HAND-ME-DOWNS?

The Fashion Influences of Gen Z

At the beginning of the pandemic lockdown, many youths forfeited dressing up in favor of baggy sweatpants, loose sweatshirts, and other shapeless garments that were lockdown staples Although some teenagers began to use the closed environment as a way to freely experiment with their personal style, and as lockdown practices gradually lessened, more and more of Gen Z began to jump on the bandwagon

When it comes to fashion, it can be argued that Gen Z is the most diverse and plentiful that fashion has ever gotten! With the advent of social media, such as Instagram and TikTok, adolescents are able to access a variety of fashion content from across the world, resulting in a collage of numerous aesthetics and model inspirations All this is to say that Gen Z is not a generation that could be surmised entirely in one go With a myriad of microtrends and fads flying out of the screen every day, it should not be surprising to say that only a few of the most popular fashion influences and styles will be mentioned for the sake of brevity

Starting with the obvious, South Korea has definitely impacted contemporary looks not only in the Philippines but also over the whole world Simple yet chic couture Glamorous yet elegant garments An innovative mixture of clothes and accessories delicately framed to be a cohesive outfit All are commonly attributed to and popularized by famously beloved K-Pop stars and K-Drama actors

Elmer Oceo

Korean fashion is an example of a foreign cultural influence. Now, we must bring in the reemerging trends of Y2K fashion and its generational influences The Y2K era brought us denim jeans and skirts; there were crop toptees, shiny lip glosses, techy accessories, and other stylish, signature marks taken from the nostalgic early 2000s If the 20-year rule is in effect, meaning that fashion from twenty years ago will repeat, then Y2K apparel will definitely make a comeback

Speaking of fashion returning, let us speak on the topic of sustainable fashion and the trend of thrift or DIY fashion In reaction to backlash for the infamous rise of fast fashion brands and stores, SHEIN for a major example, many of Gen Z have opted to prioritize conserving the earth and its resources as part of their generation’s effort to live more natural and sustainable lifestyles by repurposing and upcycling old clothes along with accessories, or even by crafting new ones altogether Likewise, the popularity of thrift shops and our country’s ukay-ukay culture help us revitalize secondhand clothing

Filipino fashion designer Alyssa Lagon is part of Gen Z and founded Tela, a sustainable clothing brand wherein excess fabric from her parents’ fashion retail company, Bayo, is amended and styled to be made into complete pieces that are sustainable and modest I believe that Lagon is only the beginning of a new wave of this generation’s future fashion designers who will redefine and reform fashion as we know it today while still referencing the influential touches from some of our current trends

On The Clock:

The Increasing Problem of Phones in the Classroom

Have you ever seen those videos of students performing a TikTok dance in their classroom, only to be caught in the act by their beleaguered teachers? I’m sure everyone has While it may seem humorous to see the shocked expressions of embarrassed students, does it not make you feel a little sympathetic for the teacher, who has to scold students after using their phones in class, or a little concerned for the students, who continue to do so despite being told off?

The high rate of phone addiction among students is not really a surprise once you remember that the Philippines is informally considered to be the “texting capital of the world ” To lend further credence to this insinuation, a recent study found that 62% of Filipino adolescents have some form of smartphone addiction, ranging from mild to severe You yourself have probably witnessed the strange yet common phenomenon of students taking selfies or filming videos on their phones during classroom hours Nevertheless, you and I must find a way to mitigate this rise in smartphone addiction

I’m not campaigning that phones should be confiscated immediately once you set foot on campus or that phones should not be brought to school altogether Phones can be reliable for many emergencies, all without having to move places or pay fees, hence why I don’t think it would be the best idea to just put one telephone booth in the school where students will crowd around during an earthquake, for example.

In lieu of forceful, prohibitive policies, I suggest preventive measures based on mutual trust and understanding Students need to be taught proper management of their phones They should already know to turn off their phones or have them on airplane mode Besides this, there could also be a system wherein phones are stored in a single, closed, yet accessible place, such as inside the teacher’s desk or in a pouch brought by a class officer This ensures that their phones are not being used while also not removing them entirely from the vicinity in case of any emergency calls.

Phones are never not going to be used in school, especially in our advancing society that relies on technology, but students should still learn how to handle them so that it doesn’t distract them in class and interfere with their education