YourMagazine Volume 16 Issue 3: December 2021

YOUR MAG

VOLUME 16 | ISSUE 3 | DECEMBER 2021

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YOUR MAG is Emerson College’s

monthly lifestyle magazine, established in the fall of 2011. Our organization gives students the opportunity to create written and visual content that is relevant and interesting to the Emerson community. It is a cooperative environment for students in the print media industry. In every issue, Your Magazine offers readers fresh perspective from romance to representation.

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YOUR MAG VOLUME 16 | FALL 2021

TALIA SMITH Managing Editor

AMANDA HAMPTON Editor-in-Chief

ELOISA DE FARIAS Co-Creative Director

MARIANNA REYES Romance Editor

MARIANNA REYES Co-Head Designer

LAUREN DILLOW Co-Creative Director

ABIGAIL ROSS Asst. Romance Editor

GABRIELA PORTUGAL Co-Head Designer

JULIA SMITH Asst. Creative Director

ALEXIS GARCIA-RUIZ A&E Editor

HAILEY KROLL Asst. Head Designer

T I M A S WA R AY Asst. Creative Director

KATHLEEN NOLAN Asst. A&E Editor

ALEA ADRIAN Asst. Head Designer

JULIA SMITH Style Director

MARYCATHERINE NEAL Living Editor

ISA LUZARRAGA Asst. Head Designer

A M YA D I G G S Asst. Style Director

ASHLEY FERRER Asst. Living Editor

NEEKA BOROUMANDI Marketing Coordinator

KATIE POWERS Head Proofreader

OLIVIA CIGLIANO Style Editor

DELANEY BAILEY Co-Social Media Coordinator

NENA HALL Asst. Head Proofreader

TIFFANY CARBON Web Director

JULIA MALLON Co-Social Media Coordinator

NATASHA ARNOWITZ Art Director

LAUREN SURBEY Asst. Web Director

CHARLIZE TUNGOL Asst. Social Media Coordinator

REB CZUKOSKI Asst. Art Director

JESS FERGUSON Copy Chief

SYDNEY ROWLEY Asst. Social Media Coordinator

ELIE LARGURA Photo Director

COPY EDITORS: CHARLOTTE DRUMMOND, TOM GARBACK, KATE HEALY, MADELYN MULREANEY, SARAH PERRY,

NATALIE RODRIGUEZ DESIGN: MAGGIE CAVANAUGH, ASHLEY FERRER, MADELYN MULREANEY, FIONA MURPHY, CHLOE WILLIAMS PROOFREADERS: MARYCATHERINE NEAL, MADELYN MULREANEY, CHARLOTTE DRUMMOND, KATE HEALY, BECCA LETTS FIONA MURPHY, KAITLYN FEHR, CHRISTINA HORACIO, CAMILA ARJONA, VIVIAN NGUYEN, HELLEN ZHENG, NATALIE RODRIGUEZ

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contents ROMANCE 8 QUEERING MY STRAIGHT RELATIONSHIP 10 THE STRUGGLES OF DATING AS A SIZE 14 12 dating yourself 14 sex advice EDITORIAL 16 Green room EDITORIAL 22 the nolly show!

STYLE 28 daringly basic 30 the overconsumption of fast fashion 32 love and threads 34 street style EDITORIAL 38 be not afraid pt.2 EDITORIAL 44 bloodlust LIVING 50 COOKING FOR CONTROL 52 THE NATURE VS. NURTURE 54 they prescribed me depression 56 pets EDITORIAL 58 Back to december EDITORIAL 64 playtime ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 70 beginning again with red 72 household names vs. new to fame 74 the madness in the method 76 haters gonna hate-watch Y.MP3 78 core memories YM ADVISES 80 weird dreams YM SENIORS 82 looking back at yourmag ARTIST STATEMENT 96 gaby dimond YOUR THINGS 100 eloisa de farias 102 lauren dillow 104 marianna reyes

YMEMERSON.COM | INSTAGRAM: @YOUR.MAG

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EDITOR’S letter

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’m sure I’m not the only one who has become increasingly and terrifyingly aware of how quickly time is passing. My dog just turned 15, but I still remember her peeing in my lap when we took her home in 2006. My childhood best friend turned 23 a week ago and just started a fancy job at a major consulting firm, but it could have been yesterday that we were learning lines together as co-Mrs. Mayors in our middle school production of Seussical. And, this issue marks a full decade since the first issue of Your Magazine was printed.

Back when I was freshly eighteen, a nervous freshman in Nike leggings and a North Face sweatshirt, I took a copy of Your Mag home from the fall org fair and thought, I want to be a part of that. Four years later, I’m realizing that this publication has been a necessary constant throughout all the uncertainty of being a college student during the past few years. I know this corny-but-deeplytrue sentiment is shared by most staff members: I couldn’t imagine my college experience without Your Mag. This is my last year at Emerson, so it’s only fair that I’m allowed a fair amount of reminiscing, and this issue is a treasure trove of nostalgia. Our senior shoot is a celebration of our beautiful seniors’ favorite editorials to date, and much of our extra-meaty editorial spread is similarly evocative of the past made present—the evolution of a fallen angel in Be Not Afraid pt. 2, the celebration of traditional and modern lack fashion in The Nolly Show!, and the callback to the quirky, free-form Y2K catalogues of our youth in Playtime.

Our writers are reminding us that whatever our pasts may look like, we are not fixed beings. They’re mapping out their lives based on the re-release of old favorite albums, overcoming unexpected challenges that come with the freedom of having your own space, discovering new fashion trends, and exploring their queer identities while in heterosexual relationships. We’re also making sure that while we’re reflecting on the past, we don’t lose sight of the present—be sure to check out our new additions to every section.

Even after a decade of rebranding and restructuring, we have held true to the values that founded Your Magazine. It was created in 2011 with the intent to provide a platform for voices and ideas that weren’t given enough attention or space in other student-run publications. I am proud to be a part of a publication that has foregrounded and built upon these ideals, and I’m glad this issue exists as a sort of enshrinement of where we started, where we’ve been, and where we are now.

So thank you to every person who has ever been a part of our executive board, staff, or community of readers.

Thank you to those who have shared your insights, creativity, and talent with us. We couldn’t have done it without you, and I can’t wait to see where we go from here.

Much love, Amanda

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WRITTEN BY ANONYMOUS

ART BY ELIZABETH APPLE

iscovering new parts of yourself while you’re in a relationship can be hard.

This past summer, as I hit the three-and-a-half year milestone with my boyfriend, I finally came to terms with my sexuality as a bisexual woman. Growing up, I always knew I liked boys. I’ve had multiple boyfriends since the sixth grade and only ever had sex with men. It wasn’t until my first year at college that I began to realize I was attracted to women as well. This revelation shook me up for a while, not because I was uncomfortable with being sapphic, but rather because I had always identified myself as straight.

I felt a lot of guilt about “changing” my sexuality at a point in my life when so many others seemed firm in their own. Sure, college is supposed to be when people experiment, but I couldn’t experiment outside of my monogamous relationship. There was this irrational fear that people wouldn’t believe me because they already knew me as a straight person.

I was also worried about how it would affect my relationship with my boyfriend. He’d always been an active ally of the LGBTQ+ community, but what if my change in sexual preference scared or hurt him? These confusions and worries about my sexuality changing how others—including my boyfriend—saw me were built upon by the fact that I was in a long-term relationship with a man. After taking time to process my emotions, I mentally zoomed out to examine why I was feeling so guilty and found two major sociological processes at play.

Compulsory heterosexuality, a term first coined by feminist and essayist Adrienne Rich in 1980, refers to the assumed and imposed nature of heterosexuality in relationships. It’s known to particularly affect women due to patriarchal influences, and discourages folks from engaging in queer relationships that go against societal norms. I found this built upon in myself, particularly in the way that I had to reject that imposed heterosexuality while within the confines of a heterosexual relationship.

The second harmful societal standard I identified was the assumption that sexuality has to be fixed. As identities become more and more politicized in our society, there’s more of a pressure to fit ourselves into categories. And while it’s a good thing that queer sexualities are beginning to be more accepted, expecting people to pick a label for their

sexual preference and stick with it is not. The realization that sexuality is fluid by nature helped me feel more comfortable with my newfound identity. As a human being, I’m constantly changing and growing, so it only makes sense that my sexuality matures alongside me.

Understanding these two concepts helped me further understand where some of my discomfort was stemming from. I did, however, want to share this newly defined part of myself with my boyfriend to help myself feel completely at ease with it.

I decided to come out to him while we were at the beach midway through summer. My face was flushed and my voice shaky as I told him that I liked everyone; not just boys. Anticipation constricted my lungs as I waited for his response. He just smiled, asked if I still wanted to be with him, and hugged me when I said “of course.” “Then that’s all that matters,” he said.

My relationship has flourished since this summer, even as we took on long-distance again when college season hit. Our conversations are more intimate, and our trust in each other is emboldened.

Even the sex is better.

Coming into my bisexuality allowed me to reframe how I thought about sex and its goals. While I’m not physically experimenting with other women, I’m engaging with sapphic porn and erotica to learn more about my desires and pleasures. This has led to me being more confident and empowered when having sex, making the experience better for my boyfriend as well.

While I’ve told my boyfriend and a few friends about my sexuality, I’m still unsure of if I want to come out to most of my peers—even the queer ones. There’s a certain stigma around bisexuality that comes from both heterosexual and gay and lesbian communities. Bi folks can have their desires and relationships invalidated because they don’t fit into only one end of the gay-straight binary.

Especially since I’m in a straight relationship, I’m worried about my sexuality being dismissed or ignored as a valuable part of me. Acknowledging the plethora of ways relationships can be constructed between straight and queer people is the first step in destigmatizing bisexuality. For now, I’m happy with where I’m at with my sexuality. I just hope there comes a day when I can feel comfortable sharing this part of me with all my friends and not worry about their judgment. YM

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THE STRUGGLES OF DATING AS A SIZE 14 WRITTEN BY ANNE O’LEARY

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eight: a word that not only has several definitions, but also has the power to give people a wide range of emotions, most of them being negative ones. The idea of and topic around weight is one we discuss often, yet at the same time never really talk about at all.

