Sivan, 20, third-year (she/her)
How would you describe your current personal style?
I have recently completely changed my entire wardrobe. I think I'm going for more of an androgynous 80s vibe -- polos, dad jeans, but the occasionally grungy look too. I also feel like I aim to dress like a preppy little boy and probably succeed there.
Who/what are your style inspirations?
I think 80s rock and sportswear are what I draw inspiration from. I definitely use more modern pieces to try to emulate that style, but that's the look I'm going for. I was very heavily into the goth aesthetic the last couple of years, so I think I still have elements of that in how I dress. If Jake Gyllenhaal (sorry Swifties) from Brokeback Mountain had a baby with Joan Jett.
Describe your daily go-to fits.
I think I have the sample staple pieces and then just shuffle them around. I'm from Florida so I'm a big jorts girl. I'll usually wear a baby tee or cropped muscle tee with shorter shorts, or a baby tee with cargo pants. I like to wear cropped or oversized men's shirts/polos with cargo pants too.
What are your goals in mind when it comes to how you dress? What are you trying to convey about yourself personally or stylistically?
I think I've recently come out of a time in my life where I dressed extremely hyper-feminine, almost in a performative way. I got my hair cut over the summer, and it just completely changed how I viewed myself and my gender expression. I put on my old clothes, and they felt more like a costume, and thus I knew I needed to switch it up. I think I've learned that clothes really mean nothing with regard to any binary or standard and that they should just make you feel comfortable and happy, and I feel I dress that way now. I think I'm trying to convey confidence and also allude to the aesthetics and interests I have when I dress. Now it's less "fuck off" and more "think twice.”
What are your favorite brands?
I absolutely LOVE Garage. It's the only brand with pants/bottoms that fit my body type. I tend to thrift more now, so there's less consistency there, but I love some Garage basics.
What is a wardrobe staple for you?
Cargo pants and platform boots
What are your three favorite pieces of clothing? Why are they special to you? How do they make you feel when you wear them?
I love my tall platform docs, they make me feel really powerful, and I love what they add to a baggy outfit day.
I love my dark brown cargo pants, they are so versatile and cute, and they're so comfortable.
Both of these pieces were some of the first clothes I got when I came to college. I wore a uniform K-12, so they mark the start of me really getting to play with clothing and style. I recently thrifted and cropped a sweatshirt with a Mount Rushmore joke on it, and I think it's super funny and very me, so I'll say I love that too.
Dawn, 19, 3rd year (she/her)
How would you describe your current personal style?
Depends on the day tbh, but it's mostly streetwear with y2k era influence and a touch of dark academia sprinkled in.
Who/what are your style inspirations?
My current style is very largely influenced by black content creators on TikTok and Instagram like @aerincreer.
Describe your daily go-to fits.
Right now, it's midterm season, so I've been wearing a lot of matching sweat sets. They're so comfy and surprisingly versatile if you add accessories.
What are your goals in mind when it comes to how you dress? What are you trying to convey about yourself personally or stylistically?
How I dress day-to-day depends on my mood, but I always try to look put together. I want people to look at my outfit and know I got dressed with intention.
What are your favorite brands?
My go-to for cute jeans is PacSun, but I think most of my favorite pieces came from thrift stores.
What is a wardrobe staple for you?
Jewelry! I have a set of earrings and a chain that I always wear. The right jewelry can bring any look together.
What are your three favorite pieces of clothing? Why are they special to you? How do they make you feel when you wear them?
My favorite pieces of clothing are my black furry bucket hat,
my purse with a face (her name is Pablo!),
and a pair of Apple Bottom Jeans I thrifted.
Ingrid, 21, 4th-year (she/her)
How would you describe your current personal style?
Strawberry academia ;) lots of pink and pastels in a preppy aesthetic.
Who/what are your style inspirations?
Lots of my style inspiration comes from my grandmother and mom. Living throughout the 40s and 50s in El Salvador, my grandmother collected lots of unique pieces that played into the golden age of Haute Couture alongside the native and traditional fashion cultures of Central America. This means that her style combines lots of bright, vibrant colors and textiles with interesting structural design elements that adds dimension to simple and accessible styles.
Describe your daily go-to fits.
My to-go fits often involve mixing different clothing structures and fits. I usually like to go for a baggier top and tighter bottoms, or a smaller top and baggier bottoms to further play with dimensionality. I like a good, casual, soft street style that combines hoodies with skirts. However, my favorite fit usually involves babydoll dresses and tall knee-high boots.
What are your goals in mind when it comes to how you dress? What are you trying to convey about yourself personally or stylistically?
When I dress I usually think about a feeling or mood I'm trying to convey for that day. I like to use fashion and my overall look as a mechanism of self-expression and artistic self-challenging. In that sense, my style may not necessarily share something specific about my character, but more so discusses my own personal endeavors to find avenues to visually express my thoughts and feelings.
What are your favorite brands?
I love investing in a few statement pieces that can be combined or reused in a multitude of ways. Some of my favorite brands include Free People, Teddy Fresh, and Zara.
What is a wardrobe staple for you?
A wardrobe staple I have is a plain hoodie. You can style it in a variety of ways, whether you style it up with a skirt of some statement accessories or down in a matching set, you can achieve comfort with effort.
What are your three favorite pieces of clothing? Why are they special to you? How do they make you feel when you wear them?
My three favorite pieces of clothes include: a gray sweatshirt my mom gifted me when I first came to UVA,
a pink winter coat that my grandma gifted me when I started my first internship, and a long checkered scarf that I've had since middle school.
All these items are winter pieces because they were either gifted to me for my birthday or during the holidays. They contain sentimental elements for me because many of them were given to me during a time of struggle or as a reflection point for progress and mobility. They represented turning points in my and my family's life where we projected our positive hopes and desires into tangible items that we can wear and cherish everyday. For that reason, wearing them gives me some sense of sentimentality and remembrance of where I came from and where I aspire to be.
