Art by Madeline Duvall
Despite closures and restrictions due to COVID-19, fall fashion is still pushing forward this season with new trends.
Pepperdine students have still found ways to express themselves through fashion in a time where in-person events are limited, especially in California.
“There’s so many different things you can do with [fashion],” Junior Chloe Carr said. “Each day, depending on my mood, I could be in a sweatpants, sweatshirt outfit and the next day I could go total glam. It’s different every day.”
Carr said she would describe her current personal style as athleisure. She likes to stay comfortable while also making her outfits trendy. Right now, her go-to outfit is biker shorts paired with oversized sweaters, long socks and lots of accessories.
“Fashion is my outlet where I can express myself and have fun and get creative,” Carr said.
Junior Chloe Carr thrifts at 2nd Street USA in Torrance, CA, in September. She wore her latest obsession, black biker shorts, and a coat thrifted from the second-hand store Buffalo Exchange. Photo courtesy of Chloe Carr
Carr said she is obsessed with Kendall Jenner’s street style and draws inspiration from her off-duty model looks.
“It is so diverse,” Carr said. “She dresses up simple pieces, which is kind of my vibe.”
Streetwear is “the offspring of 1970s and 1980s US hip-hop and punk, of skateboarding, surfing, street fashion, sportswear, and of casualwear movements that rose to prominence globally in the 1990s and thereafter,” according to an article in BBC Fashion. Current popular streetwear brands include Yeezy, Stüssy, Off-White and I.AM.GIA.
Carr said her current closet staples include her recently thrifted ’90s high-waisted vintage jeans and a vintage Christmas sweater that resembles a Thomas Kinkade painting.
Now that she isn’t getting dressed up as much anymore due to COVID-19, Carr said wearing jeans is a rare occasion.
“I’ve always loved the comfortable kind of style, so I feel like COVID has only enhanced that,” Carr said. “The only thing is that I miss getting dressed up and going out and having a reason to wear a super cute dress.”
Senior Rachel Melomey has transitioned to more comfortable fashion as well. She said she never wore sweats or leggings before COVID-19, but she has now incorporated them into her daily wardrobe, especially for class. She has also stopped wearing heels and now opts for sneakers.
Melomey said her favorite fall trends have been neutral pieces, especially chocolate brown ones. She also loves the faux leather trend and two-tone printing on clothes and shoes.
“Before anyone really knows who you are, they see what you wear,” Melomey said. “It is just a good way to wear your personality and have fun with it.”
Melomey said one of her go-to clothing staples for this fall is a leather jacket because she can throw it over almost any outfit to elevate her look. She also loves a black pair of booties.
Melomey said Rihanna is one of her biggest fashion inspirations because the celebrity constantly switches up her style. She watched Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty runway show and loved seeing all of the brightly colored pieces.
“I can be super girly one day and then super edgy another day, and Rihanna is the same way,” Melomey said. “She is like a fashion chameleon.”
Junior Camryn Moss, like Melomey, has also gravitated toward neutrals this season. She has switched from a colorful wardrobe to more muted shades because she said she needs to look more mature and dress her age. Her favorite brands are Zara and Aritzia because of their chic, cute looks.
“In high school, you dress a little more summery and colorful, so I think I’m getting a little bit out of that,” Moss said.
Due to COVID-19, Moss isn’t going to many places where she needs to be dressed up. She said she chooses a more relaxed, natural look when going to work. However, Moss still likes to dress up for places fancier than work, like family dinners.
Moss said her favorite trends this season are plaid peacoats, oversized blazers and neutral matching sweat sets with tennis shoes. One closet staple is her black and white printed oversized blazer, which she likes styling with a black top, black leggings and Dr. Martens boots for a casual look.
“I don’t necessarily let size and things like that get in the way,” Moss said. “Just looking at normal beauty standards of what you see, I wear the outfits that someone smaller than me may only wear, so I think that’s definitely a great way to express myself.”
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Contact Sofia Longo via Twitter: @sofialongo_ or by email: sofia.longo@pepperdine.edu
