Art by Autumn Hardwick
As temperatures rise and Los Angeles begins to reopen, Pepperdine students rock all sorts of unique styles, from bright-colored corsets to funky sneakers.
For senior Taylor Launius, spring fashion is all about incorporating vibrant colors into her outfits. She said she adds pops of color to her outfits through accessorizing.
“I love dressing very colorful,” said Launius. “I love fun necklaces. I’ll wear a bunch of necklaces with really fun beads all over them and I also love rings a lot.”
Although spring has just begun, clothing items with bright, funky colors and patterns have already become the newest fashion trend. Launius said she’s loved seeing people venture out of their comfort zones with the outfits they’re putting together.
Launius said her current favorite spring staple is her custom-made corset top. The top is from a small business called Meyesol which is run by Hailey Sunshine, an influencer who designs her own line of custom clothing items. Launius said she pulls a lot of fashion inspiration from her Instagram page. Sunshine made this corset using upholstery from leftover sofa scraps.
“I love the way that she dresses because she dresses super funky and cool,” Launius said. “I feel like that’s kind of where the trend is going right now, rather than neutrals and basics, everyone’s leaning towards fun patterns and everything.”
Junior Lauren Amigleo said she typically sways more toward an athleisure style and elevates her outfits using gold jewelry.
When shopping, Amigleo said she challenges herself to find pieces that are both fashionable and functional.
“When I get dressed in the morning, even just to go on a walk, I want [my outfit] to be functional, but if I go to dinner or somewhere after I want to be able to throw on a blazer or add a cool pair of sneakers,” Amigleo said.
Amigleo gets fashion inspiration from fitness influencers such as Sami Clark, who styles workout clothing for everyday wear. She said she’s fascinated by designers who find a way to incorporate their art into their clothing items. An example of this is the work of Juliette Johnstone, who sells pants covered in her own original paintings and affirmations.
Amigleo works as a sales associate at Vuori in the Malibu Country Mart, which specializes in both workout and athleisure clothing. She said this job gives her an opportunity to style athletic clothing in many different ways.
“I generally have an interest in athleisure,” Amigleo said. “I feel like it’s fun for me to go into the store and style clothes from my own work even though they’re just workout clothes. I like having to put a twist on it and make it cute but still be able to move around in it.”
Gen-Z college students popularized thrifting during quarantine. Many students, like junior Maria Chavez, started buying a majority of their clothes second-hand from consignment shops.
When it comes to fashion, Chavez said she tries to be a conscious consumer. Chavez thrifts a majority of her clothes and loves to experiment with a lot of contrasting styles.
“I think my biggest priority when it comes to my style is buying pieces that are going to last a lifetime, buying pieces that take care of the earth,” Chavez said. “But also I think my fashion sense is versatile because I love a grungy, all-black look, but I also love wearing some heels and a dress with my hair up all nice and cute. So I love everything under the sun when it comes to fashion.”
Chavez believes fashion is an accessory to confidence. She said as long as a person is proud and confident in their outfit, others will be supportive and encouraging.
“I think that no matter what your fashion sense is or what you wear, as long as you love it, and you feel proud in it, it just adds to a whole other level of your confidence and your overall happiness in your day,” Chavez said.
Chavez started her own sustainable fashion business on Instagram called @thrift.w.maria, where she thrifts unique pieces that can’t be found anywhere else and resells them. She said she started this business to celebrate sustainable fashion.
Some of Chavez’s favorite spring fashion trends include wearing hair scarves and experimenting with color blocking with bright colors. She said wearing these patterns and colors makes her feel youthful again, even though she’s only 20 years old.
“For me, each season has its own specific color pattern. Spring for me, is yellow, green, blue and pink, but all the colors in the rainbow go off during this season,” Chavez said.
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Email Kayla Kahrl: kayla.kahrl@pepperdine.edu
