Discover Fashion

If people are asked why they go to college, they are going to give you different answers. For the ones who have been enrolled at a private school their whole lives, it’s networking. For the ones who have gone through the public school experience, it’s to further their education and get a career. For the ones who are older and affected by the recession, it’s for a better job. No matter what the reason is, college serves a deeper purpose to many, a place to discover who they are.

Whether it is dabbling in theatre or experimenting with business, “Who am I?” is often in the back of one’s mind. For people who are a little more clothes-minded, the “Who am I?” often spawns another selfconscious question: “What do I want to wear?” At Fullerton College, women and men are showing up to class in looks that are as practical and comfortable as they are fashion forward. For women, the popular look is a type of neo-bohemian, a look that includes printed fabrics, voluminous/tight proportions, and a great bag. For men, the look is a sort of “American Apparel chic,” which consists of tight shorts and skinny jeans, worn-out sneakers, and a plaid flannel shirt.

One might see these looks in their classrooms and think, “I could wear that!” only to discover that prints make them look like an area rug or the body-conforming shorts/ pants are simply immobilizing. “If these fashions don’t work for me, what will?” That’s where personal style comes in. There is a difference between fashion and style. Fashion is what’s on the runway, in the magazines, and in the stores. Style is how it is interpreted. A woman might see a trendy leather jacket in the window of a store. In this window display, the jacket is paired with a pair of black skinny jeans, a black and white striped shirt, and a pair of patent leather stilettos, giving the jacket a rock ‘n’ roll/punk edge.

The woman, however, purchases the jacket and pairs it with a vintage, white lace dress and a pair of black ballet flats. The jacket still looks r o c k ‘n’ roll, but paired with such girlish, dainty pieces, it now looks more romantic and ladylike. The woman took an of-the-moment trend and made it fit her own personal style.

The late (and great) Yves Saint Laurent once said, “Fashion is fade, style is eternal.” Every season, there are those trends (cowboy boots, anyone?) that seem to come and go as quickly as gasoline. Although cowboy boots are a thing of the past, some can still get away with wearing them because they wear it their way. Those people might even find cowboy boots so appealing, they wear them everywhere with everything. Suddenly, cowboy boots are not just a trend, they’re a wardrobe staple.

Wardrobe staples are the articles of clothing that seem to “go” with everything and are worn repeatedly without regret. They are also the building blocks to personal style. Wardrobe staples are different for everyone. They’re the heart of the closet, as they are usually the favorite pieces. For Sam Vincent Gutierrez, whose personal style is sixties Americana (think Mad Men), staples mean white dress shirts, tailored trousers, and neutralcolored cardigans. “My look is more elegant and masculine,” Gutierrez said. When the wardrobe staples are discovered and established, one can start to determine how they want to dress, as they already have some great personal pieces with which to play. As the pieces are being played with, an important question comes to mind: “Who (or what) inspires me?” Style inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere. It could be on the street or in a magazine or on television.

The best part of inspiration is that there is no limit to how much of it you can have. When inspiration is found, it can then be adapted to the wardrobe. One could see an outfit that consists of a blue top, leather pants and gray ankle boots in the pages of a tabloid. The look is inspiring.

Even though they don’t own the exact clothes as the person in the picture, they could wear clothes that are similar, but with a personal twist. The blue top is substituted with a blue cardigan with a loose white t-shirt underneath. The leather pants are traded for high-waisted leather shorts. The gray ankle boots are replaced by gray knee-high boots.

This is the fusion of personal style and inspiration. As the staples and the inspiration continue to develop and thrive, new pieces can be added to the wardrobe. These new pieces, however, don’t need to be important “backbone” pieces like the staples. They can be anything, as long as they bring something new to the closet, whether it be drama, whimsy, romance, etc. Have fun with it. After all, fashion should be fun. Maybe one day, those white silk harem pants might feel right to put on. Maybe the next day, that leopard coat is correct. It’s important to have a wide range of clothes, just like it is to have a wide range of genres and artists in an ipod. It gets boring to wear the same tops and bottoms all the time.

By having an array of different clothing styles, many different choices can be made. Clothes can really say something, but sometimes, accessories can really speak volumes. Whether the accessory is a ring, a necklace, a hat, a bag, a pair of shoes, a belt or sunglasses, it can make or break an outfit. Accessories are a great way to personalize basics. Pair a basic black t-shirt with a chunky jeweled necklace and voila! The t-shirt goes from Hanes to Haute. “I love accessorizing a plain outfit with bold accessories like earrings, necklaces, and belts,” said Anna Flores, who describes her own personal style as “boho-chic with a splash of pizzazz.” Accessories, like Anna’s earrings and necklaces, allow one to show personal style easily. They are things that are added to the outfit to further showcase ones’ tastes and personality. Personal style is always a work in progress.

Things change, and people change. Personal style changes right along with them. It’s always a work in progress, as people learn more and more about themselves everyday. Maybe those plaid shirts and tight skirts everyone is wearing are not right. There are a million other articles of clothing out there that are right.