I’m not afraid to say I’ve been overweight my entire life. I’m not afraid to admit I’ve used and still continue to use food as a coping mechanism for my anxiety and depression. And I’m also not afraid to reconcile with the fact that I’ve attempted to lose weight many times with little success. But what I’ve been afraid to open up with until now is the fatphobia I’ve experienced while dating.

Fatphobia is real, and those who say it’s not have either never experienced it or don’t want to admit they’ve experienced it. I’ve learned from a young age to never complain about the societal discrimination surrounding weight because we are given a simplistic explanation for why being overweight or fat is worthy of discrimination. Just exercise.

Just eat better. Stop being lazy. Yes, weight is something we do have a certain amount of control over, but it’s not as simple as “just lose weight.”

Not to mention, there are plenty of people who physically can’t lose weight due to things like genetic dispositions, thyroid problems, PCOS, and medications.

I’m a size 14, a size that has controlled my life for a few years now, a size I’ve tried to reduce several times. The size has come with compliments on my ass and thighs but has also made me have to sift through folded jeans to the very bottom of the pile. For most of my life, with regards to dating, I’ve felt like a pair of jeans at the bottom of the pile.

Melodramatic, I know, but in all honesty, I didn’t really begin dating until freshman year of college. Much of this had to do with the way I was treated. Being bullied in middle school and high school for not only my personality but my physical appearance really put a wrench in my self-esteem. In eighth grade, I was rated the ugliest girl in the class on a list the boys made and sent to everyone. I laugh now at how ridiculous it was, but at the time, it caused me to be even more closedoff than I previously was. Up until college, I really believed nobody was actually attracted to me. I didn’t feel worthy of dating.

I started meeting up with people from dating apps freshman year.

With much of my adolescence sitting behind a screen, it was easy to talk to people online. I could say the right witty remark or the correct flirtatious emojis and meet up with a new person in a number of days.

Honestly, I was kind of a pro on dating apps. I found it really easy to find people, easy to hold a conversation, and, most of all, I was satisfied with the validation I desperately wanted. I realized freshman year I was an object of desire, but what I didn’t realize at the time was that this

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY TAINA MILLSAP

isn’t necessarily a good thing. It’s nice to feel attractive, but I quickly came to the realization that it’s not fulfilling to put your self-worth into swipes. Admittedly, I was addicted to the instant gratification of it all, yet I’d find myself feeling completely numb after the adrenaline subsided. By the end of freshman year, I forced myself to delete them.

The digital age of dating is not a specific issue relating to overweight people in particular. Many freshmen have their “hoe phase,” (which is just a patriarchal term used to describe casual sex and dating) so it’s not uncommon to be meeting a new person every weekend. But when I started using dating apps, I began to experience new anxieties because I’m overweight. A phenomenon that happens on Tinder in particular is men matching with you just to insult you and unmatch.

Seems like a waste of time, right? Well, for some reason, this is what people do in their limited time on this earth. One time, a guy matched with me just to call me fat. I think he was expecting me to be angry, but instead, I asked him why he matched with me just to insult me. Surprisingly, he replied and told me it was because he found it funny. I said he was a pathetic person, he proceeded to tell me my diet was pathetic, and he unmatched with me. This phenomenon isn’t just weight-related; I’ve known many girls who recounted stories of men matching with them to call them not only ugly and fat, but racial and misogynistic slurs. Many men feel entitled and have the power to exercise that entitlement behind a screen.

I’m lucky to say I’ve never experienced this interaction in real life, but I have experienced another phenomenon of the opposite. Instead of insulting comments, I’ve gotten overwhelming reassurance that they preferred bigger women—that my body was their type, as if I should be so thankful they are rejecting the big bad beauty standard.

Women would kill for your ass. I should be thankful I’m in 2021 because the Kardashians are sexy, right? So why do I feel so insecure? While I acknowledge curvier women are more appreciated, I can also point out the standard for curvy women are big boobs, and ass, tiny waists, and flat stomachs. Not a stretch mark or roll in sight. No imperfections.

I still grapple with the effects of the bullying and treatment I’ve received to this day, but I’m also tired of hating myself. I’m tired of others hating themselves for their weight. Overweight people deserve love like everyone else; we deserve fulfilling relationships. We need to talk about weight in neutrality, not disgust. It’s more than all bodies are beautiful; it’s that all bodies are worthy of respect. Bodies are natural, and bodies are significant no matter what they look like. That’s the mindset I’m trying to put myself in, and it’s what I recommend that everybody should do, big or small. The body is so much more than its physical appearance, and it’s time we start treating it that way. YM

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DATING

YOURSELF WRITTEN BY KATELIN BERUBE

ART BY NATASHA ARNOWITZ

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A

fter a toxic relationship kept pulling me back in, I found myself screaming for a clean cut. I thought I was doing what I had to do—not be single. I wasn’t listening to the cries for change that were building up inside me. I realized that in most aspects of my life, I was not putting myself first and decided it had gone on far too long. I blocked that person, deleted the dating apps from my phone, and cried.

The first time I took myself on a date, I left after 20 minutes. Twenty minutes sitting in a cafe trying to read a book, while attempting to get in tune with who I was. It did not go very well. I wasn’t sure how to be content with the person I was because I had lost sight of her in my previous relationships. After more time spent alone, I began to find myself again, but this wasn’t a one-time deal.

There is this imminent pressure to always be looking for a partner. This pressure or a text from your ex might be the exact push to get you back into the dating world before you’re ready. Allowing yourself to take up space and be single, instead of jumping back into dating, can be just the thing to prepare you for the dating world.

Delete that tempting dating app, and stop talking to your unhealthy ex. Listen to and be truly happy for your friends who are ready to take that leap, but listen extra carefully to yourself and your needs. Some days, you might need to lay in bed, blasting the new Adele album, while other days, you might daydream about traveling the world by yourself after graduation.

You’ll spend less time on your phone and less time focused on others. Rediscovering yourself is the biggest benefit from taking a break. You’ll redetermine your values and prepare yourself for the rest of your life, rather than just another relationship. Cassandra Maxim ‘22 speaks about her own experience and says, “I think that I’ve grown so much, especially in college, which wouldn’t be possible if I was in a relationship.”

You’ll begin to take care of yourself rather than someone else and start to fall in love with your life. Maxim continues to say that “knowing yourself is one of the most fulfilling and best gifts you can give yourself.” The little things you took for granted are now at the forefront, and you notice the neglect you might have been allowing to happen in your life.

Whether you decide to take yourself to the movies or buy yourself that thing you’ve always wanted, you realize just how much you missed by not showing yourself love. You’ll create habits of putting yourself first, and your future relationships will benefit. The idea of loving yourself is not a one-time thing, so even when you get in a relationship, you’ll find yourself in two: one with your partner, and one with yourself. YM

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ROMANCE: SEX ADVICE ART BY REB CZUKOSKI

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A FEW ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTORS OFFER THEIR HOTTEST TAKES ON SEX

69 is your best friend.

This may sound like a given, but I think we all undervalue how important communication is ... By talking about your kinks, fetishes, things you absolutely hate in bed, what you’re open to trying, and truly everything you think is important to the pleasure of you and your partner or partners, you are creating a free and comfortable sex environment.

Communication is key! You don’t have to feel ashamed to tell your partner what feels right for you. Also, tell your partner when something feels uncomfortable. Don’t feel like you have to endure something that you’re not enjoying.

Stop smoking cigarettes. It really, really helps.

Take your time and don’t rush the experience. Live in all the sensations you’re feeling.

What changed my sex life for the better was becoming comfortable with myself enough to, one, know what I like, and, two, be able to talk about it. Having clear communication with your partner about an otherwise taboo subject takes the pressure off and allows you to become closer, more comfortable with each other, and ensures both parties’ needs are being met.

It’s hot to actually ask your partner how they like things done and make sure they like what you’re doing [and] if they’re comfy with it because consent is just that sexy. ;) Use a vibrator with your partner. I cannot stress it enough.

Spend some time perusing a sex shop online or in store and tell each other what toys you’d pick out for you partner. It gets you excited to think about all the new ways you’d spice up your sex life.

Communicate your desired love. If your partner doesn’t know what you want, it’s going to keep being mediocre.

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY JULIA SMITH DIRECTED BY JULIA SMITH MODELED BY CHARLENE CHEUNG AND ELENA VIENNET MAKEUP BY MOLLY HOWARD STYLED BY ELOISA DE FARIAS 16 | YOURMAG

Green

room YOURMAG | 17

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The The Nolly Show!

Show!

Nolly

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY JULIA SMITH DIRECTED BY FATIMA SWARAY MODELED BY JUSTINA THOMPSON, SERGE GANTHIER & BRIA SMITH STYLED BY FATIMA SWARAY

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WRITTEN BY ELOISA DE FARIAS

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY REB CZUKOSKI

Daringly Basic

The Trend Making Minimalism Unique

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t some point, we all watched Divergent, The Hunger Games, or some other dystopian teen movie and wondered, “Why the obsession with minimalistic clothing?” Cutouts, mesh, layering—they all look so futuristic and effortlessly functional. Clearly, Katniss Everdeen was too busy trying not to get killed to serve hot pink Y2K. Truth be told, that utilitarian look is shoving its way through the fashion market, and I’m absolutely here for it.

This is better known as the “subversive basics” trend on TikTok, cut-up tights and layered black, nude, and white mesh tops, with wired headphones and metal hair clips. It replaces whatever funky-patterned, sage green, maximalist Instagram trend we just watched slowly dissolve (hopefully for good). Of course, I consulted with one of the people I trust the most in regards to fashion, Nick Bunzick, ESMOD Paris ‘22.

He’s my fashion friend-in-crime and is currently obtaining his master’s in management of international development in fashion and luxury.

