Meg Ryan is my spring style inspo

Oh, Meg Ryan. We all know and love her by her iconic lead performances in timeless rom-coms like When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail, and Sleepless in Seattle. Due to this, we may associate her with the chunky sweaters, shoulder-padded blazers, and high-waisted jeans that came with her 80s film career. This look is doubtlessly iconic. Tiktokers even went so far as to claim fall 2021 as “Meg Ryan Fall”, taking inspiration from her normcore look in When Harry Met Sally. Yet, I have grown an obsession with Meg Ryan’s style through the lens of a different era: the 2000s and 2010s. 

One fateful day, there she was on my Pinterest feed: Meg Ryan. Though I’m unsure of which particular Meg Ryan street style moment first struck my heart cords, I can envision the silhouette that often characterizes her outfits. With loose and oversized pieces for bottoms and well-fitting neutral t-shirts for tops, she pairs her too-cool-to-care pieces with the perfect accessories to create an androgynous aesthetic.

In this era, Meg evidently repeats her staple accessories and garments, making the recreation of this style sustainable and supportive of basic pieces. Meg Ryan is all the inspiration I need as spring rolls around. Let me break down her street style in 5 photos so you can help recreate her looks too.

Look #1:

Image via Pinterest.

Here is a classic Meg outfit in which we find her sporting many of her staple pieces. She wears a neutral, well-fitting t-shirt paired with loose dark wash jeans held up by a thick black belt. She pairs green athletic sneakers with her classic black messenger bag, silver jewelry, aviators, and a newsboy cap.

Look #2:

Image via Pinterest.

With this outfit, we begin to see how Meg recycles pieces in her closet. She continues to belt oversized dark wash jeans and pairs them with a t-shirt, this time an olive green color. Over her r-shirt, she layers with a brown leather jacket, which matches her brown Dr. Martens. Meg accessorizes again with her classic messenger bag, aviators, and paperboy cap.

Look #3:

Image via Pinterest.

In a look suited for warmer weather, Meg is spotted in an all black outfit with belted, baggy pants, a simple black t-shirt, and black Nike Huaraches. We see her messenger bag and aviators make another appearance, but paired with a small-brimmed straw hat that breaks up the monochromatic look.

Look #4:

Image via Pinterest.

Riding down an escalator, Meg wears variation of her staple dark wash belted jeans. She pairs them with black clogs and a zip-up brown leather jacket. Alongside her messenger bag she wears narrow glasses.

Look #5:

Image via Pinterest.

Lastly, in a fit perfectly suited for the ambivalent spring weather, Meg wore a neutral toned outfit with black accessories. She belted oversized beige trousers and wore a loose-fitting cream top. With all-black dad sneakers, she added her classic messenger bag, paperboy cap, and sunglasses.

In the next months, I will surely be taking a page out of the Meg Ryan street style playbook. Unafraid to repeat and recycle, a review of her outfits always inspires me to recreate paired-down, carefree vibe.

Featured image via Pinterest.

¿When Did We Lose The Colors?

A black jean, black belt, black turtleneck, black t-shirt, black leather jacket, black sweatpants, black combat boots…

Almost each and every clothing item in my closet has a black sample. Even though I have a relatively colorful wardrobe, it is an upsetting fact for me to not be able to make the same statement for the rest of the color chart. Maybe for white. But definitely not for orange. I don’t necessarily avoid wearing an all-black outfit; however, by my personal choice, I have always been prone to wearing colors. Myself being the last person to want drawing all the attention on, this poses a great problem towards my fading-with-the-crowd mission. The yellow trench coat smiles in between the clusters of black, beige, and grey ones. My seven-colored balloon sleeve pullover seems so colorful that even only its existence on my body makes my friends wonder why I might be wearing something “too colorful.” Looking back at the pre-2000s wide color palette, it is inevitable to question when and why we traded all those colors in to embrace being “interesting”.

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For the sake of wandering through our minds, I will put the “natural tones being the easy-matches” card aside. That would have been a waaay too easy answer to explain all the similar figures and styles we faced throughout the day. 

According to Anabel Maldonado, a fashion journalist and, as her saying, a fashion psychologist, “we wear what we wear for an item’s psychological pay-off. (...) The dark hue creates a barrier between itself and the outside world, keeping people away while providing comfort, protecting emotions, and hiding vulnerabilities, insecurities, and a lack of self-confidence.” Very much like an armor, she suggests. Also, the way societal culture initiates the meanings behind the colors adds to this psychological phenomena. The graduation gowns, lawyer togs, ecclesiastic clothing, meaning education, law, and religion, all refer to the color black as a must-wear of the official occasions. Meanwhile, the bridal gowns, uniforms, doctor coats are white, following the very same reason. In the 2000s high-competitive, self branding environment, as worded by Maldonado, people cast their votes to the empowering, serious presence of the settled tones. Vivid colors identified with a childlike, playful, superficial characteristic, but the majority does not prefer to attend the first day of work wearing green pants and a fuchsia shirt. 

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“Chromophobia manifests itself in the many and varied attempts to purge colour from culture, to devalue colour, to diminish its significance, to deny its complexity. More specifically: this purging of colour is usually accomplished in one of two ways. In the first, colour is made out to be the property of some ‘foreign’ body - usually the feminine, the oriental, the primitive, the infantile, the vulgar, the queer or the pathological.
”

— David Batchelor, excerpt from Chromophobia, London: Reaktion, 2000, p. 22-23

In today’s fast developing, media based structure, people have a lot of platforms and a lot of opportunities to express themselves in the way they want to represent themselves. They are more than free to use the aesthetic they want. And on top of these, with sky-rocketing possibilities, fashion is currently another medium of art, as opposed to once limited production and availability means. It is now a matter of choice if you want to splash some color to your fabric. It is a matter of taking the risk to catch glimpses, challenging the appropriateness, and accepting to be the different one. It is a matter of personal preferences and not obligations.

Who knows, maybe pop-culture’s small hints to disco era and vintage are little hopes of new breathes for the dusty multicolored combines? What can bring the colorful podiums of the fashion industry down to the streets of our homes?

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The Ethics and Representation of Post-Soviet Fashion

Post-Soviet fashion: a catchall term used to describe the trend that takes inspiration from Cold War and Eastern Bloc fashion by incorporating Cyrillic lettering, vintage styles, textures, and aesthetics. 

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Post-Soviet fashion experienced an uptick in its usage, specifically in alternative or indie clothing brands, in the past 3 or so years. Most famously (or infamously, depends on how you look at it), a couple years ago, Urban Outfitters released a t-shirt with the Russian word for “equality” on it. While their translation was correct, there are many designers that unfortunately did not have the foresight to check their Google Translator app with a native speaker, resulting in mass produced grammatically incorrect sweatshirts. 

My question is where did this trend come from? And more specifically, is it ethically sound to retroactively uplift a sense of style for the general consumer that is associated with so much historically? 

In answer to the first question, I have several theories (Disclaimer: I am by no means an expert, this is simply something I took interest in for a hot second). Two of the theories are a little more critical of the origins of post-Soviet fashion, the last is a more positive understanding of the fashion movement. More likely than not, it is some combination of all three. 

One way to understand where this came from is by recognizing that Western fashion has always had a problematic obsession with “exotic” fashion. What started out as blatant appropriation of East Asian, African, and Native American cultures is now unacceptable and has thankfully gone out of vogue. Yet even since there has been a notable shift in fashion to reach for the next best thing. As someone from Eastern Europe, I was actually a little surprised and somewhat irritated to see that about 2 or 3 years ago flower embroidery became a really big trend. Now normally, embroidery isn’t particularly associated with any one culture and flower motifs are pretty common everywhere in the world. However, it was striking how much of a resemblance there was between some flowery embroidered tops sold by the likes of Free People and the traditional Eastern European vyshyvanka. For context, a vyshyvanka is a type of traditional shirt worn in Eastern Europe commonly before the Russian Revolution in 1917 and since mostly only appears in traditional celebrations and holidays such as Orthodox Christmas or Ivan Kupala. On surface level, there does not seem to be any malintent in using these designs, yet it is irritating to see companies reproducing these for the average consumer who is buying an iteration of this design in ignorance of its cultural significance. 

