Trendwatch 02/08/2024

this week in student fashion

By CHARLOTTE DASSORI, ALLEGRA LAI, and FORREST ZENG

Fashion and clothing are a huge part of Exeter’s culture of self-expression and individuality, a culture that spans across grades and aesthetics. Some Exonians never fail to hone their personal style amidst the chaos of academics, from jeans and cowboy hats to 90s streetwear.

One stylish student from each grade ­— prep Connie Thomas (@connieethomas), lower Ian Rigg (@rigg_ian37), upper Adele Mamedova (@adelemammadova), and senior Ayaan Aktar (@ayaan.akhtarrr) — shared their insights on fashion and what influences their choices.

The students emphasized layering their outfits to create a comfortable look. “I would describe my style as a casual Southern style,” Rigg said. “I dress every day how I typically dress when I go to church: jeans, nice boots, and a collared shirt.”

On the other hand, Mamedova seeks more relaxing, comforting clothes. Describing her style, she said, “I like comfortable, I like cute. I get all my clothes from my mom, who has an amazing closet because she’s really fashionable...I don’t go shopping, but once every few months, I go to our basement in our house and I just search through all my mom’s stuff.”

“My personal style is eclectic and classic, collecting pieces from different time periods.” Thomas said. “A lot of my clothes are taken from styles from the 90s, ranging from streetwear to the original preppy style. I think another important aspect about my outfits is layering and accessorizing. I pay a lot of attention to jewelry, shoes, belts, and scarves. It’s important to me to color coordinate with all the parts of my fit.”

Akhtar said, “I would describe my personal style as just barely above average. I enjoy layering and just putting pieces on top of each other, basically experimenting with how it looks and feels. I generally like baggy pants and earth tones.”

Exonians find inspiration in their communities and also in popular culture. Thomas and Mamedova both look toward celebrities for inspiration, while Akhtar finds himself gravitating toward social media and Rigg from his hometown. “I’m from the south and this is how most people dress a lot of the time, so I’m just sticking to my roots,” Rigg said. “My favorite piece is probably my cowboy hat and my trench coat, which makes a big statement.”

“If I were to pick a celebrity I take inspiration from, it would be Kate Moss,” Thomas said. “My favorite piece is this weird skirt that I bought from Burberry. It’s just really weird to pair with different outfits.”

“I get a lot of inspiration honestly, from TikTok and social media, just seeing fits people are wearing online and just finding some pieces that I find cool,” Akhtar said. “Generally, in the morning, I think about the weather and time. So if it’s cold, my priority will be layering, especially being from Chicago, I know how to dress for the cold and how important that is,” he continued. “If I wake up too late, I’ll just throw on whatever I see first.”

“I think the most aesthetic celebrity is Lily-Rose Depp. I don’t think that I have that aesthetic, but she’s really cool,” Mamedova said. Describing one of her favorite pieces of her mom’s, she said, “She had this pajama shirt, it was a Pink Floyd one, and it’s kind of off the shoulder. I had a vision, and now it’s my favorite thing to wear.”

Exeter’s fashionistas collect their pieces from many different sources. “My favorite stores are Ralph Lauren, Diesel, Marc Jacobs, Acne Studios, and some popular brands from Bloomingdale’s and Bergdorf & Goodman,” Thomas said. “I also like to collect pieces from places I travel to.”

Rigg said, “I get my shirts from Ted Baker, my pants from Wrangler, and my boots are Cavenders. And of course, my trench coat is also from Ted Baker, and my cowboy hat is from Kemo Sabe.”

The Exeter Exchange has also been a great resource for some students to add to their wardrobes. “I was going to Exeter Exchange a lot during the fall,” Mamedova said. “I don’t go anymore because it’s so cold, but I got these Urban Outfitters pink cargo pants from there, and they’re so pretty, and I wear them all the time.”

“For spirit days, I try to go all out. I had a good E/a outfit this fall where I wore a big hockey jersey that I found at the Exeter Exchange. There’s a lot of hidden gems in the Exeter Exchange. Some old vintage Exeter merch that you can find.” Akhtar agreed.

Exonians are not afraid of judgment when deciding on their fashion. Authenticity is the most important. “I think others find my clothes interesting, perhaps a little stupid,” Rigg said. “But it’s my style so I don’t plan on changing it.”

“Honestly, I don’t know how others feel about my clothes, and I’ve learned not to care too much. I think you need some bad outfits to make your good outfits stand out a little more, you know, to lower the standards. Sometimes, it’s nice to hear what my close friends have to say about my outfits because often it’ll make me reconsider poor choices. But I’m stubborn, so quite frequently I stick to what I think looks and feels good, regardless of what people say.”

“My roommate doesn’t think I have good style, because there are so many stylish people in our grade!” Adele exclaimed.

Akhtar also mentioned how he’s not afraid to accessorize his outfits with jewelry. “I would also say jewelry is something I like to play around with, especially silver earrings. I have my left ear pierced, so it’s just a nice way to elevate an outfit or add a little standout detail. D2 sells some great earrings I would recommend checking out,” he offered.

Overall, expression through clothing and fashion is important to many Exonians, who find inspiration from their communities and also in popular culture. Fashion offers a chance for Exonians to be authentic, express their styles, and in many cases, contradict common stereotypes.

“I think, in a sense, sometimes my style combats traditional ideas about what ‘men’ wear,” Akhtar said. “And to the extent that I can, I like to try and challenge that.”