Yesterday’s Runway

Students look to fashion trends of the past for their current wardrobes

By Monica Rice
<mrice@hilite.org>

What goes around comes around, especially in the world of fashion. While some trends, such as Ugg boots, may fade, it is apparent that many styles of clothing have worked their way up from mere trends to classics.

While trends continue to captivate the style-savvy on a regular basis, the true test of fashion is seemingly in its longevity; a style’s ability to stand the test of time or even to recapture an audience’s attention is the true definition of a classic.

Fashion-minded sophomore Hnin Hnin Ei says that while she dresses in whatever she feels like wearing, there is a retro-vibe to her outfits on any given day. For instance, on the day of the interview, Ei is dressed in an outfit reminiscent of the 1950s, elegant and graceful. According to fashion-era.com, a website devoted to those influenced by retro fashions, “vintage is in the eye of the beholder.” While the term “vintage” as pertaining to clothing can fluctuate, collectors and sellers of vintage fashion define it as anything from the 1960s or 1970s. Anything later is considered contemporary.

“I dress in what’s comfortable to me,” Ei said. Influenced by her mother, who Ei says “does not dress like anyone else,” she also takes influence from fashion runways and magazines as well as other cultures.

Likewise, senior Tobi Haslett said he draws inspiration for his out-of-the-ordinary outfits from a few sources. Unlike Ei, Haslett claims financial reasons are his style muse.

“My own cheapness is constant inspiration,” Haslett said. He usually shops at stores such as Goodwill and Rag-O-Rama to find thrifty clothing in order to dress on a budget. Ei also takes price into consideration, as she describes her mother, who usually foots the shopping bill, as someone who doesn’t like to pay more than she has to for anything. However, while price is important, there are stores where Haslett prefers not to shop, while Ei said she doesn’t have a preference.

“Hollister is too expensive for me and smells like pre-teen boys,” Haslett said of what is perhaps one of the most popular stores among students at this school, if the logoed shirts seen in the halls are any clue to its widespread popularity.

While price is a major factor in Haslett’s clothing choices, so is practicality, given his mode of transportation to and from school. “I ride my bike to school, so stilettos and mini-skirts don’t play a big part in how I dress myself,” Haslett said.

Ei said she takes current fashion trends to heart when shopping and piecing outfits together, unlike Haslett, whose only (unintentional) trend-following moments occur when his outfits include plaid. Haslett may not necessarily follow the current trends, but he said that some are questionable, like the popular boot, Uggs. “(They remind me of) Vikings. They look heavy enough to kick in doors and stuff, making them the ideal boots for raping and pillaging,” Haslett said.