“I think there’s an aspect of sustainability attached within the movement,” Bunzick says. “It’s one of the easier trends to DIY. Not everyone can cut and sew, but everyone can rip a pair of tights.”

Listen, I do hate microtrends. Microtrends almost always rely on fast fashion companies to keep up with the “five-seconds-trending” demand cycle Gen Z got itself into. But the subversive basics trend has us buying a good pair of scissors at CVS and just making it ourselves.

“I see more people moving away from trends and just wearing what they want to wear,” Bunzick observes. “Some brands have given up on producing a show in that traditional format of Spring/Summer, Fall/Winter, and it has had an impact on the trend cycle (along with COVID). I think especially the younger generation will move into a somewhat trend-less way of dressing.” Bunzick connects this with movements including body positivity and embracing individuality. Is the subversive basics trend attempting to break the disgustingly fast trend turnaround we’re all sick of keeping up with?

In order to dive into the logistics of this alternative trend, I needed to gain the perspective of a tights-cutting, headphones-wearing, layering addict—other than my subversive, indulgent self, that is. No one is better than my 19-year-old sister Elena de Farias, with whom I bonded over buying the same long, metal hairdressing clips in attempts of being a dynamic minimalist.

“All of the ripped tights I made came out looking differently. You can cut it in any way you’d like,” she explains. “Other trends tend to follow a template, if it even is DIY-able. I think that fast fashion stores will eat this up and create cheap versions and steal ideas. Because of this, I think the trend will drop once it becomes less creative.” I’m starting to think calling this distressed and alternative focused-trend “basics” might be miscalculated.

“Subversive fashion being minimalistic is just catering to the peo-

ple who lean toward wearing simpler pieces,” de Farias says. “It’s nice for someone who craves comfort but also the ability to express themselves with items that feel more individual. Because so many people like comfort, and this is a current trend a lot of people are wearing, there’s certainly a rise in minimalism.” There’s something comforting about putting on a patternless, austere garment and still feeling unique, like you’re breaking some kind of fashion boundary with an angular cutout or a shredded knit sweater.

Another reason this trend struck me differently than obnoxious TikTok or SHEIN microtrends is its genderless aspect. After living through the Y2K era and watching those who aren’t comfortable with the extremely feminine-presenting trend struggle, the subversive basics trend is a refreshing wave.

“Gender-neutral is a description that gets tossed around a lot. I think some designers do it well, but they typically tend to be more avant-garde brands,” Bunzick says. “It doesn’t work quite as well when a brand that has a traditional focus on men and women tries it. I think the reason Y2K was so gender-based was it also tied into ‘bimbofication’ as a positive. Sort of a feminist reappropriation.” The upsurge of a trend that relies on something neither masculine nor feminine is a nod at the future we hope we’re hurtling towards. Fashion is always a looking glass into the way our society is advancing.

You might find these functional and distressed-looking articles of clothing to be familiar. At first glance, I immediately thought: high fashion, expensive, and aggressively contemporary. This DIY trend is giving runway. It reminds me of the obscenely expensive minimalist basics you find at Saks Fifth Avenue and wonder why it costs your whole college tuition when you could most definitely rip a thrifted sweater with your bare hands to achieve the same look. I asked my sister about the influence of huge fashion houses on this Gen Z trend, and she replied with “ur mom”—how astute. Thankfully, Bunzick offered some insight.

“The brand I always think of is Ottolinger. They’ve been making this kind of stuff for a little while now, and I can see its direct influence. Also, it feels like trickle-down Rick Owens,” Bunzick says. “I can’t blame people for doing a trend that has such a small cost of entry compared to investing big dollars in luxury or designer clothing. Maybe that ties into other movements about anti-capitalism and consumerism.”

If endless TikTok videos about this trend haven’t convinced you yet, here’s your green light. Make daring slashes in your tights and wear them as a top, buy a stupid dongle adapter so you can wear silver headphones, and rebel ironically against being basic by wearing the most muted and patternless articles of clothing you own. YM

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CombaTing the Overconsumption of Fast Fashion WRITTEN BY MADISON BROWNING ART BY REB CZUKOSKI

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mid Julia Weinstock’s TikTok feed, between “no bones day” videos and reactions to Taylor Swift’s All Too Well: The Short Film, fast fashion hauls are the most upsetting. A hand-me-down wearer, Weinstock ‘24 views users showing off huge boxes from brands like SHEIN and dumping them out to show off hundreds to thousands of dollars worth of poor quality garments.

Experts agree that social media fuels the fast fashion industry through sneaky influencer sponsorships that boost unsustainable brands, in exchange for cash and free clothes. “It’s unethical, but influencers know who their consumer base is,” says Siobhán O’Brien ‘24, who thrifts most of her clothes.

“Their followers will listen to them and buy into those brands.”

The pandemic is also to blame for the rise in mindless overconsumption. Carina Pray ‘23, marketing director for Emerson Fashion Society, says lockdown caused people to lean on retail therapy and keep up with new trends, worsening the vicious cycle of disposable clothing.

Consumers buying into fast fashion is part of the problem, but brands must also adopt sustainable production. Luke Tadashi, founder and creative director of Bristol Studios, an LA-based “basketball-lifestyle” brand, explains that his awareness of unsustainable fashion transfers to aspects of his brand. Tadashi looks into the fabric used for his brand’s athleisure clothing and its environmental footprint. “I do try as much as possible to reuse leftover fabric that we have so that we minimize our waste,” he says. Many of Bristol Studio’s clothing pieces are also reversible, giving them a longer lifetime as two pieces in one.

Ideally, everyone would shop sustainably, but the sad reality is that it can be costly. “I try [to be sustainable] in little ways, but it is hard because it’s not always attainable for a college student,” says Olivia Weiss ‘24, who has a mostly-thrifted wardrobe. “It doesn’t hurt to try a little bit because that’s better than not doing anything at all, right?”

Staple fast fashion pieces don’t necessarily have to live a short life as long as they are taken care of.

Weinstock still wears a Forever 21 turtleneck from middle school, for example, and says people don’t have to swear off fast fashion completely.

Pray buys much of her clothes from Depop and invests in higher quality clothing that she will wear forever. She finds items that can be worn for different occasions to maximize their use. “A wardrobe is supposed to be timeless. What I like to do is the 80/20 rule where 80% of my clothing is your essentials—things that you’re going to wear forever,” she says. She’s had most of her clothes for four or five years and will only add to her collection if she loves a piece.

“It’s really up to our generation to move away from fast fashion, because there’s no way that it’s sustainable, at the current level,” Tadashi says. “There’s an opportunity to innovate around fashion, where, as technology continues to develop, perhaps there are new ways that we can produce clothing that is more carbon neutral and less wasteful.” YM

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Love and Threads PHOTOGRAPHED BY TALIA SMITH

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here’s nothing like being nose-deep in bae’s hoodie. Sip...sip... sip ... You hungrily fill your lungs with the remnants of their scent, a lust-inducing cocktail of fragrance, pheromones, and a touch of BO (but you love it because it’s their BO). You wear it out like a secret prize, an artifact of your lover’s that you’re entrusted with. They’re attached to your person all day, as an alternative for when they can’t hold your hand. Threads play a special but quiet role in relationships and connect two people in visceral ways.

“It feels like you’re hugging your partner when you’re wearing something of theirs,” says Your Mag’s Eloisa de Farias ‘21 of her relationship with Julia Smith ‘22. “I always ask for a sweater if we aren’t going to see each other for a while so that I can hold onto it at night when I miss them.”

Especially in circumstances of distance, Faith Bugenhagen ‘22 agrees that clothing can draw you closer to your person. “He spent this past summer in Houston, and every time it got a little hard, I would throw on this sweatshirt,” she says. “I’m the same way with articles of clothing from my parent’s youth. It’s so comforting to feel like I’m carrying aspects of the people I love with me throughout the day.”

Sharing tokens keep lovers at the forefront of each other’s minds, and closet-stealing becomes a practice that reflects a level of comfortability within the relationship, but also a desire to inhabit an energy or style that you associate your affection with.

De Farias and Smith, both inherent lovers of fashion as a connection point in their relationship, dip into each other’s wardrobe all the time, where they’re so mixed in that they forget which items need to be returned. Refusing to return an ex’s item is another method of holding on to someone, à la Taylor Swift’s infamous scarf swiped by Jake Gyllenhaal. She writes in “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version):” “You keep my old scarf from that very first week, ‘cause it reminds you of innocence and it smells like me. You can’t get rid of it, ‘cause you remember it all too well.” Some of us will store those hoodies—or even stray socks—safely and secretly in the back of our closets because getting rid of them means discarding the person as well.

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WRITTEN BY OLIVIA CIGLIANO

Others are eager to rid their closet of a broken connection, like Bugenhagen. “I threw his sweatshirt away,” Bugenhagen says of her ex. “To put it lightly, I would feel like I was outside of my own skin if I ever wore something he gave me or I adopted from him. He is not someone I want to carry with me.”

Wearing something that belongs to someone else’s person and presentation is an intimate exchange. It can reflect not only each partner’s identity, but also their bond and trust. “He borrowed my dad’s jean jacket from the ‘80s, my prized possession,” Bugenhagen says of her current boyfriend. “I became obsessed with how he looked in it, so I had to let him have it—for now.”

She says “couple style” should be less of a collective identity, and more of an individual complement to each other, even if they’re matching or sharing. “It’s more us picking out parts of each other’s style we love and less so becoming each other’s aesthetics,” Bugenhagen says.

De Farias and Smith style the same pieces differently or different pieces similarly. “If we want to, for example, go for an all-white outfit, I’ll do it my way, and she’ll do it in hers. We have a couple matching accessories that we wear together sometimes, like our Saint Laurent locks we bought in Paris,” de Farias says.

It’s true that some couples unintentionally start to look alike after enough time. “He may kill me for this,” Bugenhagen laughs, “He often dresses to match my color palette. He is very into his style and dresses like himself, like me, so I think he figured color is where we could connect.” Occasionally, their innate telepathy causes unplanned identical outfits.

