Walking into my first period to see my fellow peers bundled up in their knit sweaters and leg warmers always reminds me how much I love winter fashion. If you’re wondering how someone can dress so appropriately for the chilly weather and still stay in style, this is how you’re going to find out! My name is Isa and today you will come with Ruby and I to hear about your peers’ advice on layering, styling, and experimenting, as well as answering the ultimate question on whether or not Arlo Zucker is truly as ‘Steezy’ as he says he is…

Our first interviewee is Maddie Kolb, looking snazzy in her signature black sleeveless dress paired with a cute green cardigan, sheer tights, and accessories!

How do you dress up for the cold in style?

“My favorite hack, which I’m doing today, is wearing nude fleece tights. I wear those, then I put sheer tights over them so it looks like tights over skin. It’s like my favorite thing to do for the cold.” 

Do you have any fashion advice?

“Finding things that you really like. I know the silhouettes I like, the colors I like, and finding a way to expand upon that and add on to it. Like I know I really like tight bottoms, or I don’t like pairing both bottoms and tops being baggy. Either all tight or one piece baggy, then I like finding ways to play with that more. Does that make sense?”

Yes! It’s different for everybody, everyone has a different body type and they find what compliments it the most. Finding clothing that you feel good in can help you look for new clothes that have the same cut, style, or colors.

“Especially when I style a bunch of my guy friends I tell them: find an outfit that you really like– a lot of my friends like flannels, shirts, and jeans— then find different washes of jeans, find different flannels, find different things that you can mix and match within the formula, especially if you don’t feel like going outside the box as much.” 

The more you try new outfits, the more you find out about yourself. You may start to realize you feel more confident in warm tones like yellows, reds, and oranges; or cool tones like greens, blues, and purples. Being in style doesn’t just mean going outside the box, it’s a combination of clothing you find comfortable to be in while still managing to feel good and confident with yourself.

Moving on, I got to hear from Lylia Polteno, rocking a cute slip top paired with styled jeans and a tan cardigan. Her outfit works so well with the neutral tones, black belt, and black shoes!

How did you style this outfit? 

“I really took inspiration from the 90s, kind of like the grungy type of style. But I also really wanted to stay true to myself, and choose colors that would look good with my skin tone, hair, and all of my features.”

Did you style a specific piece of clothing for this outfit? 

“I really wanted something to look good with these jeans, then I was like: ‘oh I have to do something about these slip dresses’, and I thought it would be really cute if it was a shirt instead so I just tucked it up.”

Small tips and tricks like this can be really fun and resourceful to use especially when you want to use something new in your outfit. There are so many ways you could style a dress: Layering a top underneath, tucking it in your pants or folding it up, turning it into a skirt and so on!

Next we have Merce Lutzker styled in a button up white shirt layered with a bright red blazer.

Did you style your outfit based on the Jacket? 

“In particular, It’s mostly based off of this jacket. But I originally created this outfit for when my band got back together. So this jacket I got at a thrift store in Maine, and it gave me flight attendant vibes. So I paired it with this necklace since they kind of go together, and I thought the black added a nice balance. It’s also been noted that the golden necklace looks good with the golden buttons.”

What advice do you have for clothes shopping?

“I’d say, look at what’s in your closet, look at what you’re missing, and look at what’s available to you. One of my best sources is going to thrift shops while I’m on a trip somewhere, especially in small towns.”

I think it is safe to say that thrifting is a great option for anyone who wants to expand their closet. Thrifting second-hand is the best because you can find unique and even vintage clothing for a smaller price!

Continuing on, we have Isa Poole, looking cute with a black skirt, tights, and platform boots!

What do you take inspiration from?

“I have a lot of Pinterest boards that I got inspired by, and I also collect pieces from people in my life, such as my aunt, and put them together over time.”

How do you come up with your outfits?

“I tend to just dress for myself. I like light and dark academia aesthetics.”

Getting clothing and accessories passed down to you from relatives and friends is really special, especially putting together the items from the past and present.

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Following up we have the inseparable pair, Eva and Tanner, wearing matching tops styled in their own distinctive ways!

Is there a specific piece that you usually style an outfit around?

T: “Any crop top honestly. Or like, I have a ton of leggings that I really like.”

E: “I normally start with bottoms and then add on the top that goes with it.”

T: “- and accessories.”

E: “Well first I do makeup and then that kinda sets the vibe.”