Images of vyshyvankas via here, here, here. Mass produced reproductions via here, here, and here.

Okay, so Western fashion has had a flirtationship with “adopting” designs from other cultures, but what does this have to do with post-Soviet fashion?

This exoticization of traditional designs was really only the beginning. Post-Soviet fashion is also often associated with color blocking, windbreakers, and tracksuits. More specifically, it emulates 90s gopnik style tracksuits. Arguably, this unholy union of fashion and culture came out of the current unending trend of athleisure. Designers like Gosha Rubchinskiy and Andrei Artyomov, to name a few, certainly contributed to creating a hypebeast vibe around their takes on post-Soviet inspired streetwear. Through large blocky hoodies and FILA-like shoes their Cyrillic branding took over the streets of London, Paris, and New York for at least a season in 2017-2018. Today, while the trend may have died down a little bit, it still raises associations with rising crime and the repercussions of a fallout of an entire structure of life in those of Eastern European descent. For us, looking like a gopnik is not really a desirable or fashionable thing. Instead, it carries the connotation of alcoholism, joblessness, and criminal activity that increased shortly after the official collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The tracksuits carry with them a memory of economic failures rather than something that was considered a distinct style. The iconic three stripes was an outfit of desperation rather than a conscious fashion choice. 

Images via here, here, here, and here.

This brings me to my next point, which is slightly more positive. 90s fashion in Post-USSR emerged out of a state of deep social and cultural confusion. For decades, the USSR cultural identity was state created. Upon the fall of the Soviet regime, the social fabric of many countries in the post-Soviet world was simply torn down. Entire nations were struggling to find a sense of identity in the shambles of what was left behind after the regime collapse. This was reflected in fashion choices as well, with the youth of Eastern European cities wearing a strange blend of clothing produced by the extinct Soviet Union and Levi’s. 

The resurgence of post-Soviet fashion is something that has been appearing increasingly frequently on the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg in recent years. For today’s youth, which ironically never saw the era that produced the clothing styles that they choose to wear, wearing Cyrillic sweatshirts or vaguely Soviet vintage clothing is a way of reclaiming some part of that broken national identity that we were born into. 

Images via.

Image via.

It also presents an interesting subculture with its own subtle political messages. Many of these shirts are not mass produced, but either individually printed or created in small batches in an almost samizdat-like production. The result is a slew of messages such as Sputnik1985’s “I Will Always Be Against” and Volchok’s famous “No Tsars No Gods” merchandise. 

But what happens when these distinctly post-Soviet identities begin cropping up in mainstream Western fashion? Most notably, Heron Preston, a designer in the vein of Off White’s Virgil Abloh, has made an entire brand name on the premise of stamping his goods with the Russian word for style: Стиль. But why “Стиль”? What relevance does it have for his brand or his message? What’s the connection?

Images of Heron Preston collection staples via here, here, and here.

Well, apparently for Preston, none in particular. In a revealing GQ interview the designer said:

“I've used Russia a lot as a theme. It also carried over to be sort of my sub-logo [written as Стиль which translates to "style"]. My partners, New Guards Group, they also rep Off-White, said, "Yo, for your brand, you should launch in Russia because no one is doing that. You have this Russian logo so we should kick off in Moscow and go on a retail tour." I loved it. I normally would have taken a more traditional approach with the launch, and launched in New York. I was just into the idea of being different from a typical launch and it just made sense.”

If this interview revealed anything, it’s that Heron Preston himself seems to have no idea as to why he’s capitalizing on the word Стиль, other than it looking cool and being different from other brands. In all honesty, to a Russian-speaker the branding of the word “style” on turtleneck collars kind of looks ridiculous (not to mention that it doesn’t actually translate entirely as style in the fashion sense; that would be the word Мода). Although I won’t pretend that this anywhere close to the most accurate comparison, branding Стиль on backpacks and shirts does make me recall the early 2000s fad of non-Chinese-speakers getting tattoos of the Chinese characters for “water” without bothering to verify the translation first. 

And then there’s the question of whether or not the replication of certain distinctly Soviet symbols for mass consumption is ethical. While most brands stick to post-Soviet nostalgia, there are quite a few who are beginning to hedge into the territory of Soviet nostalgia. One such Ukrainian designer, Yulia Yefimtchuk, releases jumpsuits with red stars as patches and the distinctly brutalist Soviet yellow lettering spelling “Мы построим новый мир” (translation: we will build a new world). Gosha Rubchinskiy makes sweatshirts with the Soviet propaganda slogan “готов к труду и обороне” (translation: always ready to work and to serve [in the military]). Not to mention the designers who have decided that a sickle and hammer is a cute new pattern, without taking a pause to think about the suffering, oppression, and human rights abuses it is associated with.

Images via here, here, and here.

While I obviously cannot speak for the designer’s choices to release these particular collections, nor can I speak for the entire post-Soviet Eastern Bloc community, I do believe that I’m probably not alone in saying that the carelessness of reproducing clothing with Soviet slogans and symbols is insensitive to the millions of people whose families were directly affected by the Soviet regime. Though the intent is probably not to glorify the USSR regime, the clothing does appear to facilitate an active unawareness of the meanings behind these motifs. And so do, for that matter, gopnik-style clothing brands that mass produce post-Soviet trends for the average Western consumer. 

This is not to discount the work of Gosha Rubchinskiy and the like. They have significantly influenced the rise of street style and have done so by creating their own interesting commentary on glamour and focusing it on reproductions of intentionally “poor” images (which is problematic in its own way). The fact of the matter is that all this, in tandem with articles that call the Gosha phenomenon “ugly is the new beautiful” and marketing images of shaved heads with sickle and hammers designs, is difficult to process for those that have been born in and inherited the post-Soviet culture and must now struggle to understand their identity in light of a heavy national history. 

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What's Up With Logomania Luxury Fashion?

Logos are nothing new to the fashion industry. Identifiable logos and patterns have been a staple of branding fashion houses and demarking their exclusivity since luxury goods began flooding the market. 

Considering that luxury fashion originated from a celebration of craftsmanship, design, and quality of production, the distinctly late 2010s shift to aggressive branding of rather standard consumer goods is puzzling.

* Before I continue, a disclaimer: My point is not to pass judgement on this branding approach, but to highlight the fundamental shift in luxury houses’ approach to mass producing fashion. Rather than arguing that it is a net good or net bad shift, the aim is to highlight the changes and speculate about how they originated. I am by no means an expert. Okay, you can keep reading.

Fashion is undeniably dynamic and should change with the times. Yet the 21st century phenomenon of “premium mediocre” goods (such as luxury branded flip flops or baseball caps) has reached an unprecedented extreme. The era of luxury brands exclusively creating holy grail and statement pieces seems to be giving way to an era of producing mundane pieces featuring prominent designer logos. Big names in the industry which used to make handcrafted pieces in extremely small quantities have become increasingly globalized brands that produce any amount and variety of standard clothing under their name. 

In fact, at this point many branded items are recognizable only due to their logos rather than distinctive features. It’s hard to tell the difference between rubber pool slides unless they have a logo on them. Whether it comes in the form of a licensed brand pattern or a trademarked logo, luxury houses seem to have latched onto the idea that these flashy designs are critical to their ability to be recognized and appreciated. 

Via

Many of these changes originated from significant branding overhauls. As leading brands replaced their creative directors and began creating new versions of their logos and patterns, others followed. Some of the first houses to rebrand were Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton (under Virgil Abloh), and Gucci. Rebranding opened up avenues for them to begin marketing to younger generations, to increase social media presence, and to create new collections, which were inevitably branded with their new, and oftentimes simplified, logos. 

The Burberry logo redesign and monogram: via

The massive successes that these rebrandings brought about (measured in a drastic increase in sales) prompted other houses to begin changing their brand names and approach to producing luxury goods. Soon afterward Versace, Burberry, and Saint Laurent, and others followed. 

Pictured above: Louis Vuitton rebranding under Virgil Abloh. The discontinued Murakami print vs the new monogram.

