Tag: fashion

Social media impacts fashion in teens

by Brennan Zoeller and Jilliann Denbo

Men’s Fashion

Many fashion styles have changed over the years, some good, some bad. Teens’ fashion, specifically boys, however, changes the most, usually from social media impacting the way they dress. Seeing the way many people style and express themselves impacts how a lot of people dress, in many different ways.

When seeing other people on social media make outfits in different ways, it changes how students want to dress.

Class of 2025 graduate Shawn Boyd stated, “By seeing other types of clothes and styles, it gives me a broader imagination on the different types of styles I can mix and match.”

Many teens don’t necessarily get their outfits directly from social media, but they get inspiration from it.

“I get a lot of inspiration from different fashion influencers and wouldn’t know a lot of brands without advertisement on social media platforms,” sophomore Isaiah Valenzuela said about how much social media impacts his style.

Social media lets students express themselves in ways that they’ve wanted to do but couldn’t because of the pressure of it not looking good. Now with social media, they can express themselves in ways they want.

Boyd said,”Social media really allowed the things I wear to be more acceptable and accessible,” while Valenzuela said,”I wouldn’t really think to put some things on without seeing it on social media first.”

Sophomore Ryder Lott also stated, “The things I wear are meant to express myself.”

The way that students dress isn’t entirely changed, but it’s inspired and blossomed out because of what they see on social media.

“The way I dress really comes from how I feel within. I’ve gotten to a point where I just use social media to see the different types of clothing that are available, rather than following the latest trend,” Boyd said

Women’s Fashion

Most girls sit in front of their closets and wonder what they are wearing for the day, while others scroll on their phones trying to pick out outfits. Social media helps most girls pick out their outfits; it also can influence them to change their styles all the time. But others don’t use social media at all to pick their outfits.

“I don’t feel pressure to change what I wear. But the way I keep up with fashion trends is normally when I think a style is cute I’ll look up inspiration. But I normally don’t rush to change my style every couple of months,” said sophomore Cheyanne Bogan

Despite some girls not using social media for their outfits, others typically rely heavily on social media for those reasons.

“Social media definitely affects what I wear because I constantly see new styles and outfits when getting on Tik Tok or Instagram. It makes me feel like I need to buy new items and wear what that person is wearing to feel confident and to feel like I look good,” said sophomore Miaa Caporale

Most girls also like to have many different outfits and styles, but a lot of the time they need help figuring out which ones to choose from.

“Influencers definitely affect what I wear. If I like what they are wearing, I buy outfits off of that. I normally use different influencers to choose from multiple different styles,” said sophomore Malloree Fletcher

While a lot of girls think it is a positive influence, changing styles when trends change is hard to keep up with, along with most girls thinking they have to change styles when others do.

“I do feel pressure to wear what I do because I don’t want to be left out or not fit in a trend. With Tik Tok and many other social platforms, there’s so many new trends that it’s hard to keep up with. These trends make me feel like I need to adjust my style to fit in,” said Caporale. 

While it’s tempting to jump on every little trend, always know that a style is about a person’s personality and lifestyle. And not always about the latest trends and looks.

by jhshyphen

Masks: More to the Story

Students see pros and cons of wearing a face covering every day.

Whether it’s due to legal requirements or personal preference, wearing a mask is commonplace since the start of COVID-19. According to the CDC website, COVID-19 is spread through water droplets that are released when people breathe, sneeze, cough, or talk. Masks can prevent this by blocking water droplets from reaching other people by trapping them on the inside of a person’s mask. However, not everyone is wearing a mask. According to a survey posted on http://www.webmd.com only 93% of U.S. adults wear a mask when unable to social distance. This leaves 7% of US adults not wearing masks.

At Jeff High,everyone is required to wear a mask when they’re not able to social distance. For the most part, students are adhering to the rules well — even when wearing a mask makes things difficult.

Senior Milo Shireman makes a fashion statement when
wearing a mask at school. Photo by Paige Moore


Victoria “Jade” Worrall, a junior at Jeffersonville High school says, “It’s really hard to do things because I can’t breathe.” Also, Worrall says, “It fogs up my glasses and I can’t see without taking them off… I have to take off my glasses whenever I go shopping.” According to a New York Times article, fogging occurs because hot air gets trapped inside and escapes through the top of the mask. One solution is sealing the top of your mask with medical tape or athletic tape, which can prevent air from your breath getting through and fogging your glasses. They also recommend molding the top of your masks to fit your face properly.


Others say wearing a mask has caused breakouts — a problem dubbed “mascne” or “maskne” in the media. The problem is so commonplace that the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) has published a list called “9 Ways to Prevent Face Mask Skin Problems.” Senior Michael Broadhead says, “I deal with it, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.” Senior Harmony Wayman says “I just wash the crap out of my face to prevent it.” Regular cleaning is at the top of the AAD’s tips for preventing mask acne. The organization also recommends choosing a mask that fits well, so you’re less likely to touch your face, and has a “soft, natural, and breathable fabric, such as cotton, on the inside layer that rests against your skin.” The AAD adds that you should “Avoid synthetic fabrics, such as nylon, polyester, and rayon on the layer that rests against your skin. These are more likely to irritate your skin and cause breakouts.”


On the other hand, masks aren’t always problematic. Many people have used them to further their style and outside appearance. “You can get cute masks and they look really nice on you.” Worrall said. That’s a bright spot — and a spot that has nothing to do with the dreaded mascne.

By Lily Hughes

by lily_hughes

Photo Gallery: It’s The Look of The Century

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.

by jhshyphen