By Bailey, Miss Teen Newfoundland and Labrador 2017

We often look at style in a very black and white fashion, we see stylish individuals as those in tall heels and flouncy skirts, however, we don’t usually recognize style as soccer cleats and jerseys. Growing up with a younger sister who is the exact opposite of me allowed me to understand that just because not only our styles (like our personalities) clash doesn’t mean that one of us is more stylish than the other.

Meet Kennedy, my 12-year sister, a grade eight student at Holy Name of Mary Academy in my hometown of Lawn. She is the starting striker of the local peninsula soccer team; when she’s not practicing her shot, she’s playing a game. Because of this, Kennedy lives in soccer uniforms and running shoes, that’s her style.

You can see her on my absolute favorite street in my tiny town, Harbour Drive, which runs through the heart of Lawn. I love this street so much because it holds so much history as it sits right on the edge of the stages and docks that supported the fishing industry, an industry that supported my community for many, many years.

Kennedy is sporting a rather serious look in this photo and is decked out completely in Adidas; the black shorts and shirt are made of a light-weight, breathable material that makes busy days and practices more comfortable. Of course, no soccer game is complete without her favorite Adidas socks, with the signature stripe and to add some color to this ensemble she paired it was these lime green and bright orange, Messi cleats. You can pick up Kennedy’s entire outfit from your local Sports Chek. The caged rocks you see pictured behind Kennedy also hold great significance to me as I painted them as a child, with some of my best friends as an art project, just another reason to love this street.

Although Kennedy is much more comfortable in her shorts and socks she tried on my style for size and stepped out in this gorgeous floral dress from Nobel U. The beautiful blue and pink light up against her dark complexion. The background of this photo captures the spirit of my town perfectly and allows me to show off our beautiful history.

Of course, I couldn’t miss out on an opportunity to show off one of my favorite dresses from La Scala, a brand that is available for purchase at Pseduio, Envy and online. This dress is a beautiful coral-orange color with an eyelet lace bodice and a heavy skater skirt that is perfect for twirling around. I’ve paired it with a cream, rhinestone, floral shaped necklace from Ardene; the creamy beige color contrasts nicely with the bright dress. To finish it off I’m wearing cream and floral heels from Call It Spring, the floral print is a lovely mix of blush, coral, and raspberry.

Although my sister and I have widely different styles, we both love how we dress, we feel comfortable in our own personal fashion choices. No matter what we wear or how we choose to express ourselves, we always remember that we are our own kind of beautiful and our styles are simply a reflection of that, the most important lesson is to understand that our beauty lies beyond our style and beyond what is on the outside but lives within who were are as people.