fashion study
Students suit up for fall with looks that display their artistic individual styles. Copy their clothing and covet their creativity: introducing our well-dressed crowd.
Joel Pavelski
Issue date: 9/11/08 Section: Arts
In a simple, unassuming orange tea dress, senior Rachel Elliott slid into a seat and laughed away a compliment.
"I never thought of myself as having style," she said, "I get whatever happens to grab my eye."
Elliott was being modest; she has garnered a reputation as one of the most consistently well-dressed people on campus.
Elliott is one of a few style-conscious students who admire the fashion blog The Sartorialist, agree on their love of shoes, and buy clothing reminiscent of every decade but the current one. They're a visually arresting minority at Hillsdale, choosing chic over the common.
"I see a lot of prairie skirts at Hillsdale, and turtlenecks. That's a style, I guess, but not mine," junior Maggie O'Connor said, "We have a dressy campus, but I wouldn't call any of us fashionable."
O'Connor's style sets her apart - she owns a polka dotted dress with shoulder pads.
"If I think about the things that I wear sometimes, I would say I'm a little strange," she said, "I just hope it says I have personality. That's what everyone's style should say."
Like O'Connor, sophomore Erin Tabor communicates with her clothes.
"There's no doubt that people in general dress and look the way they want to be perceived," Tabor said, "And that applies to me too. I want to be perceived as creative and funky and edgy, someone that people would be interested in knowing just by looking at me."
Style expresses people and how they feel, Elliott said.
"Take away a stylish person's clothes, and they'd still have style. They'd still have that sense of who they are," she said.
Clothing is an art form easily tailored to one's taste, senior Dan Miloch said.
"I feel like most people have some sort of aesthetic they're trying to achieve, something from their childhood, images, colors or textures even, that remind them of something," he said.
Miloch drew from his own childhood to create his style, using pictures of his grandfather's Navy uniform as inspiration.
O'Connor said her wardrobe developed during adolescence, when she shopped for jeans, tried on 13 pairs and decided skirts worked better.
"I had to fit my own body type, realize what looked good and what colors went with my hair and skin," she said.
The students agreed they mix necessity and avocation when they add to their wardrobes. Sometimes, they dress as a hobby. Other times, they dress to present a professional image.
"If you're going to get dressed, you might as well have fun and wear something you enjoy," Elliott said. "You can make it an art."
Rachel Elliott
What is your favorite clothing source?
"H&M is fun, as is shopping on eBay for vintage things, but my favorite source is my sister's closet."
How do you describe your style?
"I like things that are simple, not attention grabbing. I want a piece to speak for itself. Too many accessories is like too many flowers in a bouquet."
Why have style?
"I think of it as an art sometimes. You can overdo it, or be lazy and neglect it. My mother always told me it wasn't respectful of other people to go out like a bum."
Dan Miloch
What does your closet look like?
"I've started hanging up all of my clothing, because I feel like I'm getting dressed up more when I pull stuff off of hangers. Also, I don't have that much clothing, because I don't think you should buy very much, just concentrate on a few items that fit you well and are high quality."
What does your style say about you?
"I would hope that it would encourage creativity in others and remind them of something. Because I see it as an art form, I generally see my whole life as trying to capture some sort of aesthetic, whether through music or graphic arts or style."
Maggie O'Connor
Who is your style icon?
"Edith Head. The things she did in 'Rear Window' for Grace Kelly are wonderful."
Do you have a style pet peeve?
"Please, no more event T-shirts. I'm tired of people wearing those to class every day. Those are for working out. You don't have to wear it because it was free."
What's the most important thing about style other than clothing?
"The way it makes you feel. It's a confidence booster, and if that can help you, that's amazing. Some people don't need that, but for me style is mentally healthy. Being different and unique makes me feel good."
"I never thought of myself as having style," she said, "I get whatever happens to grab my eye."
Elliott was being modest; she has garnered a reputation as one of the most consistently well-dressed people on campus.
Elliott is one of a few style-conscious students who admire the fashion blog The Sartorialist, agree on their love of shoes, and buy clothing reminiscent of every decade but the current one. They're a visually arresting minority at Hillsdale, choosing chic over the common.
"I see a lot of prairie skirts at Hillsdale, and turtlenecks. That's a style, I guess, but not mine," junior Maggie O'Connor said, "We have a dressy campus, but I wouldn't call any of us fashionable."
O'Connor's style sets her apart - she owns a polka dotted dress with shoulder pads.
"If I think about the things that I wear sometimes, I would say I'm a little strange," she said, "I just hope it says I have personality. That's what everyone's style should say."
Like O'Connor, sophomore Erin Tabor communicates with her clothes.
"There's no doubt that people in general dress and look the way they want to be perceived," Tabor said, "And that applies to me too. I want to be perceived as creative and funky and edgy, someone that people would be interested in knowing just by looking at me."
Style expresses people and how they feel, Elliott said.
"Take away a stylish person's clothes, and they'd still have style. They'd still have that sense of who they are," she said.
Clothing is an art form easily tailored to one's taste, senior Dan Miloch said.
"I feel like most people have some sort of aesthetic they're trying to achieve, something from their childhood, images, colors or textures even, that remind them of something," he said.
Miloch drew from his own childhood to create his style, using pictures of his grandfather's Navy uniform as inspiration.
O'Connor said her wardrobe developed during adolescence, when she shopped for jeans, tried on 13 pairs and decided skirts worked better.
"I had to fit my own body type, realize what looked good and what colors went with my hair and skin," she said.
The students agreed they mix necessity and avocation when they add to their wardrobes. Sometimes, they dress as a hobby. Other times, they dress to present a professional image.
"If you're going to get dressed, you might as well have fun and wear something you enjoy," Elliott said. "You can make it an art."
Rachel Elliott
What is your favorite clothing source?
"H&M is fun, as is shopping on eBay for vintage things, but my favorite source is my sister's closet."
How do you describe your style?
"I like things that are simple, not attention grabbing. I want a piece to speak for itself. Too many accessories is like too many flowers in a bouquet."
Why have style?
"I think of it as an art sometimes. You can overdo it, or be lazy and neglect it. My mother always told me it wasn't respectful of other people to go out like a bum."
Dan Miloch
What does your closet look like?
"I've started hanging up all of my clothing, because I feel like I'm getting dressed up more when I pull stuff off of hangers. Also, I don't have that much clothing, because I don't think you should buy very much, just concentrate on a few items that fit you well and are high quality."
What does your style say about you?
"I would hope that it would encourage creativity in others and remind them of something. Because I see it as an art form, I generally see my whole life as trying to capture some sort of aesthetic, whether through music or graphic arts or style."
Maggie O'Connor
Who is your style icon?
"Edith Head. The things she did in 'Rear Window' for Grace Kelly are wonderful."
Do you have a style pet peeve?
"Please, no more event T-shirts. I'm tired of people wearing those to class every day. Those are for working out. You don't have to wear it because it was free."
What's the most important thing about style other than clothing?
"The way it makes you feel. It's a confidence booster, and if that can help you, that's amazing. Some people don't need that, but for me style is mentally healthy. Being different and unique makes me feel good."
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