By definition, fashion is a form of self-expression, displayed through various aesthetics such as artsy, boho-chic and retro. According to the female Italian designer Miuccia Prada, “What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language.” Prada’s words demonstrate that fashion is a form of nonverbal communication, yet its impact can be greater than any conversation. She describes how life is often fast-paced by providing examples of interactions, since many are quick, brief, and oftentimes superficial. However, the impact of fashion is permanent, as its meaning goes beyond colors, fabrics and textures. At Poly, the student body has some of the most creative forms of self-expression, one being: fashion.
Maggie Cochran ’26 says that despite the colder season, a vintage Betsy Johnson dress is “the move.” Betsy Johnson was a New York City fashion designer in the mid-60’s. She is known in the industry for her “unique” and “over the top” designs, as she incorporates quirky, hippie fabrics into whimsical creations. However, Cochran tends to pull out her Betsy Johnson during the fall season, particularly because it’s both chic and practical. Cochran said, “My vintage Betsy Johnson dress is my favorite piece for fall because it works perfectly for layering. I often find myself putting a sweater and a belt over it with a brown boot on a cold day, but I equally love when I can wear it with a denim jacket and some ballet flats on a warmer day.” In addition to the vintage stores where she finds these dresses, Cochran loves shopping at the Spanish brand Zara. She said, “Zara really just does have everything. And, I find it’s affordable too. And since I have a love for the European culture, I love being able to shop at a European brand in the States. I love being able to feel immersed in European culture through one of my favorite things,” referring to fashion. When asked, “What makes a good outfit?” Cochran replied, “Confidence. It affects the outfit if you’re not confident not only in what you’re wearing but also yourself”, she states. “In fact when I look at photos of me from the sixth grade, you can tell how confident I was and I just love that little girl.”
Valentina Aberle ’27 says that a must-have for fall (and potentially spring) is a pair of Hunter Boots. She has a red pair and a green pair and describes them as the perfect fashion statement “for a rainy day.” Besides Hunter Boots, she enjoys shopping on Depop (an online vintage and used marketplace), and thrift stores such as Buffalo Exchange and Cross Roads. Even so, Aberle says that she is able to find so many interesting pieces, like the boots, because she’s inspired by women in the fashion industry. “I’m inspired by Jane Birkin, of course, because she just has a beautiful and timeless style,” she said. “And I love Kate Moss too, she just has that kind of rock star, but like off duty kind of vibe,” Aberle said. “It’s just so easy to gather inspiration from the media these days. I just get inspiration from a ton of stuff, including people I don’t know or people I will never see again.”
Madeline Gross ’26 says that it’s essential you dress for the occasion. If it’s cold out, you wear something warm. In fact, Gross herself says, “I look at how cold it’s gonna be and if it’s gonna rain that day, and then it honestly depends on how much sleep I got.” Gross describes that if she’s tired, she will reach for something more comfortable, such as sweat pants, but if she wakes up feeling rested, she will dress more formally, as she will ultimately just have more energy to put together a “fun outfit,” as she described it. However, Gross emphasized that sweats don’t need to be boring. “They can be colorful,” she says. “You can keep your ‘lazy – day’ outfits interesting through shape, through textures, through patterns, and with sweats specifically what I like to do is mix and match colorful sweatsuits. Sweats are still fashion.” To collect sweats and other general ‘fun’ pieces, Gross says she shops at stores of varying styles. Specifically, Gross describes that Hollister has made a change for the better. “I have, like, a lot of random tops, interestingly from Hollister. I honestly really used to hate shopping there, [but] it’s gotten pretty cute recently.” As well as Hollister, Gross states that “My ultimate favorite brands are Reformation, House of Sunny and Artizia, they are all just different in their own way.” Through different brands, fabrics and pieces, the Poly community is keeping warm during an especially cold end of the fall season.
