Welcome to IN THING’s second Digital Cover. Inside The Style Issue (Sep 2025), our Editor, Kamara Williams, celebrates 10 Years of IN THING and explores the power of style as language, life, and legacy.
I was about six years old, sitting in Social Studies class, when I first learned the power of style. We were learning how societies had been structured throughout the ages and the role clothes played in signaling the times and the power players of the time. What struck me most was how clothes weren’t just fabric, but a marker of status, class, and function.
I remember my teacher explaining how the chief of the indigenous Arawak Indian tribe, native to the Caribbean, where I’m from, wore different garb than the other members of the tribe. Each rank had its own costume to go along with it. That simple example blew my mind because it put into perspective that clothes weren’t only functional or stylish, but could structure an entire society. Later, he brought the lesson into modern times: firemen in one uniform, policemen in another, judges in robes, doctors in coats. At that age, it was my first foray into understanding clothes as communication not just as something you wore. That lesson shifted everything for me. It reinforced that what you put on was language, and it was up to you to decide what you wanted to say with it.
That lesson shifted my perspective and went beyond social studies. It solidified and reinforced at a young age that what you wear is language and it was up to you to decide what you wanted to say with it.
Madrag top; Zara skirt; H&M jacket; Tory Burch earrings
Madrag top; Zara skirt; H&M jacket; Tory Burch earrings
Madrag top; Zara skirt; H&M jacket; Tory Burch earrings
Of course, this wasn’t a completely new concept. My mom had been teaching my siblings and me a similar lesson all along. She always insisted we be presentable, even at home. Clothes had to be tidy, neat, clean, and above all, we had to arrive prepared for the occasion, even if that occasion was simply going to the neighborhood shop. She understood that the world treated you accordingly based on your appearance and wanted us ready for that reality.
Coupling my home training with that simple Social Studies lesson had a profound impact on me. I realized I wanted to speak through my clothes, to empower myself through them. I wanted to present the best message possible at every stage of my life. For me, style became one agent of success I had control over and I was going to use it. And I did.
Zara knit top and heels; Aritizia shorts
Throughout my life, style has been my companion: a way to express myself without speaking. It has chronicled life stages like migrating to America or growing into a woman, marked eras like my college or early career days, and provided an outlet to document it all which is this platform. I’m often amazed that the simple act of honing my personal style has led me here. Because I decided to get dressed and share it with the world, it has compounded into a career, a platform, a community. Isn’t that crazy? It proves to me the power of style but also that big things start small.
If it weren’t for the seeds of preparedness my mom planted, or that school lesson about clothing and society, would style even be a thing for me? Sometimes I wonder. What would I be doing if I hadn’t leaned into it?
For me, style was one agent of success I had control of—and I was going to use it to my advantage.
Zara knit top and heels; Aritizia shorts
Zara knit top and heels; Aritizia shorts
Zara knit top and heels; Aritizia shorts
My point is this: something as simple as personal style can lead to big things. It has for me. Style has given me opportunities to partner with brands, cover events like NYFW and PFW, and most importantly, build a life I truly enjoy. That’s what I want to drive home with IN THING.
Style, though often dismissed as frivolous, can be an agent and catalyst for change. A tool for expression, career building, and opportunity. A language you get to create and speak for yourself. And in a world constantly trying to tell us who we should be, why wouldn’t you seize that opportunity?
Mango dress; And Other Stories sweater; Zara heels
You can create and speak your own language with style. And in a world constantly trying to tell us who we should be, why wouldn’t you seize that opportunity?
Mango dress; And Other Stories sweater; Zara heels
Mango dress; And Other Stories sweater; Zara heels
Mango dress; And Other Stories sweater; Zara heels
It’s why personal style is at the heart of this platform because I want every woman to experience this for herself. It’s also why I created Wardrobe Makeovers: a high-touch styling and closet-organizing service designed to make getting dressed easier, to help women hone their style DNA, and most importantly, to support them in getting dressed for the lives they’re building.
My mission is simple: I want every woman to harness the power of style. Because we all deserve to express our inner strength outwardly and to let the world see the power we already hold.
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Cover Story: The Power of Style: 10 Monumental Years of Style as Language, Life, and Legacy
Read The Full September 2025 Issue: The Style Issue Here
Talent: Kamara Williams
Photography: Kharma Media
Stylist + Creative Director: Kamara Williams
Hairstylist + Makeup Artist: Kamara Williams
