I Swap Styles With My Roommate

My roommate Erika and I have very different fashion styles. In my opinion, we pull off our own styles pretty well. This makes a lot of sense; after all, we’ve each spent time developing our own looks.

I was really curious to see how well we could pull off each other’s looks though. So, I approached her with the idea and we’ve decided to prepare three “signature” outfits each that the other person can try on.

What are our styles?

I’m not entirely sure how to describe my fashion style as it’s nothing overly distinct. As Erika very eloquently put it, my style seems to be “fashionable basic,” whatever that means.

Erika, on the other hand, has a much more “creative” and quirky style. She’s a big fan of stripes, oversized shirts, and sweaters over denim. I would describe her overall style as ’90s sitcom-inspired.

As you can tell, our tastes aren’t exactly similar, but that’s what would make this little exercise fun. Let’s see how it turns out 😉

Ferna’s Red & Gold Fall Classic

This Fall-inspired dress from Charlotte Russe is a true “Ferna classic”. I find this outfit very comfortable and flattering on my body shape. I also really like how hassle-free it is to put on.

I usually accessorize this look with my gold statement earrings and a gold bracelet (not real gold) both from the Philippines. During the Fall, I complete the look with my comfy black flats from Payless (which I’ve bought twice already lol).

And here’s Erika trying my outfit on! She had said that she felt uneasy wearing the dress because it was shorter than what she expected. She also expressed criticism over the fact that she would have to actually sit “properly” if she had to wear it.

Erika’s Awkward-Transition-from-Summer-to-Fall Outfit

This first look from Erika involves a fun, bright red Hawaiian shirt paired with some pretty basic jean shorts and her infamous Birkenstocks.

According to her, her Birks provide maximum comfort and I can attest that she’s been a devoted user of them at least ever since I’ve met her.

Please excuse my very poor attempt at copying her poses. Here is me looking like an over-excited tourist. I’m not 100% sure if this was a flattering outfit on me but I did like how comfortable and loose the shirt was.

Verdict on First Set of Outfits

Would I wear this complete outfit? Probably not. I’m not really used to having my toes exposed and I don’t plan on changing the habit anytime soon.  However, the shirt is super comfy and I’m a fan of the bright red color and cute little leaves on it so I may just borrow it one day.

Erika says she might actually wear my dress (despite its restrictions on sitting positions), just not with the accessories and my flats (that are apparently too “girly”).

Ferna’s Elevated Caszh Look

The second outfit from me is comprised of a blue-and-white striped, ruffle-sleeved shirt with embroidered flowers and a pair of plain, navy-blue shorts. Again, I finish the look with a pair of flats.

I love this outfit and I think it makes me look put-together in a not-so try hard kind of way.

I think that Erika actually pulls off this look well but she says that this was her least favorite outfit of mine. She wasn’t a fan of the cut and the shape of the top, and the mid-rise shorts are apparently less comfortable compared to her usual high-rise denims.

The Quintessential Erika Attire

This one is definitely the most “Erika” outfit there is. Erika loves to rock the striped t-shirt + mom jeans combo! For her shoes, she likes to wear her trusty blue Vans.

I don’t own anything resembling any of the pieces involved in this outfit (although I do have some striped sleeveless tank tops) so I was curious to see how I would look in them.

As soon as my roommates saw me wearing this combo, they commented that I looked like a child. For some reason, I couldn’t seem to pull off the outfit exactly in the same way Erika can.

Verdict on Second Set of Outfits

What do I love about this outfit? Overall, my favorite part is the mom jeans. I usually wear very tight pants and this really encouraged me to try other jean styles out there. I don’t think the Vans would match many of the clothes I own and while I do like me some stripes, I think I’ll stick to tank tops for now.

Erika is just strongly opposed to wearing my outfit. And that’s apparently the end of the conversation. D:

By the way, the shirt I’m wearing over the red striped T-shirt is also one of Erika’s shirts. It’s a cropped, oversized men’s shirt that I think she got from thrift-shopping.

Ferna’s Mini Skirt-Over-Leggings Outfit

This outfit is a very typical “colder weather” ensemble that I like to wear. It gets cold in Florida during the winters and early months of Spring so I like to wear leggings under a short skirt along with a long-sleeved top.

To finish the look, I put on some fleece socks and let them peek out from under my brown leather Bata boots. (Unfortunately, you can’t see them in the pictures.)

I think that because I have wider shoulders compared to Erika, the top looked looser on her and was a little less flattering. Otherwise, I think she would be able to pull off a look like this with a similar top that would fit her better!

Erika’s Back-from-the-Coal-Mines Getup

I lovingly call this final outfit from Erika the “Papá” outfit.  While I constantly make “Papá, you’re back from the coal mines” exclamations every time she wears this, I was most excited to get into this outfit.

For this look, Erika wears overalls over a long-sleeved oversized red sweater and her infamous Doc Martens boots.

This one was perhaps the most surreal to wear out of all the outfits. Everything was so oversized that it was a challenge to walk, especially in her Doc Martens boots. I still thought the outfit looked cute and quirky, but I am not the best at pulling it off lol.

Verdict on Final Set of Outfits

Erika later admitted that my final outfit was pretty comfortable (particularly my leggings) but it was just too “off-brand” for her to wear. I’m guessing this means no mini-skirt + leggings combo for her. :'(

While I was looking forward to trying on her Papá outfit, I’ve realized that it’s just not for me. I acknowledge that maybe it’s a size issue or that our body shapes are different so I’m not writing off big sweaters, overalls, and boots in general.

Personally, I wouldn’t be entirely opposed to occasionally incorporating Erika-style outfits into my wardrobe if I get them in the proper size for me.

However, I seriously doubt that Erika would want to don at least the basic Ferna outfits featured in this post for everyday wear. I predict that the major reasons she would give are that they are “too girly” or simply “off-brand”.

Although most of our clothes didn’t fit each other too well, it was a wonderfully hilarious experience. I 100% recommend that you do this with your friends!

By the way, a huge thank you goes out to our third roommate Apeksha for taking the pictures! We are not the “Tres Marias” (as our Filipino Uber driver once called us) without ya! <3

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Do you and your friends/family have dissimilar tastes in fashion too?

Would you do a style swap with any of them?

Let me know by commenting below!