So I saw all these YouTube videos about Emma Chamberlain’s style secrets and thought “how hard could it be?” Grabbed my thriftiest oversized shirt and some dad jeans. Boom, done? Yeah, no.
First mistake: just shoving clothes together ain’t it. Dug into actual photos. Watched interviews where she talked style. Realized it’s messy on purpose, but not RANDOM messy. My pile of clothes looked like a laundry explosion, not a look.
Alright, step one: the jeans. Emma lives in baggy ones. Found a pair at the back of my closet – huge, loose fit. Sweet. Tried them with a random band tee. Felt… blah. Like I forgot my personality somewhere.
Watched more. Noticed the fit trick. She usually pairs super big tops with bottoms that aren’t tight, but still have shape. Not drowning in fabric. Okay! Found these straight-leg, slightly loose cargos instead of my parachute jeans. Better.
Now the top layer chaos. Thought any oversized jacket would work. Tried my grandpa’s ancient suit jacket. Looked like I robbed a museum. Wrong. Emma’s layers are bulky but contemporary – vintage truckers, slouchy cardigans, big sweaters. Found my oldest, softest zip-up hoodie. Cut off the sleeves rough with scissors. Edges fraying? Perfect. Threw that over a plain white tee.
Colors tripped me up. Saw all neutrals in pics – browns, beiges, greys, blacks. Went full monochrome head-to-toe beige. Looked like a sad potato sack. Watched again. Saw she mixes textures instead! That beige tee? Needs a chunky knit vest over it. Dad jeans? Pair with a silky button-up under the hacked hoodie. Added my slightly-too-big grey button-down under the hoodie. Sleeves crumpled out the armholes. Yes!
Accessories nearly killed me. “Simple gold jewelry” they said. Dug out a dainty chain. Wrong again. Emma’s chains are chunky. Thick. Like pirate treasure. Found a thick, slightly cheap-looking gold necklace my mom hated. Perfect. Slapped that on. Chunky rings? Used my mood ring and a plastic skull ring I got from a bubblegum machine. Whatever.
Shoes were last. Scrambled. Converse? Too obvious. Found my old dirty white low-top sneakers. Kinda beaten up? Even better.
Final assembly: White tee tucked messily into cargo jeans. Unbuttoned grey silk shirt on top, sleeves rolled haphazardly. Sleeveless hacked hoodie over that. Chunky gold chain and stupid rings. Beaten-up sneakers. Mirrored the messy half-up bun she always does. Stuffed my phone and wallet into a small, beat-up crossbody bag.
The reality check? I did NOT instantly transform into Emma Chamberlain. It felt a bit like playing dress-up at first. But walking around, the outfit felt genuinely comfortable and weirdly cool? The real secret I figured out isn’t specific clothes – it’s the vibe:
- Fit matters most: Oversized ≠ swimming in it. Balance top and bottom volume.
- Texture over color: Mix fabrics like silk, denim, knit, fleece. Keeps neutrals interesting.
- Intentionally imperfect: Nothing crisp. Rolled sleeves, frayed edges, messy hair, clunky jewelry. Own the chaos.
- Thrift core energy: Needs to look genuinely lived-in and cobbled together.
It’s not about copying exact pieces, it’s channeling that comfy, slightly eccentric, “I found this” attitude. Won’t pretend I nailed it completely, but damn, it’s closer than that first clown costume attempt.
