In our new two-part series, we’ll discuss fashion with some University of Helsinki students whose unique style is sure to catch your eye on campus! This week, we talked to Krista and Iitu about how they found their personal style and what is important to them when it comes to choosing their clothes.
Name: Krista
Age: 19
Major: Theology
“My style is quite girly and very feminine. I like colors, I don’t wear black that often. I like pastel colors and red. I choose my clothes based on my mood; if I feel like wearing a longer skirt, I’ll wear a long skirt. And, of course [I consider] the weather! I’d rather be warm, though. I want things to be comfortable, as well. But usually I make compromises and find the best outfit [to fit both].
I usually shop at flea markets. I like to go to Femmatori in Tuusula. It’s a big and very cheap flea market, there’s a lot of people who come and bring their clothes there to sell them. And I don’t really like those ordinary shops because the clothes are so expensive and the quality is not that good. So, I find that flea markets are good because I want to wear different clothes than other people, I want to stand out. I don’t like to look like others and it’s very rare that I see someone wearing some piece of clothing that I also own.
I like lace and ruffles in my clothes. Usually if I wear jewelry, I wear a necklace, and sometimes earrings or a ring.
In high school I started to be more comfortable with wearing what I want in public. So, I started to wear skirts and dresses to school every day. Because I was ok with it, everyone else was ok with it, too. I see that in university people wear quite similar things, so I want to show them that it’s ok to wear what they want, to be different: “If she can wear it, I can wear what I really want to wear!”
Name: Iitu
Age: 25
Major: European Studies
“I started paying attention to what I wear maybe in primarily school, but I wouldn’t call it “being interested in fashion”. At that age the peer pressure in school is more like you see what other children wear and you start to think: “Is that cool? Am I wearing cool things?” Although, I say so, but I don’t think that I am being that influenced by others and peer pressure in that way.
If I go “shopping”, meaning visiting multiple stores, it’s usually when I travel and I see something new to me, so I don’t have to do it here. Then there are some shops where I like to shop more than I’d like to admit. For example, brands like H&M, COS, the Swedish fashion giant, and some second hand shops. But nowadays, I at least try to only buy clothes if I need them, so I try not to buy unnecessary stuff. Also, quality is important and I’m willing to pay more for it. But also if I buy clothes form COS, for instance, it’s usually pricey, so I buy it on sale. Sometimes I shop online if there’s nothing in stores. For shoes I usually pay more and I don’t care whether they’re on sale.
Then, when I travel I usually walk a lot, so I wear very comfortable and plain things. Of course, it depends on where I go, but I care about being comfortable in my clothes. And if I walk 20 kilometers a day I need to wear shoes that I can wear all day.
I used to have a statement hat, but then I gave it away because I realized I never wear it. No heels, no. I own like one pair of ankle boots with heels and I wear them like once a year! I just can’t walk in them, so I don’t see the point. And I tried wearing dresses or something, but I just don’t really “do” dresses.”
Interview by Tereza Pavlyshche
Photographs by Maija Huitu