Fashion, clothing, style. Things that everyone can utilize to express themselves, which is what fashion is really about – expressing who you are in unique and distinct ways. 

Fashion is something of a cultural mirror; clothing will often reflect the mood and overall attitude of society. From the Y2K trends to the clean girl style, clothing has taken a slightly different meaning now. It’s your aesthetic, vibe and lifestyle. With social media apps, especially TikTok, trend cycles have been considerably shortened since the medium in which it reaches audiences has completely changed. In the past, trends were often set by distant celebrities with trends coming from tabloid and red carpet pictures. Nowadays, people come up with their own styles based on one of many trends they see. 

“I like darker colors,” senior Caroline Chapman said. “I like to layer a lot. That’s my go to.” 

Inspiration comes in all sorts of ways. Chapman takes inspiration from Emma Chamberlain, an “it” girl who started on YouTube. While some take ideas from celebrities, some stay more local. 

“[I] probably get [advice] from my mom or sister,” sophomore Mathews Brandao said. 

Fashion is unique in multiple ways as it undergoes multiple changes. Styles come full circle with the revival of past decades.Every 20 or so years, the past decades will come back in style. A clear example of this would be the current Y2K which is the 2000’s trend revival. But even  in a single year, clothing will have four distinct changes for each season. 

“[It goes] from shirts to sweatshirts and from shorts to pants,” Brandao said.

With time comes more and more trends, but trends are more of a suggestion than a set in stone rule. Sometimes trends are skewed for a particular demographic. For the everyday person, trends that come from celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Zendaya are more difficult to emulate. And even then every trend isn’t for everyone.

“90% of fashion is finding things that flatter you,” Chapman said. “Not every trend is gonna fit.”