Rock N' Roll Style Guide: PJ Harvey

The so-called "effortless" look was all the rage this year. It was about trying to look as though you rolled out of bed without actually having rolled out of bed. The look was cool in that it was inspired by 90s grunge, but it quickly became tired and contrived when attempted by socialite party-people. Calculated looks can be as cool as effortless ones depending on how you carry them. The quintessential example of effortless, raw, low maintenance style is PJ Harvey.


Her outfits look like she literally grabbed some random items from a pile lying next to her bed with her eyes closed. She gets away with it because she is PJ Harvey, one of the rawest singer songwriters of our time. Her look is believable because she wrote "Big Exit", and "Rid of Me". Everything she wears looks naturally faded and worn, not cut up or DIYed. The only rationalization I have for people purchasing pre-faded t-shirts or "destroyed" denim is that they are trying to buy style. In high school, I used to tote around in a pair of jeans, which were so badly tattered that at the end of their run there were more patches than original jean material. They became like a second skin, so it was hard to stop wearing them. The people who gave me strange looks and comments were the same people buying up pre-distressed denim the next year. It's easy to get swept into the desire for something new, especially when you immerse yourself in fashion blogs, but if you truly have a style of your own, then none of your old clothes will look stale. PJ's look makes me appreciate the raggedy things in my closet that may not look glamorous, but definitely have stories to tell.

Style Breakdown: Haphazard combos of undersized hammy-downs paired with remnants from a stripper's closet.

The Essentials:

• T-shirt from your 10 year old sibling's closet paired with a sequin or latex mini skirt
  
• Thrift store stripper boots
• A patchwork dress made of a cheesy pop culture icon like the "Spice Girls"
• A zip-up top zipped down to your belly button
• A choker necklace
• Lingerie worn as outerwear
  
• A cotton tube top paired with sleeves cut off from a long sleeve shirt
• Choppy short hair and bangs that look like you lopped it off yourself
• Loads of black eyeliner and lipstick