Fashion holds an essential role in Wilsonville High School students’ lives. Many students show their individuality through fashion choices, giving them a sense of belonging. Style can pose as a creative outlet for students. Many students here in Wilsonville regularly show their creativity through their stylistic choices.
One of many students passionate about fashion is Malia Kaleikilo, a junior here at Wilsonville. Malia believes that style is essential for social development because it gives high school students a way to express themselves through clothing, accessories and a sense of uniqueness. Acknowledging this idea, she believes that social media presence also affects fashion within a high school setting.
“Popularity of clothing and style is very dependent on how much it is promoted through influencers and ads on social media,” Malia states.
A senior at Wilsonville, Michele Bashoury, gives another view on fashion within Wilsonville. She notices that fashion trends have changed in recent years. She notes that the trend most relevant now is baggy tops with tight bottoms or tight tops with baggy bottoms. She acknowledges that the “sandwich method” has also become popular among students.
The sandwich method consists of 2 or more color combinations: one color is worn on the top half of the body, another as bottoms, and the shoes are the same color as the top.
Fashion allows students to express their personality, creativity, and uniqueness. What a person chooses to wear often says a lot about them. From how people dress, there is much to discover about someone’s personality and worldview.
When senior Miller Steinert was asked why fashion is essential for students, he beautifully stated, “Because it makes everyone a little different.”
Authenticity is a significant development aspect for young people because it makes them comfortable and increases their self-esteem. Fashion has a lot of positive effects on students’ development of self and aids with forming social groups and identities.