Local 5th-grader wins 'Crush Your Style' competition

When 10-year-old Haylee Baker was 2 years old, she had a box of dress-up clothes in her room filled with ballerina costumes and princess outfits. She would go into her mother's closet and put on a pair of heels too big for her feet. In Haylee's mind, her favorite shoes — a pair of bright red cowgirl boots — worked with every outfit.

By the time Haylee was 3 years old, she knew she wanted to be an actress. But for a girl from Williston living in the country surrounded by open fields and cows, horses, chickens and roosters, the idea seemed far-fetched at the time.

Haylee's dream seems a little more like reality, however, now that she has won the grand prize in Sears' "Crush Your Style" competition, in which teen and tween fashionistas ages 8 to 16 competed for $50,000 and a family trip to a fashion destination.

Several thousand entered to be America's top style crush, said Melanie Henson, chief marketing officer for Sears. Over five weeks, themed challenges searched for tweens with unique style. The Top 5 finalists in each of the challenges competed for a grand prize, in which participants created a YouTube video showcasing their style.

Haylee, a fifth-grade student at Williston Elementary School, originally entered the Retro Runway competition, and she went to Sears and modeled looks from the '60s and '70s. This is when she first caught the eye of the judges, Henson said.

She won the retro challenge, taking home a camcorder, a trip to San Francisco and a $500 gift card to Sears.

Haylee continued to impress. The judges loved the video Haylee made as a finalist enough that they awarded her the grand prize.

Her natural confidence, energy and personality made her a judge favorite, Henson said.

"She is a trendsetter in the making," she added.

Even now, Haylee can hardly believe she took home the competition's grand prize.

"I believe it, but it's hard to believe," Haylee said.

She plans to put some of the $50,000 away for college, buy some presents for friends and use it for shopping when she travels to Italy — the country she selected from a list of fashion destinations.

As the top style crush, Haylee will be Sears' style maker for the year and give fashion input for store.

According to Haylee, there isn't one word to describe her style. She said she chooses her outfit depending on her mood, from preppy to rocker chic to country girl. But she always likes to look the part.

Haylee loves dressing up for the Friday night Williston High School football games, where her dad, Jamie Baker, is the coach. She wears a red ruffled shirt, skinny jeans and a pair of black Converse. Each outfit is always complete with sparkly jewelry, she said.

She didn't let being from a small town stifle her confidence that she could win the competition.

"I have a passion for (fashion)," she said. "I had just as good of a chance as all those other girls."

Haylee knows how to drive a four-wheeler, and she's been riding a horse since she could walk. She loves waking up before sunrise and helping round up the cows that are part of her family's cattle ranching business.

"When I'm in my cowgirl boots and my jeans, I'm not afraid to get dirty," she said.

But having style has not always come so easy for Haylee.

Tricia Baker, Haylee's mother, said last spring Haylee almost stopped showing her unique style. Some kids at school, including some of her friends, starting questioning her style and made Haylee self-conscious. She started dressing down and stopped wearing some of her outfits.

Tricia said they had to work through the tough time together and talked about peer pressure.

"You can't let someone else's idea of what style is impress you," Tricia Baker said. "I want her to be unique."

But Haylee was able to overcome her peers and stick to her style.

Tricia believes Haylee winning this competition is "something God had placed on her heart."

Sarah Ingley, director of Williston School of Dance who has taught Haylee for four years, said she has always been impressed by Haylee's poise.

When Haylee is introduced to a difficult step or new material, she keeps at it until she gets it, Ingley said.

"She never lets a challenge get the better of her," she said.

Ingley said in ballet class you are supposed to be focused, but when she found out she won the competition, she raised her hand in class and said, "Miss Sarah, I have something to say. And it has nothing to do with ballet but I feel like if I don't say I'll be thinking about it throughout the class."

She announced she won the competition, but Ingley has been impressed by her humble attitude.

"She has not been using it to put herself up on a pedestal," Ingley said.