Vintage, Cottagecore, aesthetics galore! All throughout Jeff High, there are plenty of students who have their own unique sense of style. Some of these students agreed to an interview to talk with us about how it all comes together.
Captions by November Shawler and Chloey Trinkle
All photos submitted
Senior Joryn Burns says, “I love a good sweater, and some like to say I am serving ‘grandma chic.’” Burns has an appreciation for styles that can go on either side of the style spectrum.“[It’s] comfortable and I can dress it up or down. [They] make me look way more put together than I actually am.” She adds, “I am always trying new outfit ideas and trying to perfect my dream aesthetic.” 
Sophomore Tanner Michelle says “my style is something I struggle to define! It’s directly pulled from the music I listen to… In all honesty, I’m just a rocker chick.” She also says her style truly reflects her personality and priorities. “In the most basic explanation I can give, it is who I am. Not only that, but through my attire, I can voice my beliefs and opinions. As a bisexual, feminist, activist […] I use everything I can to create change and break the social norms!” She also thinks about the larger impact of her fashion choices — for instance, by shopping at thrift stores rather than buying mass-produced fast fashion. “I am really big about climate change and our environment,” she says. She finds her style comfortable and loves to wear it. “It can get a little cold, though, because I usually like to flaunt my femininity and show a little skin!” 
Sophomore Brecken Maddox describes her style as “academic cottagecore.” What does that mean? “People often describe my style as ranging from ‘potato farmer’ to ‘hot zookeeper,’ but I take that as a compliment.” Jokingly, she adds, “I’d like to think that if I was to walk around at night, children would mistake me for a ghost.” Maddox says, “Dressing this way makes me feel confident. It’s a way to show myself as I really am rather than what people expect. I think that dressing nicely, and the way that I feel most represents me, is a form of self care.” She finds her style comfortable and says that, “I’m more comfortable in a 70’s suit than leggings and a t-shirt.” Like Michelle, Maddox opts for second-hand finds. “Using true vintage clothing is a great way to avoid fast fashion. Shopping at vintage shops allows you to get well-made and long lasting clothes, unlike what most brands produce today which is made to last a year or so before falling apart.” 
Junior Victoria “Jade” Worrall describes her style as “Alternative, pastel goth, emo, fancy? I like to wear whatever speaks to me the most which is almost always alternative style.” She adds that her style “brings me lots of joy and confidence, and I hope it inspires people to dress however they like.“ She thinks that “even if it is uncomfortable physically at times I still feel comfortable in it mentally […] I like the freedom of expression it gives me.” 
Senior Zoe Beavin has a more old-fashioned approach to style. “I would call my style of clothing very retro/artistic, I love old clothing and remaking it into something else or just wearing it how it looks. Most of my clothing is music bands and some oversized sweaters that I extremely love.” Beavin’s fashion choices are inspired by a time before our generation. “I wear it because I love the clothing from the 1990s and I want my whole closet to look like I went in a time machine and this was all I brought back.” Despite having a retro style, Beavin prioritizes comfort over all else. “My style is very comfortable, I can’t get enough of oversized clothing and layered clothing. […] There’s just so much you can do with your clothing; you can protest a message, show off art, or promote a business. Clothing, I think, is very important to our culture. You can express your emotions all through just one shirt or even socks!” 
Junior Aiyana Scott describes her style as “‘trendy/edgy/city vibe.’” She added, “I wear my clothes to make a statement or to stand out but I really like to look my best.” Similar to Beavin, Scott makes comfort a priority. “All of my outfits are mostly based on comfort so that I can work in them, but what I like most about them is that they last long, like I can wear an old shirt and put it with something new and it comes out great.” 
Junior Kyndia Motley (who didn’t include her face in this submitted photo) finds it difficult to sum up her style in one word. “Honestly, I would call my style whatever I can come up with. Real talk, I just try to do my best to look as spicy as I can. Whether it’s bummy, cute, casual, etc.” She says that she wears it because “it’s fun for me to just do me through what I wear. I like how I can control what I wear and how I wear it — to an extent.” Motley uses her style to express herself in more ways than one. “Depending on what I am wearing, reflects on my mood that day. I like how my outfit choices depict how I feel that day.”
When someone chooses their sense of style, it may come from a multitude of different sources. It could come from a certain era of fashion in the past, a certain celebrity who wears certain styles of clothing, experimenting with old items of clothing and revamping them into something new, or even just seeing something from a store and developing your own style based on that. Whatever it may be, everyone has their own taste and it comes down to preference. In the end, it’s all about expressing yourself.
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