Arguably, logomania originally emerged as a fashion statement of its own. Brands like Supreme and OffWhite made their money from their names alone by selling generic nylon factory products at high markup. These new brands emerged with excessive branding as a staple. At first, it was an ironic and bold statement challenging traditional fashion trends and launched their collections on the basis of the excessive branding.

High-end fashion houses, however, followed suit and adopted the distinct style into their own collections as well, leading to the creation of “premium mediocre” and the craze of logomania.

Logomania emerged as a trend that persists in street fashion today as result of rebranding and the simplification it brought with it. Brands have realized that it is easier to market a product through social media and create recognizable product placement when there are standardized and flashy elements to the designs. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, but a picture with a thousand logos on it really drives the point home.

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Images via here, here, and here.

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Streetwear Brands to Stock up On

Streetwear has been a major trend making the fashion circuits for years now and shows no signs of slowing down, with brand like Vetements, Supreme, and Off-White popping up everywhere from runways to red carpets. As the weather starts to warm up, check out some of the hottest brands on the market to help revamp your summer wardrobe. Many of these brands boast gender-neutral designs and have ample celebrity and model fans to boot, so you’ll be wearing them in good company.

Stone Island

Stone Island is a high-end Italian sportswear brand. The company capitalizes on cutting edge research, experimentation and technological innovations in textile design and fabrication to create clothing ahead of its time.

Palm Angels

Palm Angel’s sporty-chic line is a mixture of American skater fashion and Italian tailoring. However, the brand’s bold designs aren’t just meant for the skate park; you can take a turn in one of their ultra-wearable cropped hoodies or oversized tees any day. Shop the brand here.

Chrome Hearts

Bella Hadid’s go-to goth streetwear line (and a frequent design collaborator) Chrome Hearts offers a range of head-turning pieces. For their specialities, look to their leather products and jewelry. Shop CH here.

Places + Faces

This exclusive streetwear brand is your new go-to for slouchy tees, hoodies and cross-body pouch bags. Founded in 2013, Places + Faces has taken the fashion world by storm, and their pieces have been spotted on the likes of Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, and Frank Ocean. Their products frequently sell out, so grab your favorite pieces before they’re gone. Shop the line here.

Aimé Leon Dore

Launched in 2014 in Queens, New York, Aimé Leon Dore’s youthful and color-packed designs draw inspiration from graffiti, basketball stars, ‘80s fashion and skater culture. Peruse their line for elevated athleisure in a range of pastels and neons.

Heron Preston

Heron Preston, who is a friend and collaborator of Virgil Abloh, has an eponymous label that features a wide range of workwear-inspired utilitarian pieces. His usage of construction worker orange and the Cyrillic alphabet have made his pieces very recognizable all over Instagram. Despite being a newer designer, Preston already boasts a number of unique collaborators, including the NYC Department of Sanitation and NASA.

424 on Fairfax

This boutique streetwear brand offers hip-hop inspired looks and in-house jewelry designs. Guillermo Andrade, one of 424’s co-founders, aims to create a space that melds the salon environment of Paris and New York with LA’s laid-back vibe.

Featured image via.

Quad Style: Emily Robb

Meet Emily Robb, a second-year hoping to double major in Philosophy and Political Science. She’s from Los Angeles but went to boarding school on the East Coast. On campus, she’s CAO of Theta and involved with Jumpstart, Women in Law, and Amnesty International. She’s super passionate about reading, writing, and music, everything from Ariana Grande to old Monteverdi madrigals.

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How would you describe your personal style?

My personal style definitely varies day to day and is so different based on my environment (LA vs. East Coast vs. Chicago). Sometimes I’ll wear more traditionally effeminate dresses or skirts, other times I’ll wear more playful and distressed loose jeans with fun sneakers and a plain t-shirt. I think my most consistent outfit is a pair of skinny jeans, boots, a cashmere sweater, and a leather jacket.

Any favorite or least favorite fashion trends?

I honestly don’t pay enough attention to fashion trends as much as I should. When I go shopping I can’t help but run my hands over every item of clothing on the rack, so I’d say a lot of what dictates the clothes that I choose to wear is how they feel.

What are your favorite places to shop?

My mom’s closet, thrift stores, Urban Outfitters, Reformation, Madewell, Vince, Rag & Bone. And Current/Elliott has the BEST over-sized men’s cashmere sweaters.

“... although I don’t have the most clear-cut and identifiable relationship with fashion, I’m mostly just grateful it’s become a bit more nuanced and subdued over time.”

What’s your relationship to fashion and how has it changed over time?

If you look at pictures of me in elementary school, you’ll notice that I’m wearing pink in every single one. Apparently I refused to wear anything that wasn’t pink, sparkly, or adorned with hearts, so although I don’t have the most clear-cut and identifiable relationship with fashion, I’m mostly just grateful it’s become a bit more nuanced and subdued over time.

Any fashion regrets?

Literally everything I wore to 7th grade bar and bat mitzvahs.

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All images courtesy of Justin Pan

Quad Style: Wendy Xiao

Hi, my name is Wendy Xiao and I’m a first year with intentions to major in History and Visual Arts; this is how I start all my cover letters! I’m also currently involved in MODA. I enjoy visiting art galleries and I make lots of art myself. I love Kermit and the colour pink, and, lastly, I can also use Microsoft Excel and do basic math because I took a quarter of STAT 200.

What are you wearing for this shoot?

For this shoot, I am wearing mostly Chinese and South Korean brands that I found online, as well as some Uniqlo. For footwear, I’m in my Nike Tartans and Wotherspoons, and I am also accompanied by my pink Kermit portable charger. I did try to go hard on different fabrics for these looks so one is heavy on the corduroy, and the other is a quadruple plaid look (there was supposed to be 5 plaid items but I left my socks at home).

How would you describe your personal style?

I’ve noticed that my style shifts with the climate that I currently reside in. Currently, I’ve been wearing a lot of pinks, purples and neon colours, because I’m resisting against the dull winter weather and seasonal depression. Whereas over fall quarter, I found myself wearing lots of yellows and browns. Overall, my styling preference leans towards streetwear and I’d like to achieve the title of “a tasteful hypebeast art hoe who dresses well.” One look I really want to have is wearing colourful full piece suits, kinda like RuPaul or Cate Blanchett’s character in Ocean’s 8.

“I’d like to achieve the title of ‘a tasteful hypebeast art hoe who dresses well.’”

Where do you find style inspiration?

I follow a lot of Instagram streetwear accounts that pull together the coolest outfits, and seeing how they play with accessories, colours and shapes often give me fun ideas to try. I also get inspiration from Korean celebrities and those “what people are wearing to Fashion Week” photos.

Where do you like to shop?

I’m still discovering Chicago’s local fashion scene but I’ve definitely been getting into vintage and thrift shopping, which isn’t something that was available where I lived. I recently picked up some great stuff! There are a few streets in downtown Chengdu/Singapore where I go every time, and hit up all my favourite stores. One of my favourites is definitely Dover Street Market, I always take my time to walk around there every few weeks or so. I am such a big fan of their collaborations with brands and designers, creating these gorgeous art spaces that truly blend the boundaries between art, high fashion and streetwear. Some of my favourites include the Gucci and Nike collabs, as well as those ASSC Vans, and this Carhartt x DSM jacket I discovered. It’s really a religious experience walking around DSM and trying things on, 12/10 would recommend.

I mainly do my shopping online because I’m still a bit of a brand hoe and I like my New Year's/Black Friday discounts and you can really cop some expensive things for a very good price. I did get scammed on Grailed once trying to buy a Fenty sweater so idk what to tell ya. I also enter raffles for sneakers but I’ve never won any...

Do you have any fashion regrets?

Yikes, let's just say that it took me a while to get where I am and I would say that pre-2016 Wendy was a big fashion don’t. Before getting into fashion I dressed like every boy you knew in 9th grade. I found a photo of me wearing a grey Zara beanie, H&M zip-up hoodie, Adidas shorts and navy converse. Yes, I wore grey, navy, and black in the same outfit.

What’s your relationship to fashion? Has it changed over time?

