. Not to mention, high-waist chinos for women have been made popular.
The rise of the rural-urban
As the US grew in fashion and style, there was a merge of the farm style with the urban style. The high-waist flared jeans were rolled up and worn with heels not boots. The plaid shirt was swapped for a baggy jumper and a necklace, together with sunglasses. This transition to urban life has been amazing to watch. You can see that the denim jeans have gone from dark blue, to light faded blue.
Recently, American women have begun to wear high-waist jean shorts that have been ripped at the hem, and blazers. The latter is an iconic mark of the working woman in the city. However, together with a simple tank top, it merges the rural attitude to being laid back and the city-style being professional or smart-casual.
The things that remained
As the American woman enters into the present, the one thing that has remained is the hair. There’s no way that the flowing locks were going to be lost. You might see that some women like to have highlights at the ends of their hair. However, the classic American girl look is a bold strong color that goes from the top to the bottom. This is called ‘balayage’, which is literally ‘to sweep’ in French. But what is a balayage? It’s where color is applied to the hair by hand, with the aim to have a bolder shade or a singular shaded look. If you have blonde hair, you will have strong blonde hair up top, slightly lighter in the middle, and lighter at the bottom. This is in contrast to highlighting the ends as there is one smooth color.
It often has a glossy finish, so if you have blonde hair it will shimmer in the sun. And, if you have brunette hair then you will have slightly lighter caramel or brass strands going from top to bottom. It’s a good idea to have long flowing curly hair as well, for the classic American girl vibe that we’re so used to seeing on our screens.
Modern ankle boots
Going away from the cowgirl boots has taken time. You’ll still see many rural women wearing cowgirl boots, along with high-waist jean shorts and a casual bright shirt. However, modern boots in the form of ankle boots have largely taken over.
Leather heel ankle boots go so well with white jeans. The contrast in colors is striking. Not to mention, white jeans are great for a bright outfit, when the sun is out. Make sure that they are cotton jeans so your skin can breathe. Together with this, go for a light blue long-sleeve striped shirt. Unbutton the top 2 or 3 buttons and wear a pair of round sunglasses.
Chelsea boots are perhaps better for those that want more mobility. Chelsea boots do go over the ankle, but they are made to flex and bend for a more brick pace-setter. Get them in burgundy, they look great during the warmer parts of the year when you can pair them with shorts, jeans or even a dress.
Shirtdress
Sweeping across America, is the shirt dress. This is where a shirt has been made longer and with a slight skirt. The shirt can come with a belt which you can use to split the top and bottom, for a more conventional style. Classic red and white stripes shirt dresses are very popular because they fit the warmer weather. If you’re in the Southern States, you’ll love this look because it’s light, airy, fits easily and you keep cool. Not to mention, you can also style it with sneakers, a small handbag, and a bracelet.
The shirt dress has deep pockets so it’s also practical, it goes down to about knee height so you never feel like your figure is being hugged by it. It also gives you a lot of style choices regarding colors, patterns, designs, etc. You can have stripes, block colors, khaki green, browns, whites, and even reds.
The American girl style is casual, comfortable and lets you worry less about how you look. Ankle boots are perhaps the most recognizable fashion item in this style, but the bold flowing hair is also unmistakably USA. Let us know if you try any of these.