Dearest fellow scholars,

    I think we talk about ourselves too much. To bring our feet a little closer to Earth’s surface we’ve put the mirror down and turned it towards some of our personal favorites. Campus fashion icons that heal our eyes after seeing all the pajama pants roaming the grounds deserve a spotlight; maybe some of you can use fresh advice.   

Player 1: Siyan Bishop: The Eccentric 

Spotted at M.B.’s Consumer Behavior class is a consumer we can really get behind.

What inspires your daily fashion?

I would say my daily inspiration for my clothes comes from my daily makeup, and my daily makeup inspiration comes from how skilled I feel that day. I am a big makeup buyer, and eyeshadow is what I have the most of, so I try to use everything at least once. I have everything from regular powder palettes, eyeshadow sticks, liquid matte pigments, liquid shimmers, gels, pressed glitter, all of it. On top of that, I’m a big fan of value sets, especially if they’re on sale. Some days I’m late or lazy, and I stick to a garage door wash of color and a thick mascara. If I’m feeling like trying something a bit more eccentric, I’ll pull out all the stops. I’ll accept the death penalty before I use a false lash of any sort. Too scary. 

Outfits always need a big shoe, platform sneakers usually, but I just got some black Steve Madden super chunky heels that I’m looking to make my everyday shoe. I like to be taller than everyone, and they are super comfortable to drive in. Standing is still not great yet, but I am going to line the insides with a thick fabric soon when I get the right glue to help with comfort and fit. Anyway,  I like tight pants (flared preferably) or a skirt. Skirts need shorts for protection and legwarmers to help balance out the chunkiness of the shoes. Tops can either be super tight or super loose, for whatever reason I can’t stand a standard fit for the life of me. Pockets are a must, from a jacket or otherwise. That outfit formula is what I always feel the best in, but sometimes it can come off a bit ‘catholic school uniform,’ as I’ve been told on multiple occasions. But I think the above the knee skirts and dramatic eye makeup help to break that image up, not that there’s anything wrong with private school. 

What are your signature pieces?

    I would say it’s just wearing something blue. Blue is my preferred color to wear to match my skin’s undertone, so I tend to stick with that for eyes. Base makeup stays the same every day, with the exception of blush, because what I have works. Purple blush used to be a staple, but it can come off too strong sometimes so I’ll switch it up. Anyway, sometimes it’s a single blue earring. I used to work in this 50’s style american diner that was always filled with older people. Not sure why I became everyone’s surrogate granddaughter, but I was. One day I said to a customer “I like your earring! Where did you get it?” and we talked for a bit about the setting, the cut, where he got it, etc. He left not long after I asked, and left both behind along with a 50% tip. My coworker and I kept one each. She lost hers within 2 days, and I wear mine when I’m not wearing any blue, 6 years later. 

Player 2: Dawson Chamber: The 90s Chameleon

A personal friend of ours, and M.T. ‘s teammate from the most partially demanding sports team; Dawson is effortless and versatile in her 90s androgenos looks. Always recognizable in color palette; she is ready for studio time, a party, and a boat all in one fabulous look.  

What inspires your daily fashion?

My fashion is mostly inspired by Pinterest , and art pieces (not necessarily clothing) , I love @welcome.jpeg , and @tenwiarchive, on insta for general vibes. Otherwise I dress mostly based on finding a good proportion and wearing textures I like.  

What are your signature pieces?

I’d say my signatures are a few random small braids in my hair , navy blue and black together , and my mothers necklace (a simple thick silver chain) and big silver rings.

Player 3: Logan Tilburg: The Sustainable Maximist

If you haven’t seen them you’ve likely heard their heels clacking on the pavement behind you. Pick a decade and you’ll likely see Logan stepping out of a magazine from one of them. Also honorably awarded the greatest footwear on this campus.  

What inspires your daily fashion?

I believe that my daily fashion stems from various influences and references. I see myself aligning mostly with maximalism as a style, but I have never let style categories or others define what is possible for me. One of my main goals for my style is to appear a little odd, and maximalism, and the process of adding interest to my outfit has allowed me to curate this feeling. There is a fine line in fashion between weird and off-putting & strange and beautiful and I toe that line with every outfit. I follow a great deal of fashion influencers and social media presences that add to these influences but I only see them as inspirations, never something to copy. I thrift the majority of my clothing and I truly believe this is one of the most impactful portions of inspiring my daily fashion. I have my “wants” list and have plenty of pieces in mind that I would love to add to my collection but have limited myself to looking for similar items in thrift stores. Thrifting allows me to explore other styles and add pieces to my collection that can inspire outfits or act as bases for other pieces. I quite enjoy planning my outfits, and have an incredibly developed grasp of what is in my wardrobe and mentally planning my outfits brings me a lot of joy. I think that the quality of one’s outfit has a fantastic impact on their mood, and whenever I am feeling less than my best, I make sure to pay careful attention to my outfit, as it is one of the things that I will almost always have control over.

What are your signature pieces?

If I had to reduce my style to its core element, I would say that a large portion of my outfits arise from layering. The layering of textures, colors, an shapes to produce something visually appealing and interesting. I believe even a single extra item that provides an additional layer of texture or color can work to elevate any outfit. I see layering as an integral portion of my style and many of my outfits come together through the layer of pieces to create outfits that I have never worn previously. Outside of this strategy, one of the largest elements of my daily style is any form of platform or heel. The majority of the shoes that I own are either platforms or heels and I look to wearing them as often as possible. I often put beauty and visual interest over comfort, and if I believe a heel will elevate the look (pun intended) I will wear one. In my opinion, it is so much better to be overdressed than underdressed and I seek to always be visually put together, even if this leads to me sticking out among others. I appreciate the challenge of trying to dress down heels or other pieces for daily wear. I enjoy almost nothing more than the sound of heels on concrete and the clicking of them as I walk through campus. Outside of these two elements, the largest additions to my style come from accessories, which I see as my signature pieces. I wear plenty of leg warmers, bangles, rings, and hair clips that can be the perfect final touch to an outfit, connecting multiple pieces or adding a new pop of color. Each singular element can add to the outfit as a whole and accessorizing with curated pieces can bring an outfit together.

Player 4: Zach Switaj: Practically Neon

Keep your eyes peeled, he’s always on the run which makes him hard to catch. So fast, you’ll likely only get a glimpse of the neon sneaker that carries him off. NO ONE and we mean no one, wears skinny jeans quite as good as him.

What inspires your daily fashion?

Nothing really. I just grab whatever I have and put it on. 

What are your signature pieces?

Gotta say my jacket (a track jacket). It’s really good because it shows the swim team that I help out with but mainly I use it for all the pockets, really convenient.

So scholars, who is your pick? Look around more at the characters this campus holds, try a new look, and maybe get lucky enough to be featured next time. Just because school is almost over doesn’t mean you don’t have homework to do. Your GPA isn’t the only thing you should be trying to improve. Let’s just say most of you are scoring pretty low in the course of personal style. 

We’ll be back & we’ll be watching, 

      –  M.B. & M.T.