Initially, I got into fashion because I had friends who were very invested in streetwear and sneakers. I lived in Singapore and the streetwear culture there was growing, meaning that there were more and more opportunities to explore looks. Slowly, I’ve become obsessed with the challenge of dressing myself in ways that would be compositionally balanced, colour coordinated, and aesthetically pleasing. It’s quite a pretentious thing to say but I also just love it so much. My love for fashion also increased as there has been an increase of overlaps between high fashion, the arts and streetwear; three things that I absolutely adore!

“... fashion is an artistic outlet for me to mould and shape my identity... ”

Why is fashion important to you?

Fashion has definitely helped me a lot in finding the confidence in being comfortable with who I am. I struggled a lot with my gender identity back in high school and having the freedom to experiment with my visual presentation. As an art form, I am a fan of how [fashion can] exist above the boundaries of gender. I like that fashion is an artistic outlet for me to mould and shape my identity, but it is also an art form that is explored by designers around the world.

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All images courtesy of Dasha Askenova. View more of her work on her Instagram.

You can also check out Wendy’s artwork on her website.

Quad Style: Josie Sabbath

I’m Josie, I’m a first year, and right now I think I’m going to do a Creative Writing major. Maybe Jewish Studies too. Shout out to Students Organizing United with Labor (we meet Tuesdays at 7pm), #CareNotCops and SWAP (Students Working Against Prisons)—we’ve got an art show coming up that everyone should submit to—and to Southside Scribblers, which is an RSO that teaches creative writing at Ray Elementary every Friday. 

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My masc outfit is all goodwill.

How would you describe your personal style?

To be honest, I feel like my style is always changing, and that’s part of the reason why I like thrifting so much, since it makes it a lot less of a commitment to try out a look I’m not sure about. I’ve worn a TON  of really unfortunate outfits just trying to see if I can make them work. I love really loud patterns, like the ones you could find on your grandma’s upholstery. Right now, with masculine clothes, I think I might fit the “indie” scene, but to be honest I don’t really know what that means. With feminine stuff, it’s really more of a game of whatever fits, but I wear a lot of pink.

Where do you find style inspiration?

I think most of my fashion inspiration just comes from shopping with my friends and trying to take what I love about their clothes and make it work for me so I’m not totally stealing their style. I take a little from the queer punk scene and this one ‘90s HBO show, Queer as Folk. Mostly though, I end up wearing whatever catches my eye when I’m actually in a store.

“Embracing the way I look when I dress closer to how I feel has made me a lot more confident in my appearance.”

Do you have any fashion regrets?

Those unfortunate outfits I mentioned were mostly just clashing patterns. I think five [different patterns] are the most I’ve worn at once. That was good day. Honestly, if I were only dressing for myself, I’d always have more than one pattern on—I think there’s something that’s just so fun about seeing what color combinations come out and the way all the different designs come together to make a new whole. But for everyone else’s sake (people complained about headaches), I hold myself back.

The feminine [outfit] is a skirt and jacket from Value Village (a chain kinda like Village Discount) and a shirt from the Hyde Park Target. I love Target.

What is your relationship to fashion? Has it changed over time?

I only really started thinking about what I was wearing in middle school, and since then, fashion has always just been a way to try to make a good first impression. I think that’s all my relationship with fashion was until I actually started listening to the part of me that felt more feminine. I don’t think fashion is limited to menswear versus womenswear, but finding womenswear that’s flattering on a body like mine can be really challenging.

At the same time, finding clothes that fit well is hard no matter what your body [looks like], and embracing the way I look when I dress closer to how I feel has made me a lot more confident in my appearance. For some reason, it’s way easier for me to look in a mirror and hype myself up when I’m wearing a skirt. But in general, I’m pretty much just thinking about wearing stuff that makes me feel good about myself, and trying to find clothes that’ll make me excited to wake up and get dressed.

“I’m pretty much just thinking about wearing stuff that makes me feel good about myself, and trying to find clothes that’ll make me excited to wake up and get dressed.”

All photos courtesy of Natalia Rodriguez. View her online photography portfolio here.

Quad Style: Veronica Myers

Meet Veronica Myers, a third year double majoring in Sociology and Art History and minoring in Human Rights. She’s one of the captains for the Women’s Varsity Lacrosse Team and an intern at the Smart Museum!

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The top, jeans, belt, and shoes are all thrifted. The only part of this outfit that I actually bought retail are the socks, because Uniqlo was having a sale.

How would you describe your personal style?

My personal style is definitely heavily influenced by the 70s and 80s, not because I intentionally try to make it so, but because thrift stores are chock full of shoulder pads and tailored pants and bold prints, and I also steal a lot of clothing from my mom and dad’s closets. Someone once told me that I dress like a kindergarten teacher... I’m not really sure what that means, but I guess that’s also something to consider.

Where do you find style inspiration? 

This might sound cliché, but my friends!! Especially in college, where we’re all just trying to figure things out and push boundaries, I feel like we’re more willing to take risks and try new things, which leads to a lot of really fascinating looks. 

Where do you like to shop?

Village Discount is my holy grail and definitely where I shop the most, but back home in downtown Ventura there’s a line of thrift stores that my friends and I will hit up every time we’re home for break. If I’m shopping retail, my go-to stores are usually Uniqlo, Zara, Gap, or Target. Also, a good deal of my clothing comes from pieces my parents have held onto but don’t wear anymore (the best being a grey crop top that my dad used to wear during his football playing UCLA college days!).

Do you have any fashion regrets? 

I used to try way too hard in high school and took everything I wore very seriously. I was so focused on a highly curated look that at one point I carried around an artist satchel/briefcase as my school backpack for like, two years? I don’t really regret being so willing to dive into something, but I do regret committing to the satchel itself because I could only fit one notebook and a pencil pouch in it, so I ended up having to carry all of my textbooks in my arms.

The trench coat is my mom’s from when she was a young adult, the top and pants are both thrifted, and the shoes I’m pretty sure are from DSW.

What is your relationship to fashion? Has it changed over time?

My relationship to fashion has changed dramatically over time, and it continues to evolve. I think growing up, we (especially young women) are taught that we need to fit into clothes, or modify ourselves to fit within a certain style, and for a really long time I tried to do that.

I think that’s why I love thrifted clothes so much, because you have no idea and no control over what kind of sizes/shapes/forms/fits you’re going to find. Suddenly, rather than trying to fit into clothing, it becomes a process of tailoring the clothing to you; a belt here, a shirt tuck there, cuffing an ankle, etc. In that way fashion has become such a personalized and individualized experience for me, and it’s become so much more fun and so much more freeing to discover the ways in which I can fashion clothing to this body of mine. 

Why is fashion important to you?

I never put too much time or effort or thought into what I’m wearing, and I think that’s why it’s so important to me. My personal style reminds me not to take life too seriously, and to just have fun with it. If I want to wear a floor length velvet gown, or bright red overalls, or high waisted jeans for the fifth day in a row, why not?

With so many other things going on, sourcing joy from what you wear seems so insignificant, but it can be so gratifying. Maybe ten years from now I’ll look back at what I’m wearing today and think, “wow what was I thinking,” but it doesn’t really matter because I’m thoroughly enjoying being me in this moment, and that to me is everything.

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All images courtesy of Angela Liu.

Quad Style: Michael Tolchinsky

How would you describe your personal style? Do you have a go-to look?

I’d say it’s a little all over the place in the sense that I don’t have a consistent look to go to, but generally it’s quite minimalistic. It’s not really in my personality to be super flashy, but I try to add little touches of colour, texture, or a graphic of some kind to keep it interesting. I sort of wish I could commit to a particular style since that would probably make life more convenient, but I appreciate a lot of different styles and enjoy putting different parts together.

Where do you get your style inspiration?

Honestly, despite what some people may say, since I’ve come to campus I’ve consistently noticed a lot of really well dressed people and that’s inspired me in a lot of ways. I think in general seeing someone wear something cool in person makes much more of an impression on me than a picture does. That said, I do spend a too much time browsing the internet for clothes, and I’m only mildly ashamed to say that. My dad also has a lot of really cool clothes and I like to take a lot of his advice (or making fun of me) on board.

Where do you like to shop?

