The Evolution of Self-Expression in High School Fashion
As one looks around at school, they may notice outfits or styles that stand out. Though it may just look like an outfit or aesthetic to one, the style may have previously stood for something more. Fashion is a common outlet for self-expression and some aspects of it have a history of symbolizing protest, rebellion, or making a statement. As with everything, fashion has evolved greatly thanks to the small tweaks and changes made by each person to let their self-expression be present.
“Fashion is the creativity piece where you get to express who you are,” fashion construction teacher, Marissa Heyer said. “Not everybody has the exact same preferences. If you look at when it was people feeling like they could rebel or they could do different things and it continues to become more and more acceptable as the time goes. People don’t look twice anymore if someone is dressing a little more avant garde.”
One common style of dressing is known as grunge. The grunge style began in the 80s, gaining traction in the 90s after the rock music revival in Seattle. Much of the style’s inspiration is credited to Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain who sported the principle elements of the style through melancholy, worn-out clothing. This was a great pivot from the bubbly pop style of the 80s. The moral of the style was a rejection against fashion and popularity, instead favoring authenticity. The style translated consistently through the decades, with modern values of the style similarly reflecting music and distressed clothing, while also favoring the personal touches of wearers.
“I like to draw on my shoes, I like to wear fancy belts, I like to have patches on my jeans, stuff like that,” senior Amir Abunaemeh said. “I notice a lot of people that dress grungy really don’t care. It’s all good, carefree. I think it’s so popular that it’s almost culture. So instead of counterculture, it’s culture.”
A second popular dressing style is the revival of Y2K. Its origins are inspired by the idea of a new millennium, influenced by new technological innovations such as iPods and camera phones. The fashion of the time aimed to reflect a futuristic, confident era. This was expressed through bold colors and tighter style. Y2K is commonly known for its low-rise jeans, crop tops, track suits, and chunky sneakers. This has seen a recent resurgence in popularity. The style expresses confidence and optimism, although it isn’t what it once was. The trends of recent Y2K fashion is much more watered-down compared to the extremities of the fashion’s origin. Nevertheless, it is worn today as a way to commemorate the past and express assertiveness.
“It was really trendy once, and then fell out of style and it just came back pretty soon after,” sophomore Shelby Von Allmen said. “Most people who dress the same way I do are outgoing. I was really heavily influenced by early 2000s movies and just media in general back then, also my mom, seeing how she dressed while I was growing up.”
Outfits and styles at FHN vary throughout all the students, creating a diverse environment. Students express themselves through their clothing in many ways, and get their inspiration from many different sources. Some people’s styles are more commonly found in a larger trend, meanwhile, some get their ideas from their own creativity. Many teenagers lack creativity because of the fear of getting judged.
“I would say that something people always need to work on is to be more confident in themselves and just stop thinking about what people think,” freshman Maggie Gibson said.
Impacting students the most are the people they surround themselves with. It is easy to adapt traits from friends, which can influence one’s style. This can be asking friends for advice, following after their styles and clothing opinions, or shopping with them.
“I feel like it’s the people I hang around that influences me,” freshman Alex Joslin said. “I went thrifting with [Wyatt Newton] over the weekend and I got these jeans.”
Thrifting is a place to find unique clothing, since it isn’t based off of one fad. Popular thrift stores include Goodwill, Uptown Cheapskates and Plato’s Closet. Joslyn and Newton shopped at Goodwill together to find their clothes. Even though the clothing options are more diverse, they are also cheaper than main brands like Hollister and American Eagle. These stores still hold unique value, playing a popular role on social media websites like TikTok and Instagram.
“Clean girls on TikTok and Pinterest [influence me],” sophomore Molly Alonzo said.
The clothes students wear aren’t always “just clothes,” they can speak of deeper measures. People wear shirts or pants that can resonate with what they love. The student body has a variety of different clothes, such as shirts that they got from a club or a camp they attended. Some wear school attire, or wear shirts that represent their favorite sports team.
“I like being comfy, I also like looking good,” junior Logan Griegle said. “I really like soccer, so I’m wearing a soccer jersey.”
Expressing oneself doesn’t always have to be bold and loud, if one wants to do something small to start, they can do something that only themselves will notice.
“Get yourself some crazy socks, because if you wear pants, at the end of the day, they’re covered up. Boo yah,” sophomore Elaina Keen said.
Overall, personality shows through peoples outfits and the way they express themselves.
“I personally don’t care what other people think, I just wear what I want to wear because I like wearing it,” Sophomore Nakumbae Coulibaly said.
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