Do you have any good fashion advice?

T: “I would say, specifically for men, putting a pearl necklace with anything doesn’t go with your basketball shorts.

So I would say wear things that have similar vibes to each other.”

E: “Figure out what style you want, not necessarily like an aesthetic, then piece together what you like and what you

don’t like along with hair and makeup. Then repeat it.”

Sure it’s a cute and stylish necklace, even I wear them, but I agree with Tanner when he says that pearl necklaces don’t go with everything. Learn how to use different accessories like beaded necklaces, chains, pendants, etc. Makeup can also play a big part in an outfit, if you want to do a funky makeup look to coordinate with your outfit then go for it! For example: Wearing green eyeshadow and eyeliner to go with your green pants, or red lipstick when you have a red dress!

Coming up next we have Rae Rae, stylish with her funky green patterned pants!

How did you come up with this outfit?

“I wanted to do something funky, and I think these are my funkiest pants. I didn’t want to wear sneakers with this outfit so I pulled out the Mary Janes. Then I felt like the bottoms were so elaborate that I wanted to make the top kinda simple so I added a plain mock neck sweater.”

So did you style the outfit around the pants then?

“Pretty much. Honestly I feel like when you have a piece that people look at the most, you have to make everything else either compliment that or fade into the background.”

Do you have any inspirations?

“I have this one friend who dresses very elaborate and she has so many clothes, I think she inspires me a lot. Also male celebrities who are known to be more androgynously dressed are kinda fun, like Prince.”

I think it’s really cool how people can mix both masculine and feminine concepts in fashion, not to mention going against societal norms.

Moving on, we have Hazel Nowbar, wearing a cute red top and stylish belt!

How did you style this outfit?

“It’s an outfit I’ve had for awhile and I just like all the pieces in it! Also I drew the stuff on the shirt.”

Yeah, It looks so good!

“Thank you!”

Did you base it around the shirt? Or the Jacket? What did you style your outfit around?

“I’d say I based it around this shirt, and the rest was sort of an afterthought. I wasn’t gonna wear this jacket but It looked nice so I chose it.” 

Do you have any fashion advice?

“Pinterest is your friend, especially if  you want to cultivate a new style. Also, microtrends– if you like them– are cool to buy into but also if you think you’re not going to wear them, don’t spend that much money on them.”

BUY CLOTHES THAT YOU LIKE!! Spending money on a trend that won’t last is not worth it based off of my experiences. Instead of taking time with following others, use your time to find what makes you happy and comfortable. It also saves a lot of money!!

Last but not least, we have Arlo Zucker: ‘The Jacket Guy’.

How did you come up with this outfit?

“This morning, I was like, hmm I need an outfit. There was a polo I was gonna wear, but it was stained so I had to get the stain out and it wasn’t happening in time. So I was like, we’re going with black. Also these are Mr. D’amico’s pants.”

Wait what??

“I got them from the U-thrift, they are his pants and they are the most comfortable jeans I own. And this shirt…I made it at the Washington State fair.” 

You made it?

“I made it. I created it. With my bare hands- no I typed out the design. This necklace I bought from that lady that sells jewelry outside of QFC, she’s chill. This one is my grandpa’s from Portugal in the 70s. And the rings are mostly from Portugal.” 

There are so many underrated resources out there for clothing: clothing trading, local small businesses, and even making things yourself!

Arlo would also like to mention that many people refer to him as ‘Steezy as hell’. Let’s hear from some of our interviewees:

Do you know Arlo by chance?

Tanner & Eva: “Yes.”

Would you say he is Steezy as hell?

Tanner: “I would”

Eva: “I agree”

Do you know Arlo Zucker?

Rae Rae: “Yes.”

Do you think he is Steezy as hell?

Rae Rae: “Um… 1000%, 1000%!”

You know Arlo, right?

Hazel: “Yes, why?”

Do you think he is Steezy as hell?

Hazel: “Yes, as much as I hate the word.”

There you have it folks, Arlo IS as steezy as he says he is (and I never doubted him for a second). I hope you can all take this great advice to good use and start looking for clothing that catches your eye, and your eye alone. So if you have a chance this break, go find those fleece tights for layering, and try using your dresses as different forms of clothing! Thank you for tuning in and have a great winter break!

If you are interested in being featured on the fashion page, or would like to recommend any fashionable students, please e-mail: @ [email protected]