“Since Julia and I started dating, we’ve definitely helped each other find ourselves clothing-wise and became more confident with our style,” de Farias says. “We like to feel confident together, so that’s always something we try to achieve with what we wear.”

Similarly, Bugenhagen reflects, “Our personal tastes are so different, but at the same time, they are not. He has taught me that it’s okay to expand my style, and to be comfortable in my own skin and self-expression.” YM

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style:

STREET STYLE INTERVIEWS BY OLIVIA CIGLIANO AND TALIA SMITH PHOTOGRAPHED BY JULIA SMITH AND OLIVIA CIGLIANO

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Anna (or Annie) , she/her, @annaarriaga_ // Audrey, she/her, @audreyanastassya How would you describe your personal style in three words?

ANNA: Maximalist, expressive, fun!

AUDREY: Comfortable, classic, structured.

Where do you typically get outfit inspiration from?

ANNA: My outfits are usually inspired by very niche statement pieces that I find fun, then I style around them. I try to steer away from what’s trendy, but I always end up there. Looking at street style in Boston is always a source of inspiration, too!

AUDREY: Pinterest and Instagram archive accounts (anything Phoebe Philo or Margiela!), and where I am/my environment.

If you could only shop at one place for the rest of your life, where would it be?

ANNA: I have to also go with the Roxbury Goodwill!

AUDREY: The Goodwill in Roxbury.

Celebrity style icon?

ANNA: I love Rosalía’s style, but it’s hard for me to stick to one aesthetic.

AUDREY: I can’t choose between Zoe Love Smith or Phoebe Philo.

What are three pieces of your wardrobe that you can’t live without?

ANNA: Brown Oxford Docs, baggy jeans, and a crochet hat.

AUDREY: Black coat, high-waisted Levi’s, and Docs.

Marie, she/her, @lyr_rie How would you describe your personal style in three words?

Dark, casual, binary.

Where do you typically get outfit inspiration from?

I was really into black and white film. German expressionists inspired me the most, so I guess I take away a lot from that style when I choose my outfits.

If you could only shop at one place for the rest of your life, where would it be?

Dover Street Market is a cool place to go!

Celebrity style icon?

I don’t really have one.

Spend some time perusing a sex shop online or in store and tell each other what toys you’d pick out for you partner. It gets you excited to think about all the new ways you’d spice up your sex life.

What are three pieces of your wardrobe you can’t live without?

Communicate Beret, black blazer, and leather boots.

your desired love. if your partner doesn’t know what you want, it’s going to keep being mediocre.

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audrey, she/her, @youran.caicai How would you describe your personal style in three words?

Colorful, comfortable, cool.

Where do you typically get outfit inspiration from?

Social media pages I follow, and models or influencers with styles that I like.

If you could only shop at one place for the rest of your life, where would it be?

Chinese web stores!

Celebrity style icon?

I don’t think I have one!

What are three pieces of your wardrobe you can’t live without?

Levi’s SilverTab jeans, my thrifted navy sweatshirt with GOLF embroidered in the middle, and a Hanes white guinea tee.

Maia, she/her, @maiatiff How would you describe your personal style in three words?

Mismatched, empowered, cozy.

Where do you typically get outfit inspiration from?

It normally comes from pulling together pieces I have and love and putting them in funky dynamics with each other. I love collage as a medium and the idea of “dress-up.” I want to wear things that make me feel like an approachable form of art!

If you could only shop at one place for the rest of your life, where would it be?

There’s a series of vintage, thrift, and antique shops all along one street in Burbank, CA called Magnolia Boulevard. It’s hard to pick just one I’d want to lock down forever, but Best of Times offers a kind of costumey take on fashion that’s always been comforting to me.

Celebrity style icon?

Diana Ross and/or Rihanna.

What are three pieces of your wardrobe that you can’t live without?

My black turtleneck, silver hoops, and overalls. They’re staples!

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Olivia, she/her, @olivia_heinze How would you describe your personal style in three words?

Thrifted, bra-less, androgynous.

Where do you typically get outfit inspiration from?

Most of all from my wonderful beautiful friends! Also from anime (like Akira & Bleach), my partner’s coffee table books on design, TikTok (embarrassing but true), and my mother!

If you could only shop at one place for the rest of your life, where would it be?

Savers, specifically the one in South Lamar in Austin, Texas that closed forever.

Celebrity style icon?

Ben Absent.

What are three pieces of your wardrobe you can’t live without?

My mom’s gold chain from the ‘80s, my dad’s J.Crew linen knit, and my beat-to-shit white Doc Marten Zuma IIs.

Nick, he/they, @nickliden // Dora, she/her/hers, @dorasfilmbitch How would you describe your personal style in three words?

NICK: Cute, cozy, big.

DORA: It’s always changing!

Where do you typically get outfit inspiration from?

NICK: From my homies and people I think dress sick!

DORA: I love a theme. I usually like to base my outfits off a color or start with a piece of clothing I really like. My best friend made this hat I’m wearing, so I based my outfit off of it!

If you could only shop at one place for the rest of your life, where would it be?

NICK: If I could only shop at one place, it would be a big ass thrift store.

DORA: Squaresville in LA would be a top choice because it has amazing stuff, but it’s expensive, so Urban Renewals in Roslindale.

Spend some time perusing a sex shop online or in store and tell icon? each other what toys you’d pickCelebrity out for style you partner.

It gets you NICK: Yung Lean, always. excited to think about all the new ways you’d spice up your sex life.

DORA: Bella Hadid, Zendaya, and Enya Umanzor.

What are three pieces of your wardrobe that you can’t live

Communicate your desired love. if your partner doesn’t know without? what you want, it’s going to keepNICK: beingCustom mediocre.

Converse, Sad Boys “LOVE” hoodie, wolf necklace.

DORA: A light jacket for layering, my worn-to-death Doc Marten monkey boots, and loose-fitting jeans or dungarees.

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Be Not Afraid Part 2 DIRECTED BY TALIA SMITH PHOTOGRAPHED BY TALIA SMITH MODELED BY ZOEY SCHORSCH STYLED BY ZOEY SCHORSCH MAKEUP BY ZOEY SCHORSCH ASSISTANT MAKEUP BY OLIVIA MILLER 38 | YOURMAG

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BLOODLUST

DIRECTED AND STYLED BY LAUREN DILLOW PHOTOGRAPHED BY LILY BROWN ASSISTED BY AMANDA HAMPTON

MODELED BY GLORIA CAO, GREG GAGER, MADDIE YAZEL YOURMAG | 45

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Cooking for CONTROL WRITTEN BY CAMRYN CIANCIA

PHOTOGRAPHED BY OLIVIA CIGLIANO

Trigger warning: Mentions of disordered eating.

I

lie on my bed, switching my gaze between the ceiling and the stovetop where I just cooked my meal. I glanced over to my dining table, where I forced a plate of regret and shame down my throat. The decision to eat seems to have paralyzed my body. I am anxious and angry. I try to find comfort in my “digestion stretches,” per my therapist’s suggestion. I took my digestive enzyme pills and even a laxative.

Nothing is bringing me relief.

I now sit in front of my toilet. I run through the list of distraction tactics in my head: I could call my mom, but she’s working. I could call my boyfriend, but he’s with his friends. I could scroll through TikTok, but all I ever see are cooking and workout videos, which only make me feel worse. I know that purging will only cause me more pain in the long run, but that doesn’t matter right now. This feels like a trap. All I want is for this to be over. I am slowly digging my grave, as I dig my hands into my mouth, using my fingers like a shovel to retrieve food out of my body.

We’ve all heard of the “freshman 15”—newly independent teenagers vegging out on pizza and beer. The move from Texas to Boston had an opposite effect on me. I was finally free from the family dinner requirements enforced by my mom, and I was no longer tempted by Tex-Mex or Chick-fil-A. Instead, I had the pressure of picking food out with an audience in the dining hall. And after one incident of receiving inedible food from the dining hall, I had an excuse to avoid it. I now

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vowed to only eat sparingly, hoping to lose weight.

My daily life consisted of overexercising and restricting my eating.

I avoided meals by drinking large sums of cold brew, going on walks, and going to the gym. People commented on my ever-slimming figure, recognizing the gaps in my jeans, and even how loose my face masks were becoming.

Loving the new dangerous freedom I had, I convinced my family to let me live in Boston year-round. I signed a lease on an old studio apartment in Beacon Hill. This was truly the moment my disordered brain had been waiting for. I fantasized about a bare pantry. I figured I would be saving money and saving myself from calories if I never grocery shopped. I had full control over myself, my home, and my meals.

This new space being all mine was exciting. One of the things I missed most was having a kitchen. I wanted to cook meals replicating my mom’s recipes or anything I could find on Bon Appétit or Pinterest.

I found conflict between wanting to play “house” with my boyfriend and my intense fear of food.

Growing up, I often shadowed my mom and grandma in the kitchen. The three of us would be glued to the TV, watching Ina Garten, Martha Stewart, or Bobby Flay, then take to the kitchen to cook together. These joyful memories surrounding food came flooding back when I stepped into my own kitchen. I began to get experimental in the kitchen, realizing I was good at cooking and it brought me so much joy.

I felt connected to my family in Texas, as we would text and chat about whatever successful recipe we tried and recommended to each other.

But, after cooking my food, it came time to eat the meal I just had so much fun concocting. I would take my plate to my table, turn on a favorite show, and forget why I was sitting at this wobbly structure. I would eat, find it delicious, then be hit by the seemingly inevitable wall of disgust. Nightly, my dinner found its way into the toilet, which I grossly justified as a way to “double taste” my food. Purging was comforting to me. And so was cooking. And this was the most confusing thing to me. One moment, food was making me happy, and the next, I couldn’t fathom the thought of it.

I had been struggling with disordered eating since eighth grade.

I had always been influenced by people’s perceptions of me, as the “bigger kid” in elementary school, prescribing to diet culture at a very young age. The idea of telling my family that I had been harming my body for so long was too much to bear, so it became a secret. I have always been an open book, but when it came to hiding my eating disorder, it felt like a double life.

