To remedy the feelings of isolation that manifest all too often in the time of COVID, University of Chicago first-years Glenys McGuire and Ruby Bromberg took matters into their own hands through a DIY creative project in their Woodlawn dorm rooms. The project? First, a meshing of wardrobes. Second, a photoshoot.
Since arriving on campus this past September and forging an undeniably strong friendship, Ruby and Glenys have discussed sharing closets on multiple occasions. While they each maintain a distinct style aesthetic -- Ruby’s more of a 70’s chic and Glenys’ more of a general vintage/retro influenced by London street-style -- their closets speak to the same overall vibe while perhaps reflecting different eras. In other words, they maintain a similar aesthetic, but present that aesthetic rather differently, resulting in two distinctive styles.
While Ruby likes to rock tighter-fitting clothes with a statement piece or two, Glen’s outfits make a statement more through the cohesion of its different elements and thus through the entire outfit as a single entity. Such a contrast was the impetus behind the meshing of wardrobes -- to dress each other in items they wouldn’t normally wear, allowing themselves to push each other out of their comfort zones with respect to how they would normally present themselves. For example, Glen dressed Ruby in baggier clothes that Ruby would not have worn on a normal day.
Ruby found that she was able to love the way she felt in this entirely different cut; she still felt sexy, even without sporting a tight-fitting pair of pants. Glen, however, relies more on her face and hair (rather than her clothes) as manifestations of her femininity. Back in London, she typically wore darker, baggier clothes that some would characterize as “androgynous.” Yet through this meshing of wardrobes, she tried on more colorful, tighter-fitting pieces and too found success and joy in how she perceived herself.
Such an intellectual and stylistic fusion could only be memorialized with a photoshoot. As they experimented with different outfit combinations, Ruby and Glen spoke at length about body image and the extent to which curating their own aesthetic makes them feel prouder and more confident in their bodies. While snapping solo pictures of each other, the conversation soon drifted into one about the juxtaposition of oneself with others in group pictures. The shots they captured below thus served to draw attention to the flattery inherent in individual, rather than collective beauty.
This project, of creating remarkably well-composed images with just a dorm room and one other person available, was for Glenys and Ruby not only a means of creative expression, but also a morale booster amidst a time of emotional frustration and isolation.
