Who is Lj? What does she have to do with fashion?

Hi. I am Lj. My name is Leah Jane Marsh, but I think it is interesting to mix things up sometimes. Just like a stage name, Lj is my “blog name” (or my alter ego) you could say. I am 18 years old and studying fashion merchandising at my state university. Ever since I can remember I have been dressing myself. I always enjoyed that small responsibility my parents had bestowed upon me. I am not sure if it was a genuine method of parenting or the fact that they could not be bothered to dress me themselves, but either way the task became my favorite part of everyday. Of course, a 5 year old does not have a pristine sense of style, but making small decisions for myself as a child has led me to be more independent, confident and openminded to this day. Of course there were special occasions in which my parents would implement a few restrictions on what I could and could not wear. However, other than that I was free to wear whatever my little heart desired. When I would receive compliments, normally from older woman just being kind, I would be so proud of myself knowing that I did what I did all by myself. These small moments constructed my self esteem and passion for fashion that are still continuing to flourish. In recent times I was plagued with the daunting question that haunts every teenager: “What am I going to spend the rest of my life doing as a career?” The answer is nowhere. I would spend days on end trying to imagine myself, a then 16 year old, pursuing a career in a field that interested me. The first thought that came to my mind was a geneticist, then I envisioned myself as a psychologist. I was coming up with a plethora of ideas that sounded marvelous in the moment, but I would soon realize did not actually appeal to me. Eventually, pursuing a career in fashion phased me as a possibility when I stopped attempting to dig deeper than my genuine interests. Sometimes people’s parents push them to aspire to have particularly prestigious careers. However, I knew a career in fashion would be thoroughly supported by my parents due to their carefree nature when I was growing up. Currently, I am on winter break after spending my first semester of my freshman year of college abroad in New Zealand. I have yet to take a fashion course abroad or at my home university, but I am more than excited to begin this adventure. In the meantime, I am revisiting my memories of Auckland’s street style, exploring and purchasing from my local thrift stores, and pondering what my future may look like in the fashion industry. I joined this platform with the hopes to express all that I feel, observe, despise, and love about fashion.

Auckland thrift finds…