I began to feel the effects of my bulimia. I had no energy, I felt dizzy all the time, my life felt dull, and I wasn’t finding pleasure in cooking anymore.

After being so exhausted from this cycle, I confided in my boyfriend. My honesty led me to the help I needed. I found strength in healing my body, making up for all the time I wasted on hating myself.

I worked on finding ways to cook and eat food to make it a comfortable experience for me. But after being in such a dark place for so long, I had to unlearn a lot of my habits and behaviors, constantly being tempted to fall back into the cycle of a toxic habit.

It has been a few months since I was working diligently on beating my bad habits. But sometimes, I am reminded of the “game” I used to play with myself: How long can I go without eating? Can I just drink another coffee instead of eating lunch? I didn’t work out yesterday, so I can’t eat today. And I fear that it will always be this way. It is scary, but it isn’t lonely. Every night, I return to my kitchen, eager to cook a new meal. There is no pressure here. As long as I cook, eat what feels appropriate, and distract myself after, I feel strength. YM

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THE NATURE VS. NURTURE OF QUEER IDENTITY WRITTEN BY GANDHARVIKA GOPAL

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY JESS FERGUSON

ast summer, I spent three weeks driving across the country with

places, even to myself. However, my experience was not one of shame.

my mom and little sister. At our second destination, a small

I don’t think I’ve ever been ashamed of my queerness; I just never felt

mountain town in Arkansas, I bought a rainbow pin for the baby

the place I called home was big enough to hold it.

blue corduroy bag I carry with me everywhere. For the first time in

Queer people across this country and around the world face the

my life, my queerness was visible to the people around me, and it was

social and political standards of their environments every day. For

terrifying.

many people, the spaces they inhabit determine how they live, who

In the next few weeks, that pin was taken off and repinned count-

they love, and how fully or openly they can do those things. In many

less times wherever we went. I wore it proudly as we walked through

ways, social and political surroundings attempt to dictate and even

the winding streets of Fayetteville, Arkansas. The next day, I slipped

endanger queer expression. The patriarchal and heternormative con-

it off as we drove into the parking lot of an Ohio hotel just past mid-

structs of current society ensure that my existence as a queer woman

night. It went back on for the beautiful New Mexican town we spent a

is at risk in certain situations. Queerness in and of itself is a disregard

night in, then off again for the gas stations we stopped at on our drive

for those standards, but the expression of that resistance cannot occur

through Texas. On for our visit to the Grand Canyon, and off for the

without consideration for its social implications.

campsite we stayed at in middle-of-nowhere Tennessee.

I cannot help but change the presentation of my queerness de-

Back home in North Carolina, I tucked the pin into the front

pending on my environment. It’s one of those self-preservation in-

pocket of my bag, away from the eyes of relatives, family friends, even

stincts so detrimental to personal expression yet desperately necessary

distant acquaintances I’d inevitably run into around town. Finally, at

in some situations. In many ways, my identity as a white, cisgender

the end of August, my family and I drove the 13 hours from North

lesbian guarantees me safety other marginalized communities are not

Carolina to Boston, and the pin was back in its place on my bag. I’m

granted. Most often, I have control over how visible my queerness is,

three months into my life here, and it’s stayed there ever since.

who can recognize it, and when. However, I am still forced to consider

In every place we visited, I was forced to consider how my queer

the possible threats present in my surroundings in relation to my per-

identity would be perceived and received. While my queerness remains

sonal expression. As a queer person, the way that I live and love will

the same no matter where I am, the way I express it is undoubtedly

continue to be placed at risk regardless of my personal expression. It

affected by my surrounding environment. Since I grew up in a place

will be negotiated in court, marched for on the streets, and threatened

where my queer expression was very restricted, Boston and the space

by people whose lives are in no way affected by my existence. The

it has provided means everything to me. For the first time in my life, I

space to express identity in the face of that threat is invaluable and an

am completely comfortable existing as a queer woman. I am allowed

experience every queer person deserves.

to exist in a way that disregards the hesitations and expectations I faced back home.

So when my mom asks me if I think I’ll end up staying here, in this city that’s become home faster than I thought it would, I don’t

Three months ago, I didn’t think I’d ever say the words “I’m gay”

know what to tell her. Because I’m not only safer here, but braver too,

out loud. That didn’t mean that no one knew (most people did), but I

and not so alone. It takes courage to show the world who you are and

lacked the autonomy over my own identity to verbalize it. My sexual-

who you love, but also a community to show you how. This city and

ity was incredibly internal—an identity I possessed but was unable to

these past few months have given me both. YM

fully express often. I was gay only to some people, sometimes, in some

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THEY PRESCRIBED ME

DEPRESSION WRITTEN BY MARIANNA REYES

I

walked into a psychiatrist’s office for a prescription for my anxiety, but instead, they prescribed me depression meds. Not the words you’d want to hear when you’re trying to manage a mental health condition, but most of the time, another obstacle hidden within the fine print of the bottle they hand you. I had always struggled with anxious mannerisms, but depression was never included in my mindset.

We were mid-pandemic, and I was honestly thriving, despite everything that was going on in the world. I was attending school on campus and excelling in classes and organizations. My anxiety was intensely creeping up in every task I completed, but my positive attitude helped push through it. I decided to reach out to a medical professional because even though I was in a good position, I wanted to feel more like myself and pause the thoughts constantly racing around in my head.

After a few sessions, the topic of antidepressants came up. The name really throws you off because you’d think, “Why would they prescribe me antidepressants if I don’t have depression?” Antidepressants (SSRIs) are often prescribed to ease symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, along with other mental health conditions. However, some of the side effects include anxiety, depression, weight loss, dizziness, weight gain, and blurred vision, to name a few.

I was really excited that I was going to stop my racing thoughts and immediately said yes, not connecting the consequences of the symptoms. A few weeks after taking the SSRIs, I found myself in a deep hole of darkness with no willingness to get out. I honestly thought that it was just the pandemic and everything else happening in the world, that it would pass if I just gave it time. I never thought the medicine the doctor gave me to make me feel better would destroy me mentally.

I spent most of my time laying in bed, not wanting to get out for three weeks. My appetite decreased, I excluded myself from everything, and I reached a really scary moment where I lost every part of myself and didn’t have a single care about it.

Loss of appetite was a symptom I realized was coming from the medication. The worse it got, the more I thought I should stop taking

ART BY FIONA MURPHY

them. After five weeks and two refills, I finally stopped.

Two days later, my energy started coming back. A week later, I was back to doing school work and hanging out with my friends.

I began doing research on what poison was in this little bottle. Every time I took a tablet, I got worse. I realized that it was supposed to be helping me ease my anxiety and what was also giving me depression.

None of my problems were fixed. And now began the healing process. I turned to meditation and breathwork during this time. I never thought that was for me until I began dedicating 10 minutes in the morning and practiced until I became more comfortable with it.

A few weeks later, my symptoms subdued, everything started going back to normal. My anxiety slowly began to decrease, and I fell in love with the practice of meditation. I went from 10 minutes a day, to multiple times a day, to listening to the soothing sounds of nature and clearing my thoughts to go to sleep at night. Although it might not work for everyone, it definitely worked for me. If you’re in a similar situation to me, you may want to consider implementing meditative techniques into your daily routine.

Journaling was also a huge factor in my road to growth. At first, I honestly thought it was weird to talk to myself through writing. Then, I figured that writing my emotions in small phrases was a good way to start. Now, it’s been a few months, and I’m sure I can write a book at this point.

Everything comes with practice. Meditation and journaling are tasks that may seem easy at first but require a lot of patience and perseverance. It’s important to be able to sit and clear your mind from intrusive thoughts and negative emotions. SSRIs negatively impacted my life; not only did it give me depression, but it also affected my relationships with others. Taking a moment to sit and realize what is making you feel a certain way and how you can fix it is the first step. Most people who struggle with mental health have a chemical imbalance in their brains, so taking supplements such as multivitamins, vitamin D, and omega 3 fatty acids can help, along with meditation, journaling, exercise, and other practices. Your mind is stronger than you think; don’t let others prescribe you what you don’t need. YM

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LIVING: PETS

MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTORS AND MEMBERS OF THE EDITORIAL TEAM SHOW OFF THEIR PETS

Hercules His favorite activity is snuggling. His favorite toy is a football that has turkey legs on it.

We call it turkey-football.

Chloe Car rides and naps!

Koko Koko is 15, so she doesn’t really play anymore. However, she loves to bark at us until she gets her afternoon snack. Who could say no to that face?

Phoebe She loves to look out the window at birds, squirrels, lizards, and frogs!

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Zuzu Going for very long walks, despite her little legs.

Geno He’s a retired racing dog, so he loves running laps around the yard!

Gee Gee loves to play with her pink shoelace and also enjoys catching insects.

Fenway Catching frisbees.

Beau Millie Chasing chickens and eating ham.

Beau is obsessed with this deflated purple squeaky football. If he finds it, and we hide it from him, he will cry until we give it back.

Walter His favorite toy is my other dog’s, Onyx’s, tail. He literally will grab his tail with his mouth and play with it.

Lucy Belle Lucy loves to play with anything.

ANYTHING!

Huey Nico He loves playing fetch with his tennis ball.

Huey loves playing with anything he can rip apart—added points if it has a squeaker inside. He also loves his Kong that we put treats in.

LIVING | 57

BACK TO DECEMBER

PHOTOGRAPHED BY TAINA MILLSAP DIRECTED BY ELOISA DE FARIAS AND LAUREN DILLOW MODELED BY ELOISA DE FARIAS, LAUREN DILLOW, AND CANDY STYLED BY LAUREN DILLOW

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PLAY TIME

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DIRECTED BY NEEKA BOROUMANDI & CHLOE SHAAR PHOTOGRAPHED BY ELAINE TANTRA MODELED BY NEEKA BOROUMANDI & CHLOE SHAAR MAKEUP BY SAMANTHA SILVEIRA SETUP ASSISTANT CEDRICK GUSTAVE ART BY NATASHA ARNOWITZ

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Communicate your desired love. if your partner doesn’t know what you want, it’s going to keep being mediocre.

