I walked around my school, Adelphi University, and decided to photograph styles on campus. Some of these people I knew well, some I was acquaintanted with, and some were complete strangers. I just found people whose fashion really caught my eye. I wanted to get a deeper understanding of what people thought of their own style and get down to the root of some of their fashion. I also just wanted to point out some observations from the variety of styles I came across.
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Meet Kayla:
Sophomore | Psychology Major
Me: What inspires your style?
Kayla: “I think what inspires my style is definitely the 90’s mixed with a little bit of today’s [style]. I like the style back then but I don’t like to seem a bit out of my generation so I like to add a few things that say “I’m still young” in my style. I also like subtlety, I like to pay attention to the simple things when I’m getting dressed. For example, wearing shoes that are the same color as the lettering on the shirt. It’s simple but put together.
Me: In three words, how would you describe your style?
Kayla: Fun, Comfortable, and Me!
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Meet Jade:
Sophomore | Psychology Major
Me: Why do you love fashion?
Jade: “[It is a form of self expression and] you can express yourself however you want.”
Me: What inspires your style?
Jade: “Dressing good makes you feel good!”
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Meet Ja’Various:
Sophomore | Criminal Justice
Me: First, what sparked your love for fashion? Second, what does your style represent? And what does it say?
Ja’Various: “Hmm, I would say my mom did because my dad made sure I didn’t wear certain things such as ripped jeans, tight shirts, etc. because he is very homophobic. So one day my mom told me to cut my hair into a mohawk and dye it. She started to allow me to wear colorful clothes. Everything my dad was against, she made me do it to make me more comfortable and that sparked my love for fashion.
“I would say my style represents my personality. I do often what people would be afraid to do, wear certain looks that might seem feminine to some people to put the notion out there that clothes are just clothes. My mom told me to always stand out since I never fit in anywhere during childhood so I made sure that I kept that promise to her to stand out.”
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Meet Lulu:
Senior | Studio Art Major, Art Therapy Minor
Me: What inspires your style ?
Lulu: “Much of my inspiration comes from fashion influencers I follow on social media. I follow influencers that are very vocal about the importance of self-expression. They aren’t afraid to be bold or loud with their style, that’s what inspires me; their courage and confidence through fashion.
I love color and pattern! Being an art student has a lot to do with my love for fashion and the process of visualizing outfits together. As I’m shopping a few things go through my head:
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Finding colors that compliment each other, instead matching items of clothing but monochromatically. (I am interested in creating a monochromatic look soon, hopefully). Essentially, it’s making colors you wouldn’t think would work together actually work.
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Addition to color is color against pattern, or finding a main color in a pattern to match.
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Cost: One huge factor I consider is obviously cost, so I’m always on a hunt for the next bargain! I’m always on a lookout for any sales, especially addition sale on top of sale!! Those are my favorite, I go crazy about those.
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Thrifting: So along with cost is of course thrifting, which is where I find my most valuable pieces. First is of course the low prices, then there’s the idea of knowing no one else would have that same piece you own. The only issue with thrifting is that it is very time consuming. I could take almost half a day shuffling through clothes, then trying them on is another process. The fun and downside of thrifting is you’ll never know how something looks like until you try it on. Sometimes it’s better than you could ever imagine, other times it’s worse than ever.
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Finally, with all of that combined would be COMFORTABILITY!!! This is very, very important to me. I can love an outfit, but if I can’t be in it comfortably all day I’m tossing it. I can’t OWN and STRUT in an outfit that i can’t move in. I’ll juxtapose tight and loose clothing. If i have tight pants on I’ll wear a loose shirt, vice versa.”
Me: what advice would you give to someone who wants to take more risks with their fashion?
Lulu: “My advice would be not to question what you ‘can or cannot pull off.’ A quote I heard once was ‘If you like something, then it has already become a part of your style.’ I know it can be hard finding items that can conform to one’s body, especially when not all clothing brands accommodate to all shapes and sizes. What I say to that is try thrifting, because there is sooooo much variety to choose from. Next would be to the women, don’t be afraid to venture into men’s clothing. You would be surprised how you can style men’s clothing. Don’t question yourself because you’re afraid of what others might think, their opinions don’t matter because they are not the ones owning the outfit you’re wearing. An example, I have those shoes that I love. I would say they’re like church shoes because they are loafers. I have receive comments like ‘Hmm, I don’t know how I feel about those shoes.’ and my response would be ‘Well it’s a good thing you’re not the one wearing them so don’t worry about it.’
Moral of this long rant is, wear whatever makes you comfortable and confident and you don’t have to jump head first in it. You can slowly dip your toes in by something like wearing a color you wouldn’t usually wear, or wearing something everyone told you wouldn’t look good and prove them wrong.”
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Meet Melissa:
Senior | Biology Major, Chemistry Minor
Me: Describe your fashion in 5 words:
Melissa: “1) comfortable, 2) coordinated 3) trendy 4) playful/flirty 5) sexy/sophisticated
Sorry, I went over five!”
Me: What does your style represent? And what does it say to the world?
Melissa: “My style represents how I choose to express myself. I like to find a nice balance between being comfortable and chic. When I know I’m well dressed and put together, it makes me feel like I’m unstoppable! Although I try to keep up with the latest trends, I always put my own flair on it and make sure I stand out. My style lets the world know that I am confident and ready to take on whatever comes my way.”
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This is Steven!
Sophomore | Psychology Major
When you look good, you feel good! Fashion to him is a confidence booster. He is always stylish and ready to push the boundaries with his fashion.
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This is Peiyi!
Her style is simple but it stands out. I walked around campus looking for beautiful outfits that caught my eye, when I saw her! It is effortless but put together. The details on the shoes really caught my attention as well.
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This project helped me to bring to light how much I adore fashion! This was done around the time of HerCampus Fashion week, which made my heart burn as bright as the sun! Fashion is self expression, it is a powerful statement, it is careful decision making, it is comfort, it is fun, and it is personal, something different for each person. I learned so much from each of these individuals. Everyone expresses themselves differently and for different reasons. Most people walk around in their own worlds, but try picking your head up today and notice something new!
All copyrights reserved on photographs by yours truly, Taylor Mellina.