Quad Style: Nini Nguyen
Hi, my name is Nini Nguyen and I’m currently a second-year from Boston, Massachusetts. I have plans to major in Public Policy with a minor in Architectural studies. I am a part of the UChivotes Core team and Inter-House Council as Co-Social Chair. I’m addicted to ice skating but I’m not the best so don’t expect me to be at the Olympics :(. If I’m not in class or doing those things listed above, I’m probably napping. Harper is the best place to nap on campus.
Q: How did you choose your outfits for this photoshoot?
The pieces I chose are some of my favorite pieces that I’ve worn regularly throughout the last year, although they only appear whenever I decide to put in the extra bit of effort into my daily outfits. Some are combinations that I’ve worn multiple times, while others I thought of while keeping the shoot in mind. But overall, they’re pretty much the closest representation of my style throughout last year.
Q: How would you describe your style?
I don’t think my personal style can fit into any of the conventional boxes, but I generally like to play around with a lot of textures and patterns. I think I’m somewhere in the realm of diluted y2k, punk princess, with a smidge of indie. When it comes to colors, I tend to stick to black, white, green, brown, and blue, more so earthy tones. I generally like pieces with clean lines that compliment my body, mostly tight rather than baggy. Accessories are integral to my personal style, an outfit is never complete without some earrings, a bag, and shoes.
Q: Where do you usually shop?
I would say about 75% of my clothes come from thrift stores or hand-me-downs/gifts. I personally really enjoy thrifting because you never know what you’re going to find. There’s always an element of surprise when going to a thrift shop; one day you might find the perfect pair of pants or a beautiful vintage dress. Thrifting also makes me feel like the clothes are my own, as no one can really wear the same thing as you.
Q: Do you have any fashion regrets?
At one point, I had an obsession with this specific short white preppy cardigan in high school. It made me look like a middle-aged mom picking up her kid from soccer after a part-time shift at some office (Someone actually made this comment once). I would show up to school with that cardigan at least once a week. I wore it so much that one of the buttons fell off. To continue wearing it I took off all of the button, so it wouldn’t look weird. I was dedicated to wearing that cardigan until it fell apart. I’m not sure why I was so in love with that thing. Back then, I naively thought that it was the most intricate fashion venture that I could come up with. It was cringy but I regret staying closed-minded about other styles and taking no risks. I held on to what was comfortable for too long.
Q: What fashion trend do you think is timeless? And what trend do you think is overrated and should never come back?
Personally, I think the preppy trend is timeless. Plaid patterns, white button-ups, and sweater vests have been and will always be reinvented by every generation. On the other hand, I HATE biker shorts with a passion and hope they die forever. There isn’t really a way for me to explain why I don’t like them, but they just don’t look right to me. It’s hard to style formally, and overall just looks unflattering on me. On an unrelated note, I hate the word “cheugy” it's worse than any “outdated” fashion trend. It's such an ugly word.
Q: Last question. Why is fashion important to you?
For me, fashion is a way to passively express who you are. By looking at someone’s fashion, you get a sense of what type of person they may be. It’s also very fun to figure out what fits together and what doesn’t. Overall, to me, it’s a way for me to be artistic and create an identity for myself.
All photos courtesy of Sonia (Che Hsuan) Chang