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Beginning Again With REd (Taylor’s Version) WRITTEN BY ANNALIESE BAKER

ART BY MADELYN MULREANEY

T

here are two things I remember from Sophia Singh’s ninth birthday party: making our own personal pizzas, and listening to Taylor Swift’s brand new album Red on the CD player Sophia got for her birthday.

Taylor Swift had me singing about “feeling 22” at the age of nine and humming about “a little kid with glasses in a twin-sized bed” even though I was also, in fact, a little kid with glasses in a twin-sized bed. When Red—an album famously about heartbreak and recognizing when you are falling in love, not just infatuated with someone—came out, my life experience did not expand beyond the teal walls of my childhood bedroom, yet I still memorized the lyrics printed on the inside cover of my CD. I was leaning against the lockers in the breakroom, my lifeguard hat resting lazily on my head, when I learned Swift would be releasing her version of Red in November 2021—almost a decade after the original version. Overwhelmed with joy, I immediately began to cry. Swift’s Red was an album I found myself going back to frequently, reminiscing on what not only got me to become a fan of Swift’s, but also became a source of exploring empathy through the heartbreaks I experienced in my youth.

Red was Swift’s first album to cross multiple genres, experimenting beyond the confines of the “country” label placed on her. This shift was representative of heartbreak, as the multitude of genres included on the album allowed her to capture her feelings as “a fractured mosaic of feelings that somehow all fit together in the end.” The end of a relationship—especially a romantic one—is often messy. The first romantic relationship I was in was when I was 15, and it ended in a large mess that never seemed like it would be completely cleaned. Although it felt like no one I knew understood what I was going through, it seemed like Red’s “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “The Lucky One” did.

When Red (Taylor’s Version) was announced, it was exactly three months away from when I would have to say goodbye to the person I first fell in love with. I spent the entire summer preparing for that moment, but when it finally arrived, the only closure I was met with was the way we left each other in silence. There was no redemption, no possibility of seeing him tomorrow and explaining myself. I understood our time together had ended, and I would be forced to cope with my heartbreak without the support of my people at home.

The day after we left each other, I remember listening to “All Too Well.” It was a song that captured “the intimate moments and conversations that make (and break) a relationship,” Deepa Lakshmin wrote for MTV in 2017. For the first time, I felt as though empathy was represented in my love loss, not just pure sympathy.

The evening Red (Taylor’s Version) was released, the first song I listened to was “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version).” Uncontrollably crying in the stillness of my college dorm, I was able to nurture and revel the feelings of heartbreak and love I had suppressed for several months in the hopes that I would simply forget them once I moved away to school. For an entire 10 minutes, Swift allowed me to relive the notions of my most prominent romantic endeavor. I recognized not only how hurt I was by its end, but also how much I learned from it.

Red (Taylor ’s Version) was released as I was about to genuinely embark on my adulthood. It was no longer the simplistic moment of turning 18, but moving away from the people and places I had known for the past 18 years to somewhere entirely new where my life would essentially “Begin Again.” The more I matured and the more things I experienced, the more Red became prominent in and relatable to my life. The new album is a reminder of who I once was, and who I am becoming as I venture into my adulthood. Although I’ve upgraded from a twin-sized bed to a twinXL-sized bed, Red (Taylor’s Version) has helped me understand that not everything has changed—perhaps I have just evolved. YM

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Haters gonna hate-watch WRITTEN BY KATE RISPOLI

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY REB CZUKOSKI

ands-down, one of the best forms of escapism is putting on

Over-the-top writing (every Lifetime movie ever)? Horribly random

something to watch. Popping some popcorn for a movie or

plot twists (the Pretty Little Liars finale)? Undeniably extremist “news”

snuggling up in a blanket for a Netflix marathon helps to press

(every episode of Tucker Carlson Tonight)? It’s all just laughable. Rather

pause on real life.

than watching comedies, many get laughs from content that’s com-

“It’s being able to turn off your brain and zone into something

ically, unironically bad. Due to the past century’s media boom and

that has nothing to do with your own life,” says visual and media arts

increase of streaming services, there’s almost too much to criticize.

major Kenny Wood ‘24.

Flipping through the channels, you’ll find an unbelievable amount of

Yet a growing trend focuses specifically on zoning into programs that you simply don’t like for the sake of enjoyment.

absurd content—just check out TLC. Additionally, many programs advertise hashtags when airing, en-

Hate-watching’s popularity boomed with the rise of streaming

couraging viewers to post their thoughts online. It’s a great form of ad-

services, prompting many to seek out bad content. It’s the consump-

vertising, especially when the hashtags make their way onto the trend-

tion of media simply to critique it. This doesn’t necessarily mean in-

ing pages of Twitter and Tumblr. These hashtags make hate-watching

depth analysis and can instead be full-on nit-picky. The possibilities

more than an individual experience—it’s a bonding one.

are truly endless. For example, Wood hate-watched The D’Amelio Show,

“[It’s] typically a performative and social act, taking to social me-

which follows TikTokers Charli and Dixie D’Amelio and their strug-

dia to live-tweet passionate dislike of a new show or movie,” Svensson

gles with their growing fame. While the show aims at authenticity, the

explains. It’s not just about hating the content, but rather loving the

melodramatic framing of the story makes it come off more funny than

validation your criticism receives.

fascinating.

When it comes down to it, hate-watching isn’t truly about hate.

Emerson College media criticism professor Alexander Svensson,

Rather, it’s about pride. It’s about watching a program that you think

on the other hand, chooses American Horror Story as his hate-watching

that you’re too good for and letting yourself be an outspoken “contrib-

go-to.

utor” to the fandom. You can laugh at the less-than-stellar acting as if

“The series flies off the rails mid-way through each season, and

you could have taken on the role and won awards for it. You can scoff

I end each season disappointed,” he says. “And yet, year after year, I

at the over-the-top writing as if you could have written the script and

keep on coming back in the hopes that things will get better.”

cemented yourself into film history.

Disappointment is part of the experience. Rather than being let down, hate-watchers revel in the countless ways they can critique.

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Really, Wood says it best when talking about why they and countless others hate-watch: “It makes you feel better about yourself.” YM

Communicate your desired love. if your partner doesn’t know what you want, it’s going to keep being mediocre.

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THE MADNESS IN THE METHOD WRITTEN BY AMANDA HAMPTON

M

ethod acting is often treated as some dangerous, mysterious force. The media is enthralled by it, awards shows are quick to slobber over it, and actors either scoff at it or swear it’s the key to their success. Any way you spin it, though, it’s become a surefire way for actors to gain gravitas, and its modern iteration has become more about ego and marketing than good performances. Leonardo DiCaprio ate raw meat, slept inside an animal carcass, and waded across freezing rivers to get into character—he’s a serious actor! Give him an Oscar!

The technique originated with Russian theatrical realist Konstantin Stanislavski at the beginning of the 20th century, who encouraged actors to use emotional memory to create more realistic performances.

Lee Strasberg, a friend and colleague of Stanislavski’s, developed it further in the 1920s, advocating for total immersion: The actor does not play the character so much as become the character.

“To me, method acting just means fully immersing your body and mind into the character,” says Sarah Katherine Lawless ‘22, a musical theatre major at Boston Conservatory. “I’ve used hints of method acting … I’ve incorporated music, things that a character would wear, the way they would communicate, into my daily life, but I’ve never gone that far.”

The world loves a story of an actor gone “too far” down the rabbit hole of their character’s psyche. Christian Bale’s excessive and troubling weight loss, Shia LaBeouf and Nicolas Cage’s self-mutilations— these stunts are often more memorable than the roles themselves. And, of course, the lengths Heath Ledger took to prepare for the role of the Joker have become legend; he locked himself in a hotel room for weeks, kept a diary in which he wrote daily entries as the Joker, and routinely deprived himself of sleep.

“I think it can become dangerous when you don’t have a divide between yourself and the character,” Lawless says. “It’s important to be able to bring yourself to a character, so you can’t completely lose who you are.”

While Ledger and many other method actors focus on internal reflection, some seem to feel that turning outward is the best way to give a stellar performance. In preparation for his own turn as the Joker,

ART BY KATE RISPOLI

Jared Leto infamously gifted the cast of Suicide Squad a litany of horrible items, including a used condom, a dead pig, anal beads, and a live rat. He also watched videos of brutal crimes online and insisted on being addressed only as “Mistah J” while on set.

Jared Leto certainly faced a difficult task in filling the larger-thanlife shoes left behind by Ledger, so it’s not completely surprising that he went to such lengths to build a mythology around the movie and his character in particular. However, it is worth noting that he ended up giving a critically reviled 10-minute performance that was lost in the movie’s two-hour run time; ultimately, he spent more time on a marketing ploy than on giving a genuine performance.

“There’s this feeling of fake legitimacy, like if someone is a method actor, they’re a more serious actor and are more skilled,” says Gaby Avelino ‘22, a musical theatre major at Emerson College. “I think there’s something to be said for the fact that method acting is not taught in theatre class. The only representation I have of it are these stars talking about it. I feel like it perpetuates this whole celebrity culture of seeing someone as untouchable and all-knowing, when in reality, it’s just their ability to manipulate media and people’s perceptions of them.”

The technique has become entwined in Hollywood identity politics—it’s a way to make the art of acting resemble traditional forms of labor. By extension, this limits the kinds of actors that receive praise; there are very few women among the ranks of Hollywood’s acclaimed group of “method actors.” Modern method acting is certainly gendered, with the hype surrounding it depending on framing less drastic techniques as more feminine, and therefore inferior. This has had the effect of sidelining actors, especially women, who were able to find authenticity in their performances without removing body parts or terrorizing their castmates.

