When students wake up in the morning, one of the first thoughts that run through their minds is usually, “What am I going to wear today?” For most students, the way they dress is a representation of themselves. Fashion has become something that is extremely important to teens. Teens try their hardest to be their own person, and the way most chose to express this individuality is through clothing. Clothing helps high schoolers voice their opinion, whether if it’s wearing their favorite band on a T-shirt or putting patches that have a significant meaning to them on a jean jacket. Fashion can be interpreted in many different ways.

Sage Valenzuela finds that her style shows how she’s feeling.

“I choose my outfits based off my mood. So if it’s gloomy usually I dress more edgy, but in the summer I dress more girly. I’m still more edgy than girly, though,” Valenzuela said.

She states it’s okay to be yourself with what you wear.

“Don’t be afraid to show your true colors and your true style because people think they’ll get judged but really you won’t. Nobody is actually paying attention,” Valenzuela said.

Noonan shows that you can get fashion inspiration from anything, whether it’s your favorite TV show or in this case your father

“My dad is from the 70’s so I can see all his old “get up” and such. When he entered college, it was around the ‘80s, and they wore Adidas and more vintage clothing,” Noonan said.

He elaborates on how he expresses his personal style as an individual.

“I don’t like to look like other people. I don’t like to wear clothes that are similar to other people. I have some similar taste but I add an accent here and an accent there; I try to make it my own,” Noonan said

Fashion inspiration can be found anywhere for Malia Laing.

“I find inspiration from trends,” Laing said.

She gets inspiration from things around her and online fashion statements.

“A lot of famous people or Instagram models inspire my style,” Laing said.

She sees upcoming fashion trends and tends to get inspiration from them, Laing’s surroundings inspire the way she dresses everyday.

“I think fashion is important because it can help show who you are,” Laing said.

She speaks on the fact that with clothing she can express her personality and the way she is feeling.

Your sense of style can also depend on the weather. When it’s gloomy most tend to lean more towards a comfortable outfits. When the sun is out people enjoy wearing more shorts and dresses. The weather can change a whole outfit for some. For example, if it’s raining, boots or tennis shoes would be a lot more efficient instead of sandals. At least that’s how Connor Kinnan chooses his outfits.

“I picked this outfit out because it was cold and I wanted to be warm,” Kinnan said.

He wore two shirts and slacks to insure he wouldn’t become cold throughout the day, as well as wearing sneakers instead of flip flops to make sure his feet were covered.

“I enjoy 80’s and 90’s styles and sometimes I pull something from there,” Kinnan said

Kinnan says he buys most of his clothing thrift shopping, which is an affordable way to look for clothes.

“I don’t give a sh*t,” Kinnan said when asked to explain his style in a few words.

This shows that dressing for yourself can get you so much further with fashion than dressing for others can. The way you look at picking out an outfit will expand your horizons of style so much.

Dressing in your own way is something that can be very important when it comes to fashion.

“I generate my own style, I try everything. My style is everywhere,” Johns said.

He doesn’t have a particular outlook on the way he dresses and attempts to try out new looks with every clothing item he buys. The first thing people see when approaching someone is the outfit they are wearing.

“I think fashion is extremely important; I feel fashion defines what people look at you most. That’s people’s first impression of you,” Johns said.

Get these high schoolers’ looks

Sage Valenzuela’s Outfit: plaid slacks from Urban Outfitters, black crop top from Pacsun, black high tops from Converse.

Caleb Noonan’s Outfit: red sweater from Cotton on, vintage Tommy Hilfiger jeans from EBay, black belt from Levi’s, crew socks from Adidas, Wingtip shoes from thrift store.

Malia Laing’s Outfit: black skater shoes from Vans, red fishnet socks from Forever 21, black fishnet biker shorts from Forever 21, satin white, black, and red shirt dress from Forever 21, black jean jacket from Forever 21

Connor Kinnan Outfit: checkerboard slides from Vans, crew socks from The Dollar Store, blue slacks from an online store, white button up from Calvin Klein, over shirt from Old Navy

Marcus Johns: grey hoodie from Flewr Delite, gold chain from Tiffany, jeans from True Religion, white tie up shoes from Vans, red belt from Hermès

by JADEA TISDALE