Glam Kam’s Fashion tips

• Start with what you have: Always start with your closet before you buy new pieces. What could you style in a new way, or alter to give it a different look?

“For example, I took all of last season’s tired maxi dresses and had them shortened. Now, they are the perfect casual running-around dresses,” she says.

• Embrace color and accessories: These elements are the easiest way to make your look feel modern.

“My closet is full of many of the colors trending for spring, like vibrant red, orange, fuchsia, blue, and green, so I will be looking for fresh ways to wear what I already own,” Throckmorton says.

• Don’t dress to stress: Pay attention to the situations that cause you the most stress when getting dressed and get a plan to address that. “I found that getting dressed to pick my daughter up from school was a stressful event for me, so I took some time to create some outfits that work for that part of my life,” she says. “We often think of the big events as the only time we need to plan our looks, but I believe life is more fun if you like your outfit.”

• Be inspired, not confined: Be inspired by trends but don’t feel like you must follow them.

“I will be stocking up on the colors I love, chunky jewelry, oversized bags, and all things fringe, but will skip the beige, hot pants, and supersized bows,” she says.

• Keep it real: Be realistic about what you will and won’t wear. “The magic happens when you get outside of your comfort zone, but it doesn’t serve you to buy this season’s sculptured heels if you only wear flats,” she notes.

• Do it for yourself: Wear clothes that make you happy. If you are breathing, it’s a special occasion, Throckmorton believes. Wear something special to do mundane things. “I can’t tell you how many connections I have made because someone noticed and commented on something I was wearing,” she says. “Don’t wait until you lose weight or have a special occasion to wear the things you want to wear.”

WORDS BY LINDSEY ADKISON

PHOTOS BY PRISCILLA RING, DEVOSS PHOTOGRAPHY

Kylie Harrison has always been proud of fighting like a girl.

A second degree black belt (and staunch feminist), the 22-year-old has spent the majority of her life as a martial artist. Along the way, she’s accumulated an impressive resume with a multitude of honors, titles, and championships to her name.

But perhaps the biggest prize of all has been the sense of confidence her journey has cultivated.

“I definitely know how to throw a punch and I’m not afraid to hit something with my hand. I’ve hit a lot of hard things over the years,” she says with a laugh and a shrug.

Of course, that’s only one small piece of what the discipline has taught her. Other lessons have included self-control, body awareness, perseverance, and respect for others. Truly, the list goes on and on.

Her journey began in 2010, when Kylie was just 10 years old. Her father, Joey, worked as a professional golfer but had stepped away from the sport. The economic downturn prompted him to explore opening a martial arts school, a pastime he enjoyed in his teens.

“My dad’s instructor, Mr. Duncan, competed with Chuck Norris. He learned in Korea. He’s taught a bunch of other students,” she says.

“Originally, my dad wanted to get his old martial arts buddies back into the school. Teaching kids wasn’t even on his radar, so my mom had to have a talk with him and say, “If you want to make any money, we have to teach kids.’”

At that time, Kylie was in the fifth grade and the only kicking she was interested in involved a soccer ball.

“I had just made the traveling team for soccer,” she says. “So my parents sat me down and had a talk with me. They were like, ‘We know you love it, but we’re not going have time to take you, we’d really love it if you’d try karate,’” she says.

After a little soul searching, Kylie agreed. Together, the family poured everything they had into the new venture — The Brick. The martial arts academy opened at 20 Airport Plaza on St. Simons Island in 2010. Kylie, her brother, Boston, as well as her parents, Tavia and Joey, all became a part of the business.

Every week, Kylie would spend hours at The Brick, attending classes, helping to wrangle young students, and filming forms (a choreographed series of movements and skills used to test students for belt progression, also known as “katas”). It just so happened that while she was filming, she was also training herself. After learning the form from the video, she asked to test for her green stripe.

“That’s the first milestone — the green stripe. It’s when you learn your first form. It’s only 20 moves, three techniques, but you have to get up in front of your class and perform it,” she says. “There’s a lot to think about for a very young kid.”

She became The Brick’s first green stripe. From there, Kylie was off to the races, proving to be the test subject for the new school’s programs. She earned her yellow belt and began sparring. She also started competing, which took her across the country, as well as on international trips.

“From 2012 to 2018, I would do six or seven tournaments a year. Within a few years, I had 50 tournaments under my belt. You’re ranked and you earn points based off the size of tournament and how you place,” she says.

Considering she was placing and winning in a majority of those, Kylie was ranked high — that is, within the national top 10 for traditional kata (or forms). She also scored big when it came to fighting.

“I won my first national championship in fighting at 15,” she says. “I would say 2014 to 2017 were my prime competitive years. I was placing in all three division in every tournament sometimes with upwards of 15 competitors.”

Later, while she was attending college in Atlanta, she received second place in sparring and first place on a team fighting division at the World Games in London. But through it all, Kylie never let the success go to her head. In fact, one of the skills she had to cultivate was fighting negativity that tried to invade her mind.