“If that’s all people are holding up, then that’s a very unhealthy thing. There are people who give performances of a lifetime without hurting themselves, so why aren’t we giving them the same amount of praise?” Lawless says. “You’re an actor—why do you have to go that far to feel something?” YM

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HOUSEHOLD NAMES VS NEW TO FAME

If you’re a fan of a popular musician, book , TV show, or film, and you’re not sure what to try next, we have plenty of suggestions for you! Here are some of our favorites that you may not have heard of, based on what you already love:

ed sheeran • • • Noah Kahan

While Ed Sheeran’s music seems to be turning toward heavily produced pop, Noah Kahan could be everyone’s next favorite artist for heartfelt acoustic bops. Proclaimed the “Jewish Ed Sheeran” by himself and his fans, Noah Kahan’s music is full of honest reflections on love, getting older, and struggling with mental health.

Kahan and Sheeran both have a knack for playing with fans’ emotions. While Sheeran usually writes about himself in relation to others (love, heartbreak, etc.), most of Kahan’s music is centered in his complicated relationship with himself. His single “Godlight” is an emotional confession about what his younger self would say to the person he is today.

If your favorite part of Ed Sheeran’s music is his lyrics about love and heartbreak, Kahan has plenty of those as well. “Someone Like You,” a duet with Joy Oladokun, is about ending a relationship, only to realize that you made the wrong choice. If you’ve been a longtime fan of Ed Sheeran, but his new music just isn’t doing it for you, here are some Noah Kahan songs to check out based on your favorite Ed Sheeran tracks: “One” —> “Bad Luck” “The A Team” —> “Howling” “Lego House” —> “Glue Myself Shut” “Castle on the Hill” —> “Mess” “Perfect” —> “Sink” “Give Me Love” —> “Passenger” “Photograph” —> “Maine”

Beach Read by Emily Henry • • • The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

If you’re a fan of books about books, bookstores, and booklovers, you’ve probably heard of Beach Read by Emily Henry. This quirky rom-com follows two passionate, successful writers, January Andrews and Augustus Everett. January is a romance writer who loves a happy ending, while Augustus writes somber literary fiction. As they are both living in neighboring beach houses for the summer to combat writer’s block, they strike up a deal to help their creativity come back to them: Augustus has to write a happily-ever-after, and January has to try to pen the next “Great American Novel.” And they may or may not fall in love in the process.

The Little Paris Bookshop, while not a rom-com, is a combination of beautiful love stories that take place between readers and

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writers in a charming little bookshop. Monsieur Perdu, Paris’s self-proclaimed “literary apothecary,” owns a bookstore on a boat floating in the Seine. When he finally gets the courage to read the last letter his lost love wrote to him before she disappeared, Monsieur Perdu and Max, a young writer working on his next novel, embark on a journey through France’s waterways. They meet other booklovers, learn their stories, and of course, give many book recommendations along the way.

Weaving between love stories from the past and the present, and exploring the ways that writing can shape who we are, The Little Paris Bookshop is the perfect story to pick up if you couldn’t put down Beach Read.

The Virgin Suicides dir. Sofia Coppola • • • Mustang dir.

Deniz Gamze Ergüven

Anyone who grew up on Tumblr is no stranger to the nostalgic melancholy of Sofia Coppola’s adaptation of Jeffrey Eugenides’s 1993 novel The Virgin Suicides. We follow the five Lisbon sisters as they take their own lives one by one, watching through the eyes of the local boys who are fascinated spectators as the girls succumb to the turmoil of a repressive, religious household. The film, which turned 20 last year, remains a haunting portrait of girlhood and adolescence, of the “extraordinary power of the unfathomable,” as Coppola herself puts it. Mirroring the universal turmoil and curiosity of suburban teenhood, the film’s aesthetic feels both Gothic and mundane, with Coppola’s signature pink and golden hues evoking the dreamlike nature of the girls’ sexual awakenings.

If you’re looking to get lost in another movie that encapsulates the troubles and complexities of girlhood and burgeoning sexuality with an almost unexplainable air of intimacy, director Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Turkish-language debut feature Mustang is a must-watch. Ergüven efficiently crafts a story that, despite sharing an undeniably similar premise to Coppola’s film, feels simultaneously recognizable and brand new. Following five orphaned sisters confined to their conservative grandmother’s house in rural Turkey, Mustang is fundamentally grounded in the resilience of our teen-girl protagonists as they struggle against cultural and familial strictures that attempt to sever their sexual and personal freedom.

Every bit as tragic and aesthetically dream-like as The Virgin Suicides, Mustang is the perfect movie to press play on if you want to immerse yourself in the haunting melancholy of what it means to come-of-age as a girl across cultures.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag • • • Michaela Coel’s Chewing Gum

Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s acclaimed tragicomedy Fleabag has weaved its way into the hearts of many TV lovers since the two-season series wrapped in 2019. Following our protagonist—who we know only as Fleabag—as she learns to cope with tragedy, love, and the many trials of womanhood in London, the series became known and loved for its sharp-edged comedy and gut-punching one-liners (infamously: “It’ll pass…”). With the graceful handling of complicated protagonists, frequent fourth wall breaks, and talents like Waller-Bridge, Olivia Colman, and Andrew Scott, it is no surprise that both seasons of the show tout a 100 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.

While TV series that handle these kinds of protagonists with such wit and dexterity can feel hard to come by, writer and actor Michaela Coel has been mastering the art of complex storytelling well before her recently acclaimed I May Destroy You. When it comes to obscenely funny dramedies that are punctuated with unexpectedly emotional moments (read: Fleabag), Coel’s first series Chewing Gum hits every mark.

Originally a one-woman stage show (much like Fleabag), Chewing Gum follows Tracey Gordon, a 24-year-old Beyoncé fanatic, as she embarks on a journey to lose her virginity while living with her devout Christian family in London.

If you’re looking to fill the void left behind by Fleabag, Coel’s Chewing Gum’s madcap comedy, fourth wall breaks, and through-line theme of navigating sex and womanhood in the shadow of religion will not disappoint.

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YMP3: Fireflies — Owl City Somewhere Only We Know — Keane the 1 — Taylor Swift Walking On A Dream — Empire of the Sun Shark In The Water — V V Brown Plain Jane — A$AP Ferg So American — Portugal. The Man Charcoal Baby — Blood Orange White Winter Hymnal — Fleet Foxes Float On — Modest Mouse Skin — Dijon Breakaway — Kelly Clarkson Sex — The 1975 Chinatown — Wild Nothing Our Day Will Come — Amy Winehouse Old Money — Lana Del Rey Come See About Me — The Supremes

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CORE MEMORIES April Skies — The Jesus and Mary Chain Party Tattoos — Dodie Clark Before the World Was Big — Girlpool Malibu 1992 — Coin Wuthering Heights — Kate Bush Back Pocket — Vulfpeck Oom Sha La La — Haley Heynderickx Pressure to Party — Julia Jacklin You and I — Lady Gaga Cigarette Daydreams — Cage the Elephant White Daisy Passing — Rocky Votolato Big Sis — SALES I’m Really Tired This Day Sucks — boy pablo Superchérie — -MMegaton Mile — Local Natives Lost/Inside Our Minds — John Vincent III fever dream — mxmtoon Things Won’t Go My Way — Peach Tree Rascals

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YM ADVISES:

WEIRD DREAMS ART BY HAILEY KROLL

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I’ve had this one recurring dream lately where I’m floating at the bottom of this huge party ship, but I’m trying to convince everyone that a huge storm is coming, and everyone ignores me until this massive siren goes off. Usually, I have one of my friends/family members with me, and I help both of us climb up the side of the boat to hide in one of the rooms, but somewhere along the way, I usually lose my friend and I get stuck hiding from the storm with the little sister of an annoying boy that lived on my street in high school. —Reb Czukoski, Assistant Art Director

My dreams are often centered around anxiety; I guess even when I’m asleep, my body still can’t relax. There are two main recurring anxiety dreams I’ve been having recently. The first is that all or some of my teeth have fallen out, and then I have to be in public in front of lots of people, and they all tease my gummy mouth. The second is a more general dream, and it often involves the most random people in my life, where for some reason I think they hate me. I’ll also have dreams where I’m out somewhere and forget my mask and get ridiculed for it—how 2021 of me. —Jess Ferguson, Head Copy Chief

Anxiety dreams are too common. Sometimes, even when I regularly take melatonin, I’ll be thrust back to high school where I’ve failed a class or committed one social sin or another. A lot of my nightmares have to do with a lack of control. Sometimes I’m falling backward down a slope, other times my teeth won’t stop falling out. Anxiety dreams and/or nightmares can ruin your morning. On the other hand, I’ve had the rare dream where I’m flying or floating in midair or living out some kind of subconscious fantasy. Those are really cool but also bittersweet because you eventually have to wake up. And you realize it was all a dream. —Isa Luzarraga, Assistant Head Designer

In high school, my AP Psychology teacher was talking to the class about how she had a lucid dream where she was able to reverse time. Being me, I decided to try it. In the dream, my best friend from middle school told me she was diagnosed with cancer. My refusal to accept her diagnosis made me realize that it wasn’t real, which cued the lucid dream. I tried to reverse time how my teacher did, but this sent my body into some weird state that felt like I was zooming through time. After falling for a while, my body jerked awake, leaving me feeling confused. My entire body was numb, and my head was tingling, which was really scary. —Hailey Kroll, Assistant Head Designer

My subconscious and I have kind of a funky relationship. I used to get sleep paralysis a lot, and I have a lot of weird meta-dreams where halfway through, I realize I’m in a movie, and I can Google the plot to figure out my next move. I’ve had a few other recurring dreams for the past few years: my piercings falling out, lizard people chasing me through a mall, and people spontaneously turning into food (usually pasta). —Amanda Hampton, Editor in Chief After the millionth time I watched Call Me By Your Name, I dreamed that Timothée Chalamet and I were together in Greece. Not only were we vacationing in Greece, but I was pregnant with his twins. We were in a row boat sailing away from an evil drug lord. I’d say that is one of my weirder dreams. —Gabriela Portugal, Head Designer

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YMSeniors

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Looking back at yourmag PHOTOGRAPHED BY TALIA SMITH AND REB CZUKOSKI

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Eloisa De Farias

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Editorial: Secrets only the stalls could tell: October 2019

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Editorial: Noir: april 2020

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tiffany carbon

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lauren Dillow

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Editorial: Material Girl: march 2020

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Editorial: Liminal Spaces: april 2019

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gabriela portugal

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marianna reyes

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Editorial: Anthophile: may 2021 YOURMAG | 93

Editorial: 9-5: april 2019 94 | YOURMAG

katie powers

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ARTIST STATEMENT

GABY DIMOND PHOTOGRAPHED BY TALIA SMITH

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by the people in my life. Almost all of my songs are about friends, lovers, or someone else I have a meaningful relationship with. I think that human connection is one of the most valuable things in life, and I feel like that’s why it’s so easy for me to write music about people I feel something for. I definitely gain a lot of inspiration from musicians whose music I admire. I feel like I’m drawn to artists who hold no fear or doubt when sharing themselves.

