Ariana Grande posts a pic wearing a pair of jeans and suddenly the next day, the whole school is wearing the exact same ones or similar in style. The fashion trend has shifted and you need to follow it, but is it really your style or someone else’s?

“My style right now says that I care about what I am wearing and that I am trying a little harder,” Junior Kays said. “I think it shows that I am active and put thought into what I wear.”

Ela Kays has an interest in styling and fashion and a unique style of her own. She explains that even from an early age, she piqued interest in this subject and how it has changed over the years. 

“So when I was younger [and] couldn’t dress myself, I would get mad at my mom because I didn’t like the outfits she put out for me. But on days when she said I could wear whatever I wanted, I would pick the most atrocious outfits that I thought were style or fashion,” Kays said. “My mom [has] pictures of me when I wore a pink scarf around my neck with sunglasses, [and more] of the most random outfits that I would make.”

As Kays got older, her style began to shift as the years went by. 

“I feel like over time I got an idea of how fashion works and I feel like now I dress normally, or in a way that is fashionable,” Kays said. “In elementary school, I used to wear a lot of patterned and bright colored outfits but over time it adjusted to more casual wear.”

Her area of fashion that interests her the most would be clothes because of different ways you can style them such as colors or layers and the affordability to them as well.

“It’s the easiest to be interested in because jewelry is expensive and can be hard to find places to shop for it [whereas] clothes are more accessible and styleable,” Kays said.

“I don’t go to any specific place to shop but the usual places that I go would be Target or Goodwill [because] it is usually cheaper. They [also] have random stuff that I can use and get creative with,” Kays said.

Every day Kays has something new or different on rather than just wearing the same thing over and over again. She describes her top clothing styles and when she typically wears them.

“I definitely like more casual styles because it is usually easier and more common, [like] a nice t-shirt and pants that match [together]. I do like fall weather more because I can wear more layered clothes like leggings over pants,” Kays said. “I [specifically] like the color brown because there are many different shades of it and that it can go with a lot of things.” 

Kays has a style of her own and takes pride in it every day. But she does take part in some of the fashion trends that are most popular right now. 

“I think larger jeans are coming back,” Kays said. “I am usually not a fan of jeans, but now I do feel that they can go with anything. I do think layering is more prominent because you see a lot of people with sleeves and jackets on or like wearing a top underneath their top. It’s just a lot more common now.”

While styling and being creative with fashion is fun, it also communicates a lot to the world and to other people. 

“I think style definitely shows a lot about people, like if people wear bright colors then they could have a brighter personality,” Kays said. “Your clothes definitely reflect your mentality. I think it can show someone’s life and what they are like through what they wear.”

It is important to consider what it is that should be communicating through one’s outfit. 

“People putting effort into trying to make an outfit shows that they care about how they are presented and if you care about how you are presented, I feel it shows a lot about your character,” Kays said. “For example, if someone is just wearing a black t-shirt with some jeans, it’s like they are not trying to stand out or are not putting a voice into the crowd.”

It’s important how you present yourself to the world because first impressions are huge. The workforce is a great example of this because you don’t want to show up with a hoodie and sweats to an interview. You want to be professional and style or fashion plays a huge factor.

“I think someone’s style should communicate who they are as a person and that ought to be someone’s goal with their style,” Kays said. “It should be what they want to put out there in the world about themselves.” 

The global increase of social media over the years also attributes to the role and idea of fashion. Seeing what celebrities and influencers can influence one’s idea of fashionable to stylish. 

“Social media does [plays] a big part because if a famous person posts themselves wearing a certain skirt that most people wouldn’t normally wear, but just because they wore it, everyone is gonna start wearing it now,” Kays said.

Styling and fashion trends today are changing the world through platforms such as social media and new ideas of acceptance.

“The more fashion that [becomes] more popular and trendy, the more people can wear and express themselves without the fear of judgment,” Kays said.