Our fashion sense does not make us; we make our fashion sense. A strange saying without context, but every teen can remember the days when the most extravagant outfit in their closet was a random Halloween costume in all its sparkly, plastic katana, cheap, Goodwill glory. However, the contents of that closet changed as the years passed. Sparkles have been transformed into prom dresses, plastic weapons have been traded in for sports helmets, and Goodwill has been passed for Amazon. Styles change as people grow into the adult version of themselves, which makes them feel, well, honest and unique.
Senior Sarai Taylor is a perfect example of someone who has spent years putting their heart and soul into their outfits, and she has encouraged her outfits to transform along with her.
“I went through a lot of different phases,” said Taylor. “I definitely was a little bit of a fashionista.”
Throughout her life, Sarai’s clothing changed based on what made her feel comfortable.
“I wore one of those tutus to school; I was wearing crowns and all of that. During middle school, I completely turned into a bum and just wore sweatpants and the same thing every day. Once I got into high school, I’m like, ‘Okay, I’ll put in a little bit more effort,’ and I started wearing heels to school. Now that I’m a senior, I’m mostly focused on being put together without having to put too much effort in,” said Taylor.
For Taylor, another constant influence (besides comfort and her Y2K style) has been her mother, whose opinion she greatly values and uses to identify a classy outfit.
“When I was a kid, she was the one who was dressing me. She was the one who put me in the tutu’s, got me the princess outfits, and all that sort of stuff,” said Taylor. “She’s the one who led me to love fashion.”
Having someone help you is wonderful, but people don’t always need that. Since senior Mariah Creighton was young, and even now, she has been certain of what makes an outfit exquisite.
“You have to have one piece that stands out. Having a piece that stands out and everything complementing that one piece is what makes your outfit the best, really,” said Creighton.
Creighton also has a talent for making handmade, accurate cosplays of her favorite characters. She is currently making a cosplay for Luka from the popular Korean animation “Alien Stage,” and she has created multiple masterpieces.
“I would say my best cosplay is Ai Hoshino from ‘Oshinoko.’ I killed it, and I had a lot of people ask for pictures, so I think I did well,” said Creighton.
Speaking of standing out, no one knows the spotlight better than junior Alexandra Hopson. Hopson has competed in scholarship pageants since she was 10 years old and has joined a modeling agency, often wearing custom-made masterpieces with an equally special event to go along with them.
While she loves all of her custom-made outfits, Hopson has a clear favorite.
“I was at a pageant, and I was doing the runway optional contest,” said Hopson. “I had this navy blue pantsuit, and it had gold rhinestones all up and down it, and it had a little cape with it. It was the most beautiful thing ever. I literally look back on it, and I just reminisce.”
For Hopson, while all her custom outfits are gorgeous, they can get expensive.
“For runway, they’re usually, if I get them custom-made, up to 600,” Hopson said.
However, help from those you love never hurts.
“If I do a ball gown, those can get pretty expensive,” said Hopson. “But my boyfriend’s mom, she actually is a seamstress, and she makes them custom-made for me sometimes.”
While people’s fashion histories can both evolve and repeat, it is through family, hobbies, and mindsets molded over the years that demonstrate who they choose to be. Our fashion sense does not make us; we make our fashion sense, because style would be nothing without the person behind it.