What do you want people to take away from your art?

I don’t know if I have a goal or overall message in sharing my art; more than anything, I’m excited for the opportunity to share a part of myself with the world that hasn’t really been seen before. My music is my most vulnerable form of expression, and these are songs I really care about and have worked hard on. I’m most looking forward to the community it has the potential to create, not only for myself as a musician, but also perhaps for the people who enjoy listening. I know I’ve found comfort surrounded by people who also love listening to Arlo Parks or Alice Phoebe Lou (to name-drop a few muses).

Are you planning to pursue a career in music?

Yes! I’m a musical theatre (MT) student, and I’m learning more and more about how much of what I’m studying has the ability to translate well to investing myself in the music industry. Musical theatre will always be my first love, and I think my confidence in my own music comes from my background on stage. But it excites me to think that I’m passionate about multiple styles of performance, my own music being the most personal.

I’m definitely interested in any musical performance opportunity that may come my way, as well as continuing to record.

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What is your favorite aspect of making music? What do you like about it?

Definitely the experience I feel like I’m able to share. Whether I’m playing for a friend in a living room or singing for an audience of 1,000, the mutual moment in time that can be captured and framed in three minutes is something I know will always exist. I also think that I’ve learned a lot about myself as an artist, and working alongside other musicians, by writing my own music. It’s such a collaborative thing, the production and recording process, and just reinforces core beliefs that I have about how I want to live my life.

What’s your favorite memory making music?

One specific memory doesn’t come to mind, but singing and jamming with friends is something I’ve cherished throughout my whole life. I love being able to share an art form with someone, and when you’re playing music together, it’s a kind of connection that’s unmatched. I think that’s how my girlfriend and I fell in love, really. Sharing music and playing together.

Tell us about your new EP. What is it about?

My debut EP is called Timestamps because each song that’s included feels like a little snapshot of a different time in my life. All the songs were written at different times about different things, and none of them are particularly related, other than the fact that I think they sound good together.

I recorded the bulk of the audio at my friend Larry’s house in Vermont, and he recently passed away. His equipment, his support, and his home was a huge part of why this project has been able to happen, so this music being released so soon after his death makes it feel a whole lot more something. I want to dedicate the record to him.

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What inspired your new EP? Really just my desire to start sharing my music with the world.

I’ve been writing original songs since high school, and I’m finally at a point where I can say I’m really proud of and passionate about the work I’m doing, not to mention how far I think I’ve come since I first started experimenting. I’m ready for this music and this new definition of myself as an artist and a performer to be tangible.

What are the other mediums you like to express yourself in?

Like I mentioned, I’m an MT, so dancing and acting are right up there on my list of favorite mediums. I also started taking pole classes recently, and that’s a whole new exploration for me. I love learning new things my body is able to do and to feel it getting stronger. The shapes and images I can create on the pole are so empowering and make me feel beautiful.

Do you have a favorite song on the EP and why is it your favorite?

I think my favorite song on the EP is “Told me (what if you).” It’s my most “scream-y” song, and I really like the way the guitar layers sound (shoutout to my producer, Brendan). It’s about a friendship that, for a second, felt more than just platonic:

“Hate to tell you you’ve been on my mind / Wanna say that life is fine / Don’t wanna know how you been, so don’t / Tell me that you’re going home with her lately / No, actually, she seems sweet What if you told me / What if you told me” I also really look forward to playing this track live; I think it’ll be a lot of fun.

What are your plans for the future in regards to your musical career?

I plan to keep writing, keep recording, and hopefully keep releasing! Writing music has grown alongside my mind and body for almost eight years now, and I think it’s a really valuable and creative way to document my human experience. I hope to find some friends who have the time, talent, and availability to work as my band, and would love to potentially go on tour someday (hit me up if you’re a drummer or play guitar!).

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YOURTHINGS

WITH Eloisa De Farias

Black Cowboy Boots I grew up on a farm in Hawaii, and I love the countryside aesthetic. I also really love horses and the peacefulness of rural places. Wearing these always reminds me of where I grew up, splashing in mud and catching crickets with my sisters, while still being fashionable and trendy.

‘E’ Engraved Pinky Ring My grandma Marina from Brazil gave this ring to me when I was born. She gave each of me and my two sisters a piece of jewelry from Brazil when we were born. It now fits like a pinky ring since I have grown up. It’s the most important piece of jewelry I own, along with the heart-shaped necklace my mom gave me for graduation. It always reminds me of my Brazilian culture and the important women in my life.

YSL Star-Shaped Padlock I got this matching lock with my best friend Julia in Paris this summer when we traveled Europe together. It represents all the memories we made traveling through France, Italy, and the Czech Republic. I wear it on my belt a lot, and it also reminds me of the stunning fashion I got to see while in Paris.

Victoria’s Secret Tease Perfume This perfume smells like college in a bottle. My best friend Taina and I spray this perfume on every time we go out in college for good luck. Now, every time I smell it, it reminds me of partying, dancing, hanging out with friends, and my life in Boston for the past four years.

New York Fashion Week Entry Band I got this entry band in September when I went to cover New York Fashion Week for a magazine for the first time.

Although it might seem dumb that I kept it, it represents the realiziation of the dream I have always had, to attend New York Fashion Week. I got to watch the Christian Cowan show and many others, which, embarrassingly enough, I visibly cried at out of pure emotion.

Passion Orange Hawaiian Sun Juice This is my favorite thing to sip on when I’m back home on a beach in Hawaii. It is also really nostalgic because we’d always have a big pack of them at my family’s Brazilian barbecues on the beach, and I always picked this flavor out. It’s a tropical flavor that will always remind me of home and family.

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ART BY REB CZUKOSKI

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YOURTHINGS WITH Lauren Dillow

Prada Necklace Everybody needs at least one staple necklace in both gold and silver. My most worn necklace is this repurposed Prada logo on a gold chain. It’s classy and is perfect on its own or for layering (the chain is super adjustable).

Iced Hazelnut Cappuccino An iced coffee is my favorite accessory, but nothing compares to an iced cappuccino from Eataly. Hazelnut is my favorite, and because they’re on my commute to campus, I drink one of these nearly every day. If not a cappuccino, then you’ll find me with a latte.

VSF Baseball Cap This hat is a souvenir from the Vermont Summer Festival Horse Show. It’s the one big competition I’m able to go to every summer, and I’ve taken a different horse every year I’ve gone. This past summer, I got to take my baby horse, Jimmy. It was his very first competition that I had the privilege to experience with him, so now it’s extra sentimental to me.

Luxury Perfume I change my signature scent every time I walk into Sephora. I’m obsessed with trying out new high-end perfumes and collecting the ones with ornate, intricate bottles. My newest loves are Gucci Bloom and Tocca Cleopatra. My longtime favorites are Miu Miu Twist and Diptyque Do Son. Florals are my absolute favorites.

Lip Gloss My lip gloss obsession began with my mom, who never goes anywhere without a lip balm or gloss. No matter what makeup look I’ve put on, I usually opt for gloss instead of lipstick to finish. I love so many, from the shimmery Dior ones to the volumizing Too Faced lip plumper. But the Glossier lip gloss reigns supreme. This product has pretty much carried me through college.

Pink Planner Trying to keep myself organized is a futile endeavor, but my attempts at it are cute. I might occasionally forget to fill out some weeks in this agenda, but this little book acts as my planner, journal, and sticker collection all in one. I used to keep a separate journal, but I was never consistent with it. I discovered that I really like writing little blurbs about my day in the empty spaces around my to-do lists.

ART BY REB CZUKOSKI

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YOURTHINGS WITH Marianna Reyes

Daisy Ring I’ve always loved daisies; they’ve been my favorite flower since I can remember. Just the small white daintiness to them is so beautiful to me. I got my daisy ring my first semester of college and haven’t taken it off since. Daisies in Spanish are called margaritas, which is also the name of the island I was born on and part of my name. I think it all connects so nicely.

Sol & Luna I would honestly say my two puppies are my accessories. I got them a year ago now, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. I take them pretty much everywhere I go, including when I moved across the country to Los Angeles.

They’re the sweetest pups ever and keep me company.

Steve Madden Backpack Rumor has it, no one has ever seen me without my brown backpack in hand. Sometimes I even carry it empty because I’m so used to having it on my back. Most of the time, though, it’s filled with print magazines, my computer, and a million chargers.

MacBook Considering that I work and go to school, my computer is essential to my lifestyle. I take it everywhere, even sometimes when I go to the beach. You never really know when duty calls!

Converse For about six years now, I’ve been collecting Converse—not by color, by unique designs. I wear my denim converse at least twice a week, and I’ve had them for a few years now. They literally match with anything. I also often wear my knitted white and orange Converse. The more odd the design is, the more likely that I have them.

Gold Necklace I got my gold necklace when I was a little baby; it actually used to be my baby bracelet when I was little. As I got older, I made it into a necklace. It has a baby rocking horse and a Virgin Mary on it. It’s one of the few things I have left from my childhood, and I never take it off. If I want to wear something else for jewelry, I’ll layer it on top.

It’s become a part of me, and I hope to pass it down when I have my own little family.

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ART BY REB CZUKOSKI

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