Fashion is a unique element that can communicate an individual’s interests, feelings, and personality. Students’ various styles allow them to express their individuality when everything else seems to force conformity.
Sophomore Isabella Liu enjoys following old, nostalgic fashion trends.
“I like wearing clothes from the 70s. I really like streetwear as well. I think it’s good to embrace old fashion and bring it back,” Liu said.
Freshman Keenyn Benotsch believes that crafting a good outfit requires accessories and dimension to bring interest to the overall appearance.
“In a good outfit, how everything fits is important. If your shirt is too big, it may look off, and I think the pants matter the most. I like to layer a lot; I think layering makes everything better, so I stack a bunch of couple shirts on top of each other, and that’s how I like to dress. Accessories also matter. My Batman belt and keychain complete my outfits,” Benotsch said.
Jackie Herrmann, fashion and marketing teacher, points out how old trends are often brought back to life.
Photo Courtesy of Jasmine Chen
“The biggest one this year has been the Parke sweatshirt, which cracks me up because they’re really cute, but also really expensive. It’s also just wearing someone else’s name and it’s a mock shirt, which is a turtleneck sweatshirt that is oversized,” Hermann said. “It’s funny because I remember from around 30 years ago, I had that sweatshirt in the same silhouette. It shows that fashion evolves, is introduced, catches on, dies out, then comes back again. We call that recurring fashion cycle.”
Benotsch’s style has changed over time, which also reflects the cycle of fashion trends.
“In eighth grade, I used to be rocking cuffed sweatpants and skinny jeans. And over time, I started wearing hoodies and baggy jeans. I figured out what I like to wear and what looked best,” Benotsch said.
Hermann has also made note of new trends from the present day and explains how trends develop.
“Other ones around here are sundresses for this time of year, and the short shorts from Lululemon and Nike. For the guys, just pajama pants. Trends are often created through advertisement and marketing. A good way to catch buyers’ attention is using a celebrity, like a popular influencer,” Herrmann said.
Photo Courtesy of Jasmine Chen
Freshman Lily Heskett prefers to dress comfortably, hop on trends, and buy things as they get popular. Her style is a result of advertisement and marketing.
“My style is more on the comfortable side and based on what is currently popular. I follow trends really quickly. I like to be basic, and I like how people don’t dress up a ton,” Heskett said.
Junior Ryan Haggai wants her style to express her personality more than follow trends.
“I personally like to dress in summery floral dresses, and I think streetwear is really cool. I want to show my personality, that I’m a fun and welcoming person,” Haggai said.
What someone wears can be influential on how they act or feel, just as much as it influences others’ perceptions of them.
“Students definitely act differently when they dress differently. In the marketing department, students act differently on professional dress day. When girls wear formal dresses, and guys wear suits and ties, they carry themselves differently,” Herrmann said.
Overall, fashion is a unique way to express state of being and develop impressions. Regardless of how cohesive an outfit is or if it fits popular beauty standards, fashion is always present. Uniqueness is essential for bringing our school together as a whole, and fashion is a way for students to represent their authentic selves.