I’m a sucker for a really good deal, so I do a lot of online shopping since I’ve found browsing around different stores you can find high quality, brand names for a fraction of the price. I also like walking around retailers at home in London, or in Chicago, then going online and trying to find anything I tried on for half the price. For this reason, I also spend a fair amount of time on Grailed to find used/old items from name brands for non face melting prices.

Any favorite and/or least favorite trends?

This isn’t a trend per se, but I love how fashion has exploded as an interest with the advent of social media, and how there are probably more unique styles that people show than ever. There’s so many cool things people are creating that might not necessarily be for me, but that I can appreciate. As far as what I’ve personally enjoyed recently, I’ve been wearing a lot of woolly, comfy cardigans and trying to go looser with the pants, although that’s still a work in progress.   

On the flip side, I’m personally not a huge fan of intentionally garish designer patterns and labels that have made a resurgence, particularly in a university environment.

What is your relationship to fashion? Has it changed over time?

I’ve always been interested in fashion, but I went to school with a uniform policy, so getting to college has been the first time I can actually wear my clothes outside of the weekend, which has been exciting to say the least. I also find it to be very comforting to be wearing something I think looks passable when I leave the house in the morning. I personally find that I feel much more confident if I’m happy with how I look, and of course what I’m wearing plays an important part in that.

Any fashion regrets?

When I was like 13 or 14, I wore a lot of very tight, multi colored chinos. Coupled with the fact that I tried to convince people I was cool by wearing various snapbacks about 3 sizes too big for my head or a beanie at all times, that was a rough period for me.

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All photos courtesy of Owen Rudalevige

Quad Style: Zhenru Zhou

Meet Zhenru Zhou, third year PhD student in the Art History department. She enjoys swimming, painting and traveling in her free time.

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What are you wearing for this shoot?

A folk-style dress from Chinese Turkestan, a long jacket from Zara, a long coat from the London Frog, a nylon scarf and two hair-wraps from Northwest China, heatech pants from Uniqlo.

How would you describe your personal style?

I don’t know if I have a style. Typically I wear a mixture of old and new, ethnic and generic, similar or complementary colors, but mostly cheap.

Where do you find style inspiration? 

Weather forecasts, seasonal colors, people I meet, and mural paintings that I study.

Where do you like to shop?

Folk costume markets when traveling, Uniqlo when in Chicago, Taobao when in China. Sometimes I get old clothes from my mom and friends.

Do you have any fashion regrets? 

I used to buy too many new clothes before I knew I could wear second-hand things. [I also regret] not being able to give away an old piece of clothing whenever I would get a new one.

What is your relationship to fashion? Has it changed over time?

When I was in my teens and early-twenties, I wanted to look good. When I was in my mid-twenties, I wanted to look unconventional. Now that I am in my late-twenties, I neither want to look good nor be unconventional, but I don’t know how to shed those identities!

Why is fashion important to you?

Fashion and style are not important to me, but realizing the artistic potential of my clothes and actualizing a personal response to their cosmic vital energy are meaningful [to me].

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All images courtesy of Amelia Frank.

Quad Style: Tyler He

Hi, I’m Tyler and I’m a 4th year majoring in Public Policy Studies! I’m a co-president of Phoenix Survivors Alliance and I’m involved with other activism/organizing groups on and off-campus. I listen to so much music, think about tattoos all the time, am obsessed with Twitter, and I also love to box and work out.

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In this outfit I’m wearing a bright neon orange shirt with a patterned polo (both thrifted) that I cropped with Dickie’s pants and Dr. Martens boots (the laces are different because I broke the laces for the right boot). I also have a gold Timex watch and a necklace and earring that my friend made for me.

How would you describe your personal style?

I feel most of the people that do these shoots say this, but I actually don’t know how to describe my personal style. I do think about it a lot though, and I think at this point I want to say that I always aim to be in the gray area where I am visually and aesthetically pleasing but still look out of the ordinary and unique. I want people to look at me and think that I look weird but in a good way.

Where do you find style inspiration?

I pay a lot of attention to what other people around me are wearing all the time, particularly what my female and gender non-conforming friends are wearing because I find that they often are way more stylish and creative in their style than men. I also follow a bunch of artists and other creatives on social media and often find myself trying to emulate pieces of their outfits and changing up my own fashion through them.

Where do you like to shop?

I spent my whole life buying clothing from retail stores and online until about a year or two ago, but now I essentially buy all my clothing through thrifting. I’m from Chicago and there’s a thrift store in my neighborhood that has a 50% sale on everything every Monday and I usually go at least once a quarter. Before I stopped shopping retail, a lot of old T-shirts and other pieces of clothing that I still wear frequently are mostly all from Uniqlo!

In this outfit I’m wearing a beige hoodie that I got from a Tasha show (@wowtashawow on Instagram and Twitter) that says “I love myself and hate the police” on the front with striped baseball pants (thrifted) and white Air Force 1s.

Do you have any fashion regrets?

I think most of my fashion regrets really stemmed from my self-esteem issues and lack of body confidence, but I did spend a significant portion of college wearing a lot of sweaters and sweatpants (no offense) even though I wanted to look different and be more visually stimulating. A couple things do stick out though. In high school all the other popular guys would pinroll their jeans really tightly, and I definitely spent a ton agonizing over that. I was also obsessed with whether the ankle of my jeans looked too big or weren’t tight enough because everyone else wore skinny jeans, so I always tried to buy and wear tighter jeans even though they were incredibly restrictive and uncomfortable for my body!

What is your relationship to fashion? Has it changed over time?

When I was younger I would often get very anxious and stressed out about following the latest trend or conforming to what other people around me were wearing, and I spent a lot of time feeling insecure about my body and how well I can appeal to others through my fashion. I think a lot of that intersected with class; going to high school on the near northside of Chicago with my background, I internalized and connected so much of my dissatisfaction with my life with being poor and unable dress as (arguably) well as the people I was surrounded by. As I’ve matured emotionally and changed physically I’ve gained a lot more self confidence, and I finally feel like I am in a place where I can experiment with fashion, feel comfortable with myself, and look good no matter what I wear or do.

Why is fashion important to you?

I’m constantly engaged with my surroundings and am always paying attention to what people around me are wearing, and I assume that everyone around me does the same. I think a lot about how “the personal is political” and how it relates to fashion; fashion allows me to make a statement about myself and my being without uttering a word, and I think that’s incredibly powerful. Fashion is endlessly changing over time, but what I’m wearing every day is just a singular instance of my life experiences, my relationships with people around me, cultural shifts, and so many other things. Also, I just love looking good and feeling good about myself!

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All images courtesy of Dasha Aksenova.

Quad Style: Kira Leadholm

Meet Kira, a fourth year painter and artist majoring in Creative Writing and Visual Arts. Beyond her classes, she is part of an a capella group called Men in Drag and designs for MODA, in addition to leading their Designer Boot Camp. program

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How would you describe your personal style?

My style is really variable, depending on factors like the weather and my current stress levels. On my best days, I aim for classy-chic. An over-sized sweater, skinny jeans or slacks, and some sort of platform heel always make a great ensemble. I’m also into 70s-inspired pieces, especially during the warmer months. I’m thrilled that flares are back in, and I love pairing them with striped turtlenecks or flowy blouses. When my schedule becomes heinous, it’s harder to plan outfits every day and my style errs on the side of wannabe hipster. I turn to reliable pieces like mom jeans, blanket scarves, thrifted sweaters that probably belonged to someone’s grandpa and Chuck Taylors. 

What inspires your style?

I’m most inspired by the people around me. I’ll see someone on campus wearing a cool outfit and think “I could probably emulate that.” I also read lifestyle blogs like Refinery29 and Goop, and I skim the New York Times fashion section every morning. 

What are your favorite places to shop?

My all-time favorite store is Aritzia, because it carries classic brands like Wilbur and Wilbur Free, Tna, and Babaton. However, I interned at a fair-trade fashion company last summer and I learned a lot about how my purchases impact the environment and contribute to inhumane labor practices. Since then I’ve been more conscious of where I buy my clothes. I prefer to shop sustainable brands like Reformation and Amour Vert. Unfortunately, sustainable clothing can be really expensive, so I’ve begun to thrift more frequently, and I abstain from shopping unless I really need a new piece.  

