Whether it is preppy, alternative, punk, casual, or anything else in between the students of OA all have varying styles that play roles in their identities. For this month the highlighted student: Adam Smith.
From an outsider’s perspective, Adam’s style appears to be a blend of new and old alternative indie with a black, blue, and earth tone color scheme. However, when describing his style himself Adam has a broader look.
“I find it hard to describe and pin down anyone’s style, because I feel like it’s something that’s always changing, but I would just say I try a lot of different things and keep it true to myself.”
In most cases people don’t just think up a style off the tops of their heads, they find inspiration. A person’s inspiration or muse if you will, plays a massive role in how they not only decide what they like or don’t like but also the execution. Whether it’s completely copying outfits or just taking ideas from silhouettes, colors, or themes these inspirations are vital to developing one’s fashion style.
“When I started getting comfortable with my own style, I often looked at Frank Ocean for inspiration. Recently I have been looking towards the 70s, 80s, and 90s for inspiration from people like David Bowie, Robert Smith, and of course Kurt Cobain. For modern people that have inspired me recently, I really like what Steve Lacy is doing right now.”
As the fashion industry is constantly spinning and changing so do people’s individual styles. For this reason, it is interesting to hear when a person became captivated by fashion and the style they are currently fascinated with.
“I started to get into fashion in my freshman year, and it was a bit of a struggle honestly. I was starting from square one, because going in, I knew pretty much nothing. It got easier as time went on, and I would say the last two years are where I have got to the point I want to be in my style.”
With knowing when Adam got into his style the obvious next question is, okay but where can one find said style?
“I would say about 90% of my closet currently is thrifted because I enjoy the variety and sustainability of thrift stores, but when looking for new clothes, the material and sizing is very important. I don’t have any specific requirements, but sometimes if a shirt just doesn’t fit right or the material is off, I won’t wear it.”
In wrapping up dissecting anybody’s style, learning why they do it is a major factor. In most cases the reason being how it makes them feel about themselves because fashion is undeniably one of the most public ways people express themselves.
“The way my style makes me feel is a huge part of why I actually try to have good style. Being comfortable in my clothes makes me feel much more comfortable being myself, and it makes me a lot more confident. I try not to compare my style to others, but self-expression through my outfits has helped me out a lot.”