One thing that every single person has to do in the morning is get dressed. We can choose to wear whatever we want. That is what’s so cool about personal style- it’s a mandatory form of self expression. Even when you’re just putting on jeans and a t-shirt, you’re making a decision about how you want to present yourself. So, how do we make those decisions?

When I asked my friend Kate about how she chose her outfit, she explained, “This was the first thing on top of my laundry pile, so I wore that”. The more people I talked to, the better it got. Declan said, “I have metals, and I remembered I had to wear pants”. And Killian with my favorite: “I was thinking, ‘I am cold’.” I loved all of these answers because they’re so simple. Someone you thought must’ve put a lot of effort into their outfit might have just been thinking about the weather that morning.

Beyond those basics, we look for an outfit that best fits our style. It’s amazing how different everyone ends up dressing. Walk down the halls and you’ll see gold hoops, shoelace belts, and colorful skirts over black leggings. Each person’s personal style is important because it’s our way of communicating who we are without having to say anything. I asked Killian what she wants her style to say about her, and she said, “I want my style to say that she’s confident, and doesn’t care what other people think.” Even before I talked to her, this is the impression I get from Killian. Today, she’s casual in a sweater and denim jacket, but I also remember her rocking a pair of red Tommy Hilfiger boots and blue camo pants (not at the same time, but that would be very cool). Killian always exudes her confident feminist energy through whatever she wears.

I asked more students the question, “What do you want your style to say about you?”.

It’s so cool that our clothes can show all of that! For Elanor, it’s “something black.” For Thomas, it’s “definitely the jacket.” If you ever need to find him, just look for the blue jacket with the yellow hood. Having that one thing to call your own is the best.

Honestly, though, isn’t it all arbitrary? When I was talking to Josh, he expressed a very familiar feeling, that he was “feeling weird about the cuffs. I didn’t know if i should cuff them twice or just once, or maybe no cuffs at all”. I don’t even know how many mornings I’ve almost been late because I was messing with my cuffs. My cuffs! What a silly thing. We’re all just trying to show off our socks.

When it comes down to it, what matters most is that we feel comfortable. The style icon Karl Jacobs said it himself, “I just try to wear things that are real comfortable.” Maybe it’s some beat up shoes, velvet anything, or a suit and tie. It’ll be different for everyone. Luci said it best, “When you feel comfortable, you feel powerful.”