Do you have any fashion regrets?

I went to a preppy high school where kids wore brands like Vineyard Vines and Lily Pulitzer. As a fourteen-year-old wanting nothing more than to fit in at her new school, I acquiesced to this fashion standard. I regret wearing most of the clothes I wore from ages 14-17. My closet consisted of garish, printed dresses, cable knit crew necks, and Sperry Topsiders. Not that anything is wrong with these brands—if you love a good polo, you do you—but this style was decidedly not me. I was trying to squeeze into an unfamiliar mold, and that’s what I regret the most.

 How has your relationship to fashion evolved over the years?

As I stated above, I spent a sizeable portion of my life acquiescing to trends that were touted by society. My fashion sense became more autonomous my senior year of high school, when I began to reject fashion mores. I didn’t show up to school in a meat dress or anything like that; I just wore clothes that I liked and that I felt good in. I’ve been designing for as long as I can remember, and I’ve always been interested in fashion as an art form. During my second year in college, I had the opportunity to participate in MODA’s Designer Boot Camp (DBC), where I learned to sew and was able to make a collection for the annual show. DBC changed my life, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop creating clothes now that I have this skill. 

All images courtesy of Aisha Rubio

Quad Style: Allan Lake

Meet Allan Lake, a fourth year Visual Arts and Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies double major. On campus he’s involved with OBS (Organization of Black Students), and in his free time he enjoys making art and pursuing photography.

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What are you wearing for this shoot?

Fit one is my casual, work vibe. I’m wearing Levis blue denim, a denim shirt, dark walnut Timberland boots and a Deko Workman's jacket. Fit two is my eccentric look. I’m wearing white chino pants, 1/4 button up shirt, a white lightweight jacket, a Gucci Mane Le Flaire Ice Cream Hat, Reebok Classics and a Cancer Medallion.

How would you describe your personal style?

I would describe my personal style as either practical and [informed by] classic looking workers' wear, or loud and proud and all about the fits that just show off a plethora of things on a budget.

Where do you find style inspiration? 

My style inspirations come from classic imitations of labor jobs and every glow-up scene a developing character has had. From Nerd to Noice.

Where do you like to shop?

I shop at like Sears and Target but also thrifts stores. I try and aim for [thrift stores] that have articles that aren’t typically in every store or stuff that’s a diamond among coals. Who knows what you will find in those kinds of stores.

Do you have any fashion regrets?

The biggest would be this cloak I got that doesn’t really fit any colors or styles I wear. It’s very blue and hand crafted so it’s nice but it doesn't fit the styles I wear.

What is your relationship to fashion? Has it changed over time?

My relationship to fashion is one that has definitely evolved over time but never lost its true form. I love to dress comfortably but still have a distinct style and make subtle flashes of high fashion for low prices (HFLP) into a everyday stunt.

Why is fashion important to you?

Fashion to me means any style or non-style that a person might wear being on display and amassing a group of people to agree, disagree or even change their own perspective and sense of style to show their relationship to those fashions… Every decision you make for a fit to convey a certain style can be fashionable, even if no one likes the colorway you got going on.

“Every decision you make for a fit to convey a certain style can be fashionable, even if no one likes the colorway you got going on.”

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All images courtesy of Ashley Mao

Forget Skinny Jeans–Here's How to Style the Season's Hottest Trend

Image via.

While you likely used to groan whenever your mom would talk about her questionable fashion choices back in the 70’s, loose-fitting pants are making a come back like never before. From baggy trousers to business casuals, wide-leg pants ruled fashion bloggers’ wardrobes in 2018, putting the final nail in the skinny jeans coffin. They are comfortable, leg-elongating, and oh so stylish. But, you’re going to have to think about how you wear these pants so you don’t hear your mom saying “I dressed like that when I went to Woodstock!” Keep reading for some basic tips to rock this trend right!

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Start with neutral colors

With extra fabric and size, wide-leg pants might be intimidating in the beginning. Neutral colors like black, cream, navy, or olive match everything and look good on all skin tones. 

Styled with a T-shirt 

You don’t need more than one great-fitting tee to make an outfit with wide-leg pants look street style ready. Stripes, denim, cropped, multicolored—you can play with an endless array of patterns and styles and still end up with a sporty, casual, and polished look if you pair your pants with a simple tee.

Styled with a blouse

Style wide-leg pants with a blouse or a blazer and you will have perhaps the most comfortable business casual look out there. A classic button-down shirt will make you look elegant and powerful. Tuck in only the front of your blouse or tie it in a knot if your office is okay with a more casual style.

Styled with a cropped jacket or cropped top 

A cropped top makes wide-leg pants even more waist defining. Better yet, no matter what season it is, you now have a way to flaunt your midriff! Go for a matching set or mix and match–whatever floats your boat!

Styled with heels

Pop on a pair of heels or heeled booties and make your legs even more elongated. Whether block-heeled mules or pumps, heels will give you the long legs you’ve always dreamed about and add a little formality to your look if that’s what the occasion calls for.

Feature image via.

Quad Style: Anne Wang

Meet Anne, a fourth-year majoring in Economics and minoring in Visual Arts and NELC. On campus, she’s in AKPsi and helps run Pareto Solutions, a strategy consulting RSO. Her free time is largely spent on painting/drawing, creative writing, and studying Chinese history or Hittite.

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How would you describe your personal style?

The two outfits probably gave it away, but I pay basically zero attention to brand and all my attention to the vibe that a piece gives me. Although I’ve never thought of any labels as describing some sort of personal style, I can list things I like, and something might arise from them: turtlenecks, oversized things, muted colors, loose pants and loose sleeves, high waists, and having as many earrings as possible. So lots of muted colors, pairing loose with tight, and honing in on one standout accessory. I also have to credit a large part of my personal style to hair and glasses—they’re there everyday and not changeable in the short term, but people often underestimate how they affect others’ perceptions of their style.

I’m wearing a crop top from Forever 21, and L.L. Bean pants my grandma randomly gave me one day. No lie—she said that a houseguest from China had left it at her place and never came back for it.

Where do you find style inspiration? 

Generally, I find that people at UChicago dress in interesting ways and are pretty good sources of inspiration. I’ve been to plenty of other campuses and I think I can confidently say that we dress more interestingly as a school. Images on Instagram are fun to look at too, particularly the accounts that feature random people on a street rather than a set of curated models. I always pay more attention to someone’s clothing when they carry themselves confidently—I’m always interested in “how he/she pulls it off”.

Where do you like to shop?

Uniqlo, thrift stores, H&M, and my grandma and mom’s closets. I’ve got plenty of aspirational shopping destinations in mind, but they’re going to have to wait until I become a full time salaried worker.

Do you have any fashion regrets?

Early middle school was rough—I think I wore all possible permutations that you can get from two polos and 3 pairs of Bermuda shorts. I don’t regret wearing clothes from Walmart throughout my adolescence, though. Walmart was where my mom really honed my instincts for finding an incredible deal—the kind that’s $15 or under.

What is your relationship to fashion? Has it changed over time?

Changing your outfit everyday is just fun. It actually used to be really tedious for me, particularly when high school started at 7:20 AM, but somewhere along the way I discovered that clothes could be convenient, comfortable AND look interesting. Once that epiphany was had, and since I’m always shopping on a budget, it became an exciting challenge to look for a piece I wanted that wasn’t going to break the bank. I was never big on watching runway shows or following high level trends, but clothing and “look” became another way, along with writing and painting, to explore what pleased me to make, wear, and be.

“I think understanding and appreciating the diversity of clothing styles and “looks” can be key to appreciating difference in general.”

Why is fashion important to you?

I think understanding and appreciating the diversity of clothing styles and “looks” can be key to appreciating difference in general. For example, I may think that neon colors look terrible on myself, but I will not stop gushing about a particular person’s ability to pull of neon athleisure. Whether it’s musculature, haircut, or lifestyle aesthetic, there’s a reason one person can rock a look that I can’t (yet). 

