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Fashion from Athens’ Finest
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: FASHION FROM ATHENS’ FINEST
Fashion is evolvling, learn from the ones who know what’s best.
BY ABBY JENKINS PHOTOS BY MEGAN GOSS
Ready for ’90s minimalism? Midi dresses over jeans? Ballet flats? Predictions for the upcoming fashion trends on campus are coming in hot and coming in ways we may have never expected.
Three students at Ohio University who have a keen sense of style and are in pursuit of a fashion career were asked about their lives as retail and fashion merchandising majors as well as their own personal wardrobes for their day-today life. These students look past clothing popularity and social media trends and decide to dress more to suit their own personalities and their own comfort. Additionally, these students preach the importance of sustainability in the clothing industry, increasing the longevity of closets, and above all, wearing what makes you, you.
“Just wear what you want,” said Madison Miller, a senior and the president of Fashion Associates. “And don’t worry about what other people think. Life’s too short.”
Switching from a double major in psychology and sociology, Miller felt she needed a more creative outlet in her life. Pursuing an education in retail and fashion merchandising gave her the fulfillment she was looking for. Like many other students on campus, that is what fashion means to her.
“Similarly to Madison, I always found fashion to be a really good creative outlet for me,” said Brigid McSteen, a junior. “I’m from Athens, which is a pretty small town. So, experimenting with clothing was really a way for me to express my personality.”
McSteen explained her love for the history of fashion and an incredible internship opportunity she had in New York last spring where she worked behind the scenes for fashion week in February. Miller and McSteen’s interest in fashion started at a young age. From styling outfits in their younger days to the very first time opening Instagram, fashion had become a part of these girls’ future lives from the beginning.
Now, as upperclassmen, their futures are beginning to take shape with their love for fashion at the helm. In addition, the students were asked to predict future fashion trends to look for around campus soon.
“I would say more sustainability in
MADISON MILLER
products is becoming more prevalent in the fashion industry,” said Kaitlin Fout, a senior who has worked directly for a boutique for three years. “A heavy topic we talk about in class is sustainability because the textile world is one of the most populated areas in America and in the world, tons of waste from fast fashion and a lot of clothes in a landfill. It’s just a really big issue.”
In addition to talking about sustainability in fashion, Fout said she hopes to work somewhere in Columbus for one of the larger retail corporations present there. She also loves crocheting her own pieces to wear.
All three students expressed their love for thrifting and how saving on one-of-a-kind thrift finds is worth more than any new designer purchase. They said now is time to stop spending over $30 on a shirt but splurge on a nice pair of jeans or shoes.
“Looking into the different looks of the near future,” said McSteen. “I am really into midi dresses over jeans. I tried it the other day, and I went to class and I loved it.”
The students said Crocs are not so popular, and ballet flats are making their way onto the scene. Some students recommended dressing down formal pieces with sneakers and getting the chance to wear an old dress in a whole new way. With whatever is coming next in the everchanging world of trends, there is no limit to what fashionable piece could become the next claw clip or Dr. Martens’ loafers.
These students have shown that wearing what you love is the best trend, and you do not need to spend a crazy amount to achieve the look you are going for. No matter what is in your closet, you can still look amazing.
