Anabel Martinez
Managing Editor
Seeing students on campus rocking flared pants, baggy cargoes and platform shoes might have some people rubbing their eyes to make sure they have not time traveled 20 or more years back. Many fashion icons have said fashion cycles every 20 years. Nowadays, it seems like fashion is evolving faster than ever.
While University of La Verne students said they enjoy fashion trends, many agree they like experimenting with their personal style regardless of what is in. Sometimes that involves participating in trends, and sometimes it does not.
“My parents will be walking around the mall with me and they’ll… say ‘this is what we wore back in the day. I have no idea why all these (young people) are getting back into it now’,” David Martinez, freshman criminology major, said. “Fashion doesn’t really have a timeframe. (Trends) can die down a little bit but I feel like nothing’s ever really gone.”
These are some of today’s fashion essentials – Pairs of chunky headphones have become a fashion accessory. The popular Apple Airpods Max headphones are expensive but any old pair of headphones look great, and can elevate the soundtrack for your walk to class.
Many ULV students have been seen wearing long skirts, more recently denim, as opposed to mini skirts. Tote bags, oversized jackets, flared leggings and Dr. Marten shoes are some other staple pieces.
Martinez said his personal style is often called “indie.” He said he has been enjoying the ambition behind experimenting with jewelry. His current favorite piece is a pearl necklace.
“Men’s jewelry is definitely becoming a lot more versatile,” Martinez said. “For example, pearls generally were associated with more well-off women back in the day but everyone’s wearing them just to their heart’s content.”
Martinez said he loves finding a way to incorporate his favorite pair of Sepatu Compass shoes, an Indonesian brand currently in collaboration with musician Boy Pablo. His go-to outfit includes his Sepatu Compasses, black pants and a neutral or dark color crewneck.
“A comeback I’ve been seeing a lot more… is actually the rise of men wearing crop tops. I’ve been seeing the gradual growth in expressing femininity, no matter what (your identity) is, and likewise goes for… expressing masculinity or non-binary clothing,” Martinez said. “I feel like that’s really important in developing our creative senses, influences from several different things, and making an increase of all these non-gender-specific clothing. I feel like it’s really interesting.”
Vanessa Sierra, junior psychology major, said she describes her style as a mixture of edgy and “cottagecore,” a popular term used to describe an aesthetic that involves soft neutrals and earth tones, long flowy dresses and patterns like floral and gingham.
Sierra said she has been noticing a lot of early 2000s-inspired looks on campus.
“Gloves, mostly fingerless gloves, I think that would make a comeback,” Sierra said. “I’ve been looking for some. I think they’re super cute, that’s also more into the Y2K kind of fashion.”
Sierra said she is currently into low-rise jeans with stitching or beads on the back pockets, cardigans with flared sleeves and high-top platform Converse. She also thinks that monochromatic looks will become more popular.
Stephanie Olivas, senior psychology major, said she describes her fashion style as ever-changing.
“I don’t think I’ll ever choose to stick to one style but I think that one day I can dress more punk, while other days I dress more soft vintage,” Olivas said. “I kind of see clothes as costumes. You can pick and choose how you want to be perceived, but I don’t think I really have a set style.”
However, Olivas said she loves business casual, and centers her outfits around a nice, oversized jacket. Her current go-to outfit for class is pairing a straight-leg pant from Dickies with a white sleeveless tank top, layered with a warm sweater or jacket.
“(The trend of) buying cheap materials, I don’t like the fast fashion-type of thing where people are constantly jumping from trend to trend,” Olivas said. “Just do what you like. If you’re constantly following pages, like Instagram models and then getting the latest thing, it’s not sustainable and also it’s copy (and) paste at that point.”
Isabella Collavo, freshman studio art major, said her fashion essentials include black overalls with chains, a D.A.R.E T-shirt that she has kept since middle school, a skeleton knit sweater and long skirts. Her go-to outfit for class is a cute top with jeans and a hoodie layered with multiple chain necklaces, rings and earrings.
“I was like one out of the three kids at (my high) school that dressed alternative. So we were like zoo animals compared to the rest of the school… but when I came here, I noticed there were all different types of styles,” Collavo said. “That’s what I liked. It was like I’m no longer the only person that dressed different or in a unique way.”
Anabel Martinez can be reached at anabel.martinez2@laverne.edu.
Anabel Martinez is a senior digital media major with a concentration in film and television, and a journalism minor. She serves as the managing editor overseeing all of the Campus Times sections and was previously editor-in-chief in Spring 2022.