Being able to recognize how someone pulls something off goes a long way to appreciating your own unique qualities that allow you to pull off what you wear. Sometimes it can be a step to exploring something new for yourself. Honestly, this philosophy applies to lots of other things outside of fashion, but clothing is relatively accessible and common among all of us.

This ensemble is made up of a tank from H&M, pants from my grandma (who literally has the same waistline as me), and a jacket thrifted from Village Discount. The boots for both outfits were bought from a girl on campus for $5! Still happy with myself for that one.

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All images courtesy of Yamini Nambimadom. See more of her work on Instagram.

Quad Style: Isabel Bloom

Hi, I’m Isabel Bloom, and I’m a 4th year Sociology major. I’m a member of UChicago Student Action and I’m on the UChicago Women’s Rugby Team. I also work at Fabiana’s Bakery and love to cook and bake for my friends in my spare time! 

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In the second outfit I’m wearing a white mock-neck shirt and black suede pants (both thrifted), and Vans sneakers. These are my favorite earrings and they are my mom’s also!

How would you describe your personal style?

Honestly I think my style is pretty all over the place because I love to mix it up. As you can see from these outfits I wear a lot of black and love to add a splash of red! I like to wear a fair mix of men’s clothes (both sets of pants for this shoot are men’s) because in college I have definitely been playing around with gender more in how I dress. 

My roommates and I always joke about wearing things that are a little off or weird — for example I love wearing these red vans with colors or patterns that don’t really match. Overall my bottom line is wearing stuff that I’m comfortable in and that makes me feel good about myself!

Where do you find style inspiration? 

There isn’t really one place were I draw my inspiration, I think it sort of comes from everywhere. I definitely notice what people wear on the street and also follow my favorite artists on Instagram and am sometimes inspired by what they wear. Recently, I think I have been intrigued by 90’s style because I have been watching a lot of Sabrina the Teenage Witch!

I also love sharing clothes with friends and family–it makes your wardrobe so much bigger! Also wearing something like my mom’s belt is kind of sentimental because it makes me think of her when I wear it.

Where do you like to shop?

Most of my clothes right now are from thrift stores. I love the process of digging through clothes in search of one special item. Thrift shopping also allows me to experiment a lot more with my fashion. 

I also buy some stuff at Uniqlo and occasionally stores like H&M. 

Do you have any fashion regrets? 

Wow yeah definitely a lot of regrets from middle school... I really like color and I think I used to express that a lot more through how I dressed—it yielded some color combinations that were probably painful to the eye. I specifically remember that I could choose the color of the rubber bands on my braces when I had them and so I walked around for a while with a different color on each tooth. I’m not sure if braces count as fashion but the fact that I considered them fashion still haunts me.

In one outfit I’m wearing a red button down shirt and black tank top (both thrifted) and black Wrangler jeans. My belt is my mom’s and my shoes are Nike A1’s.

What is your relationship to fashion? Has it changed over time?

I remember in middle school and most of high school fashion was largely about conforming– I really didn’t want to stand out because I was super insecure about my body. I used to wear skinny jeans all the time because they were trendy despite the fact that they were really uncomfortable. Since coming to college I have become a lot more comfortable in my body in part because I have figured out how to dress in a way that works for me and that feels comfortable. Now fashion is an everyday way to express myself and do a little something that feels like it’s just for me; like maybe I’ve been feeling down or super busy with work so I wear a wacky outfit that makes me laugh!

Why is fashion important to you?

I used to get so stressed about getting dressed for school in the morning–I remember wishing I had a uniform or some other way of opting out of choosing what to wear. Now I think of it in kind of the opposite way; i.e. what can I wear today that will make me happier or feel better about myself? I also think I just care a lot less about how people perceive of me now which is super liberating. I can wear more silly stuff just as a joke with myself or my friends!

All images courtesy of Charlotte Wang.

Quad Style: Camila Cuesta

Ayee, thanks for having me :) My name is Camila Cuesta. I am an Ecuador-born and Chicago-raised 4th year student majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Astronomy/Astrophysics. On campus, I'm involved with a lot of RSOs, including with Ryerson Astronomical Society (RAS), Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MECHA) and Phoenix Survivors Alliance (PSA), among others! At least once a week I find myself needing to create something, from a watercolor painting to an incense holder or most recently, a holiday costume for Mecurio (my cat)! I also manage a few Instagram accounts. Recently, I picked up a really fun hobby: rock climbing!

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How would you describe your personal style?

I find it difficult to define my style as it's far from static. As a means of expression, I'd say my style is purposefully a fusion of my different identities. And every item I own I got by first asking myself: what does it say about me? I think I incorporate bits and pieces that speak to who I am/ how I feel and also serve as a reflection of my environment. I have really feminine days and days when I'm more comfortable being gender-neutral or when I want to lean into being more masc. Days when I want to express my nativeness/Latinidad versus days when I like to experiment with my inner computer science-nerd-tries-chic-style, and my closet definitely reflects all of this.

I’m wearing a Village Discount thrifted sleeveless cream turtleneck that I cropped, flare high-waisted jeans, and brown leather loafers (Unique find, brand: Naturalizer)

The gold necklace and earrings were handed down from my mom. The opal and silver rings were brought back from Ecuador. The leather jacket is a Village Discount find, brand: Z. Cavaricci.

It's not that I have a lot of clothes or that I buy things very often, but it's rare to see me walking around with a repeated outfit. My secret is definitely in how I choose to accessorize and the way I combine my different styles. Perhaps I could sum up my personal style as one that makes me feel like I could blend in anywhere, but then I also have accents that make me memorable after I cross paths with someone walking around town.

“Perhaps I could sum up my personal style as one that makes me feel like I could blend in anywhere...”

I thrifted this vibrant red sweater from Village Discount, the brand is Karen Lessly. The shiny leggings are Boohoo and my Timberland boots are from DSW.

Where do you find style inspiration?

I get a lot of my style from my mom and my indigenous roots–I love beads, gem stones, and details like embroidery. My music taste also serves as a big influence in my style. I cop off the style I see my favs using in their music videos and interviews. In particular, those styles that are goth and hip-hop. While I'm not the type to spend a lot of time on social media, I would be lying if I didn't give Instagram and Twitter creds the same way I give the city of Chicago creds. I'm a people watcher and take note of items/styles that pop out to me in my everyday and later try to replicate what made them special to me. I guess my political views also play into what inspires me and what doesn't; I think a lot about what my style supports. 

Where do you like to shop?

I almost exclusively go to DSW for shoes since they are pretty reliable in terms of carrying my hard-to-find shoe size (5/5.5). I enjoy Akira for loud jewelry, and use Etsy a lot for rings and body piercing jewelry. Other than that, I love thrift stores. That's where I get most of my stuff these days. Maybe if I had more money I would shop for newer items, but I kind of grew up with thrift stores and now that it's in vogue, I take pride in the things I find and can repurpose.

My decision to shop for used clothing is also highly influenced by the fact that fashion is the second most wasteful industry, how little I know about the production process of major brands, and concerns regarding recent scandals where brands supported textile factories that mistreated/oppressed its workers.

Do you have any fashion regrets?

In elementary school I struggled to decide between wanting to wear cute dresses to school and being able to play soccer during recess. My school didn't have an actual field so we played on concrete pavement. For a little while during first or second grade, I would wear jeans under my dresses so that I didn't have to pick between one or the other. My parents thought it was really cute because I was this little hippie tomboy, but I'm very glad that indecisive phase didn't last longer than it did.

“... in such a highly visual world, I value fashion as a form of communication.”

What is your relationship to fashion? Has it changed over time?

I have a really good relationship to fashion. My parents are both artists and educators and that influenced a lot of my style growing up since I was lucky enough to have a lot of freedom to create and explore. That's not to say I haven't changed. As I mentioned earlier, my family didn't have a lot of money so thrifting wasn't so much a choice as just the way of things. I used to be really self-conscious about this and I remember pressing my parents a lot about "needing" to buy certain brands because everybody else had them. With time, I came into myself and now I really embrace this fashion of reusing and repurposing.

Why is fashion important to you?

