Falls Church has a diverse student body, where self expression is often at the forefront of people’s minds.Whether it’s clothing or hair color, the style shows how alive our campus is. Fashion is an effort many of our students take despite early hours and groggy mornings
“Obviously when I wake up it’s really hard to get myself to do much of anything, as probably a lot of people can relate to but when it comes to effort in clothing and my style it’s really just a basic level of me wanting to feel good and look good for myself,” Jonathan Derrickson (12) said.
For students that dress up, some have specific style icons or aesthetics, rooted in their deep love and interest in fashion. Even though it can be hard to buy luxury brands, using them as inspiration helps students define their own unique style.
“ Right now what I wear is a lot of Mazzy Star inspiration, I just really like the 90s kind of school girl aesthetic with a little grunge. Some style icons, specifically Vivien Westwood, is a designer I really love and I also like Marc Jacobs a lot,” Quinn Lopez (12) said. “Even though sometimes I don’t have the money to buy everything I want, I just want to reflect as much as I can of the passion and creativity I have.”
Other students don’t necessarily follow a specific style, instead leaning into femininity or masculinity to base their outfits. In a way they are finding self assurance in their own fashion identity regardless of what public perceptions may be.
“I don’t really have any fashion icons. Over the years I’ve just come across the styles that I enjoy. I tend to go towards more “girly” styles dressing up makes me feel like I’m making it up to my younger self who was often judged for their appearance. I feel like I owe it to my childhood self to try and learn to be confident in my looks, even on days that are har,” Vin Watts (11) said.
Beyond just clothing, hair can be a large part of personal image. In regards to hair colors, often people who have their hair dyed in fun unconventional colors often like to match their style to their hair.
“I’ve been wearing red since 4th grade which really influenced me to just wear it every day. When I wear my color on campus, I feel like I can be me and not care what other people think,” Elijah Holston (9) said
When it comes to the level of formalness it is incredibly common to see checkered pajama bottoms, a comfortable option;however,for some students putting on full regalia of dressy clothing is a way to prepare them for the oncoming day.
“I feel prepared and ready to get through the day and to always look good doing it, the way that I dress. It mainly stemmed from a love of how classy and formal suits look and are, I decided to replicate that and put a small amount of flair to it and from then it branched off into turtle necks and other items of clothing that I could use to look formal and such,” Derrickson (11) said.
