Trendwatch: 09/19/2024

By  JILLIAN CHENG, ANGELA HE, IAN KOO, CAROL LEE, CATHERINE MANLEY, DIYA SANDEEP, FAYE YANG, GRACE YANG, and JADE YOO

Zoe Curtis ‘25

Between classes, homework, and clubs, it almost feels like there is never enough time at Exeter. But for these four students, there is always time the night before classes to plan their unique outfits. Senior Zoë Curtis (@zoe.curtiss), upper Nick Limoli (@nick_limoli_), lower Ava Salvator (@the0therava), and prep Kit McManus (@kit.mcmanus) shared their fashion inspirations and tips for their diverse closets.

As the August breeze showers into September rain, Zoë Curtis’s style is harmonious with the newfound autumn leaves. “I think if I had an aesthetic it would be like if Rory Gilmore was a sickly Victorian child and also liked street wear,” Curtis said. These aspects are showcased by her eclectic wardrobe including a wide variety of earrings, vintage clothing, and bows. “If I have really unique pieces and I piece them together in a different way, it looks like a whole new outfit.” Curtis said. She mainly purchased her clothes from Depop, thrift, or from traveling. Curtis came across her favorite piece of clothing when she traveled to Japan this summer. “A collared lace shirt that I wore on the first day of school. It’s white, it’s button-up, and I like it cause it kind of has an old 1910 school girl vibe.”

Influenced by trends in 2020, Curtis’s style is mainly composed of a red-toned color palette. This matches the hidden red highlights coloring the inner layer of her voluminous, curly hair. Curtis looks up to celebrities like Lana Del Ray to shape her classic red coquette aesthetic. 

When asked about her views on the current global trends, Curtis said, “I don’t dislike any trends so much as I dislike how quickly the trend cycle moves. I think it’s really unsustainable and bad for the planet, and not a healthy mindset for us to…be constantly reinventing ourselves.” Curtis aims to find a style that supports her old money character while exploring individuality in a continuously evolving fashion world.

Curtis hopes to inspire all fashion lovers to explore the creative possibilities that support their uniqueness. She stated, “I think everyone needs to take a little more time and figure out what they like and what they want.”

Nick Limoli ‘26

Alex Lim / The Exonian

Upper Nick Limoli tends to “go thrifting a lot” and “kept those clothes for a really long time.” He often shops on Depop, an internet clothes thrift shop. Limoli leans toward thrifting because it is better for the environment and stops “fast fashion.” In addition, Limoli gets his fashion inspiration from Pinterest. Limoli even claims his Pinterest board has “3000 pins on it from over many years.” On Pinterest Limoli fries to find what he likes and find that piece of clothing from “honestly any brand.” However when there is something specific he wants he saves up for it and “hopefully eventually” gets it. 

Limoli noted his fashion was influenced by his hip hop teacher, Anthony. In sixth grade, Limoli started to dip into the world of fashion because of his teacher. His teacher would do “clothing sales” from which Limoli would “buy stuff off of him for really cheap.” Limoli said the clothes were not just any regular piece of clothing but “really nice pieces of clothing.” 

Limoli is a fan of cheetah print. His current favorite piece of clothing is  his cheetah print shoes, because they have a “distressed look to them… and tell a story.” When Limoli chooses what to wear, he just “find(s) a bunch of clothes that would mix pretty well together and mix and match them a lot.” He also sometimes repeats outfits if he likes a specific outfit. He feels that always “recycling and being able to have a closet where you can mix and match all of your clothing is really great and useful. Then, you can just keep coming up with new styles and keep finding new things that you like in fashion.”

Ava Salvator ‘27

Jesna Vernet / The Exonian

Lower Ava Salvator, on the other hand, rolls into class flaunting her stark alternative style and Doc Martens. Her inspirations? Rock musicians. “My biggest influence is probably Courtney Love from the band Hole. She has her whole cutesy little dresses and tights, but also kind of grungy style. Then also Wyatt and Fletcher Shears from The Garden. I like how they have a very DIY punk grunge thing going on.”

Salvator uses social media platforms to find inspiration for new outfits. “I fear I am guilty of outfits repeating,” Salvator said, “but when I come up with new outfits, I take a lot of inspiration from Pinterest, or if I see something cool on TikTok, I’ll just favorite it for later.” 

Salvator wears a variety of brands, “I’m guilty of loving Brandy Melville. I like Urban Outfitters for jewelry. I like a lot of Vivian Westwood stuff.” But instead of simply finding clothes by brand, she also loves to thrift. “I have a cross necklace I got at like a popup at the mall like three years ago for Christmas that I really like,” as well as several thrifted jewelry accessories. “I have a lot of things that go in and out of rotation for me, but some things stay the same.”

With how fast the cycle of fashion moves, Salvator’s opinions of current trends vary. “I feel like I usually try to avoid micro trends,” Savlator said. “I really like leopard print trends, but I have mixed feelings about bows. I like bows. I think they can be cute, but I’m sick of going into PacSun or Cotton-On and seeing the big bows screen printed onto plain white shirts. I think it’s kind of icky.”

Kit McManus ‘28

“There’s no particular person or influencer, but I love adding my own artistic spin to current fashion trends.” For prep Kit McManus, fashion is about personal expression, allowing her to put her own twist on trends without following any one specific style or person. She enjoys the freedom to experiment and make each outfit her own. McManus describes her fashion process as a mix of creativity and practicality. When asked how she consistently comes up with new outfits, she explained, “I love mixing and matching random items from my closet.” 

Her favorite stores include a mix of well known brands and local boutiques. “(I shop at) American Eagle, Hollister, Altar’d State, and Target.” McManus said. She also enjoys shopping at “Marketplace Linfield,” a mall near her hometown in New Hampshire. noting that she loves the boutique “Opal & Oak” in Portsmouth, as well as “Pretty Little Things.”

When it comes to favorite pieces, McManus gravitates toward versatile basics. “I have a black bodysuit that I really like because it’s very versatile, can go with many outfits, and you can layer it,” she shared, noting that she bought it on Amazon.

McManus has a clear preference when it comes to current trends. “I love Uggs because I think they look good and they’re so comfortable,” she said, adding that their versatility makes them a timeless trend. However, she’s not a fan of bermuda shorts, which she finds difficult to style.

Overall, McManus describes her style as casual and comfortable. “I would say most of the time I wear sweaters with jeans, or just casual leggings and sweatshirts,” she said, summing up her laid-back yet thoughtfully put-together look.