I know this is super redundant and far from a unique take, but fashion is really just important to me because of how it serves as an outlet for self-expression. I appreciate fashion because every outfit I put together feels like I am curating a very specific version of myself. For me, fashion can be and is about more than aesthetics, it is about a lifestyle, about putting a bit of yourself out into the world for whoever to see and receive your message, whatever it may be and however it may be interpreted. I guess what I'm trying to say is that in such a highly visual world, I value fashion as a form of communication.

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All images courtesy of Angela Liu. Check out her photography portfolio here.

Quad Style: Sophie Hoyt

Hello hello! I’m Sophie, a fourth-year English major. I work as an actor in Chicago so between auditions and rehearsals, I don’t have a lot of time for RSOs. When I have some free time in my schedule, I try dramaturg UT shows because I’m a nerd and love being able to give actors and directors more background info that they can (hopefully!) use to flesh out their performances. I LOVE food so I’m always testing out new recipes, baking for my friends, and finding new restaurants to try.

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This outfit is textbook power clash – I thrifted the pants from Goodwill, both the sweater and linen jacket are from Beacon’s Closet, my glasses are Warby Parker, and I got the neck scarf from Madewell!

How would you describe your personal style?

One of my friends always calls my outfits a “power clash” and I think it really embodies my sense of style. I try to have fun with my outfits, playing with layers and texture and patterns. I’m definitely a maximalist in every sense of the word. More is more is more so I always try to add one last piece to my outfit before I leave the house.

Where do you find style inspiration?

I love the Man Repeller blog! I love the idea that women should dress for themselves and themselves alone. Their style has really helped me start wearing myself on my sleeves. And my mom, she’s a fashion icon in her own right and some of my favorite pieces in my closet are hand-me-downs/stolen from her.

“I love the idea that women should dress for themselves and themselves alone.”

Where do you like to shop?

I’ve been trying to shop more eco-consciously and a big part of that has been avoiding fast fashion, which can be really difficult when it comes to price and convenience. I definitely love Mango and Madewell, though, and they’re really the only stores I go to because the student discount and sales are just too good. Overall, though, I’ve been moving toward shopping mostly at independent, small-scale designers or stores like Lacausa or even Asos Eco Brands.

The one downside, of course, is that these brands tend to be more expensive, but it’s definitely been a good thing for me because I can’t impulse buy things I don’t need; so I try to find things I really like and then wait a couple of days to make sure I still want the piece before I commit. If I’m definitely in need of a closet revamp I go to thrift stores and vintage shops like Knee Deep or Beacon’s Closet, and sometimes trade or borrow things from my roommates.

Do you have any fashion regrets?

I definitely have a couple. In the 6th grade, I had the chance to meet Beyoncé and I wore lavender cargo shorts, a “Little Miss Bossy” t-shirt and a sweatshirt; it was tragic and there’s photographic evidence. I also had an unfortunate color pop phase that involved a pair of Crayola yellow ripped jeans. One of my biggest regrets, though, was not treating glasses like an accessory for a really long time. I think it’s important to treat everything that you put on your body as a statement and once I started caring about my glasses as an extension of my style I became more confident and started having more fun with my fashion.

I’m wearing two of my favorite accessories: the neck scarf is from Madewell and the ring is a family heirloom.

I’m wearing my favorite high-waisted trousers that I thrifted while on a road trip with my family in Colorado. The shirt is actually a bodysuit (I’m a bodysuit fiend) from Mango.

What is your relationship to fashion? Has it changed over time?

Fashion used to be something I tried to fit into, but now I see as something that I can adapt to myself, which sounds simple but it took me a long time to get there. I think my relationship to fashion really crystalized in college because I stopped trying to dress for other people or trends. Coming into my first year I was really worried about losing my sense of self so I promised myself that I’d never go to class in my pajamas or sweatpants, which sounds silly, but it’s really helped me make a small investment in myself every morning just by finding clothes that make me feel good about myself.

“Fashion used to be something I tried to fit into, but now I see as something that I can adapt to myself...”

My great uncle used to make rings for my dad’s birthdays when he was a kid. He collected all of the opals himself and built the ring around it.

Why is fashion important to you?

Fashion is one of those things that will always be a constant in our lives and will always be in a state of metamorphosis. For me, I find clothing to be really grounding; even the slight difference in the way I style a piece of clothing acts as a marker for where I am in my life and how I’ve changed, no matter how small that difference it. We have to encounter fashion every day and if we choose to really engage with it and enjoy it, it can have a huge impact on how we receive ourselves.

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All images courtesy of Jaire Byers. View his photography portfolio here.

Quad Style: Yuna Song

Hi I’m Yuna Song, a fourth-year Environmental Studies and Visual Arts double major. My spirit animal is a grandma from the 80s. My hobbies include weaving, sewing, embroidering, and watching the Great British Bakeoff, all at the same time. I work as a Policy Intern for sustainability and resilience at City Hall, and on campus as a Communications Manager and barista at Ex Libris. Fourth year has been r o u g h and I’ve dropped all my RSOs this year except Phoenix Sustainability Initiative, for which I’m the Treasurer. I wish I were brave enough to get a tattoo, but honestly I can’t see that happening for at least another 43 years. 

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How would you describe your personal style?

Tan France (love of my life) from Queer Eye once said: “Style is dressing the way you feel confident, and what is appropriate for you, your age, and body type.” For better or for worse, as long as I feel good wearing it, I’ll take it. As a result, my personal style changes drastically on a daily basis, depending on how I want to present myself to the world, but more importantly, to myself.

For the longest time, I tried so hard to find that “one thing” that would define my style, something that would make me “unique.” But at some point, I sort of threw my metaphorical hands up in the air; there’s just too much fun to be had with fashion to walk down just one road. Consequently, I would define my personal style through my lack of personal style–give me a beret, corduroy overalls, and a Hawaiian shirt, and I swear I’ll make it work and make it my own.

 Where do you find style inspiration?

I’ve noticed that I’m unconsciously but strongly affected by color palettes. I’ll be wondering why I feel so pleased about my outfit despite the horrible wind threatening to rip it all off, when I realize that it’s because I managed to wear different shades of mustard from literally head to toe. It’s a good day when I can sneak in my favorite color combination of all three primary colors, but subtly; a red turtleneck, faded mom jeans, and a pair of mustard socks. I also love to wear an outfit consisting solely of black and white, and to finish with a singular accessory of a vibrant color, like a pair of baby blue studs or a bright red beret.

“I would define my personal style through my lack of personal style–give me a beret, corduroy overalls, and a Hawaiian shirt, and I swear I’ll make it work and make it my own.”

Where do you like to shop?

After I fell deep down the rabbit hole of the magical universe of thrifting, I grimace any time I spend more than five dollars on a piece of clothing. Village Discount Outlet is my no-brainer, go-to place to thrift. I have a bottomless well of physical and mental stamina for thrifting (why can’t I say the same for writing my thesis…?) and during finals week last spring quarter, went thrifting three times in one week (would not recommend). If you’re thinking of going, I advise you to wear leggings and a tight shirt so that you can try on things over your clothes as there is no fitting room, and to take the time to really look at each article of clothing on the rack.

“... I see myself viewing fashion as a field of great potential for change in terms of environmental conservation, human rights, and gender equality.”

Do you have any fashion regrets?

No regrets anymore. As a teenager, I was morbidly embarrassed of my childhood fashion choices. But now, I can proudly admit to wearing purple velvet bellbottoms in the sixth grade. That was definitely when I peaked.

What is your relationship to fashion? Why is fashion important to you?

Last year during winter quarter, I took an Independent Study course to learn more about the impact of the fast fashion industry on the environment. I was shocked to learn that in addition to the unsustainable ravaging of natural resources, the low price tags and “deals” on mass produced garments distract consumers from the harsh reality of the circumstances of female garment workers in developing countries.

This year, I’m writing my B.A. thesis on the slow fashion movement in comparison to the values and practices of fast fashion at the levels of production, retail, and post-purchase. Sustainable fashion is still a personal work in progress, and I have so much more to learn, but I see myself viewing fashion as a field of great potential for change in terms of environmental conservation, human rights, and gender equality.

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All images courtesy of Julia Rose Camus. View more of her work here and follow her on Instagram at @juliarosecamusphoto.