Clothing can be a special form of expression, a window into the bits of our personality that we share with others. Every day, I walk past hundreds of University of Michigan students, each displaying a style that tells a unique story. The eclectic mix of styles on campus is an exciting trove of just-under-the-surface details of students’ lives, providing a window into what fashion means to us.
In a series of interviews with U-M students, The Michigan Daily delved deeper into their looks: what they wear, the stories behind what they wear and what their styles mean to them.
Some interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Music, Theatre & Dance junior Leo Kupferberg sported cuffed, straight-leg jeans paired with a sweater vest, a tote bag and a bandana. The natural materials and muted tones of his clothing combined in a relaxed, effortless style rooted in color and comfort.
The Michigan Daily: How would you describe your personal style?
Leo Kupferberg: The number one thing I always think about is color; that is always what I dress from. And so I go through phases of wearing a lot of red, a lot of blues, a lot of greens. But I’m always likely to be in one color field head to toe. And within that, I just like comfy textures: you know, jeans, work pants, sweaters, turtlenecks. I don’t think my style is super specific or pinpoint-able, it’s more like thrift chic. I shop vintage a lot, almost exclusively, or I steal from my grandmother. So it’s whatever is comfy, cute and colorful.
TMD: What is a unique element that you’ve incorporated into your style — a personal fashion trend of yours?
LK: I wear a lot of bandanas, especially tied around my neck or sometimes in my pants pockets. One, I just like how they look, but also for me, it’s a very Queer and especially gay male thing to wear bandanas because of the legacy of hanky code. Back in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, Queer people — especially gay men — would use different color bandanas to sort of signal to each other what they were looking for in a partner or what they were into. Even if I don’t use it like that — I’m not trying to signal anything that specific with it — it definitely makes me feel connected to my community. Especially with my outfit today, where I play more with gender.
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Similarly, LSA freshman Chloe Brookes focuses on color and draws inspiration from everyday life. We saw her in a light blue sweater with green details which complemented the bright shade of her seafoam green pants, demonstrating her uncanny ability to gracefully bring colors together.
TMD: How would you describe your personal style?
Chloe Brookes: I feel like I started looking for a personal style when I looked in the mirror and started getting bored. From there I went on a little journey — tried a lot of things that did not work — and I landed on really enjoying monochrome and always tying an outfit together with a color, even a specific shade.
When it comes to influences, I really enjoy people-watching, so I’ll be outside and I’ll look at people who go by and make a mental note of something I think looks cool or something fun they did with their outfit. So it doesn’t really come from one person or somebody in the industry.
TMD: What is a unique element that you’ve incorporated into your style — a personal fashion trend of yours?
CB: I’m also really into eye makeup, so I always add a pop of color in my under-eyes or in my eyeliner. Yeah, I think I use eye makeup to sort of put a look together. If I’m at a complete loss, I’ll just choose a color and run with it. Same with earrings; I have a whole lot of earrings. So I’ll do the same thing if I’m at a loss or if I’m just really indecisive that day: I’ll just put on a pair of earrings and make an outfit that matches it the best I can.
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LSA junior Abhi Saxena described his eclectic style (often adorned with jewelry curated with both intentionality and aesthetics in mind) that he uses to reflect himself and his personality.
TMD: How would you describe your personal style?
Abhi Saxena: I like to be a little bit boisterous; I like having loud colors, loud pieces. It’s something that helps me feel a bit more comfortable, like I have cool clothes on. It’s something that helps me be a little bit more confident in myself. I like taking a mix of things. I really love vintage, ’70s- and ’80s-style vintage, bell bottoms, wide collars, western wear, things like that. I try to incorporate that with modern graphics, modern designs, modern silhouettes and see what comes out of it.
Usually, it’s about how each piece of material fits me and if I like the look that it creates. It’s really all about experimentation: I love knitwear but I also love a lot of Y2K and skater style, and I like to mix all of these different things to create something that looks cool.
TMD: What is a unique element that you’ve incorporated into your style, a personal fashion trend of yours?
AS: I’ve gotten really into vests. My friends just stopped wearing vests because I wear them so much; I’ll wear cowboy vests, I’ll wear sweater vests, I’ll wear cardigan vests, I’ll wear a thrifted fleece vest. I wear vests all the time, every day. I’m actually really surprised that I’m not wearing one right now. That’s something I really like the silhouette of. I really like how you can layer it. It’s so versatile.
I’m also very finicky about temperature, and I feel like (a vest) keeps you cool and gives you a little bit of warmth. So I really like vests; they’re something I’ve incorporated into my everyday wear.
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Ross freshman Jojo Morales’s style has roots in his home in New York. His city-style outfit featured gray, wide-leg jeans, a fitted top with contrast stitching and sleek sunglasses.
TMD: How would you describe your personal style?
Jojo Morales: I would probably say a more streetwear type of thing; I’m from New York, so I feel like a lot of my inspiration stems from streetwear vibes. I look at a lot of things from Jaded London, which I feel like is streetwear.
TMD: What is a unique element that you’ve incorporated into your style — a personal fashion trend of yours?
JM: I like to crop and tailor my shirts and pants. A lot of my pants and shirts that I get, I usually take them to the tailors back home, and I kind of make it more fitted because that’s something I like to do — make my clothes look more fitted. Even with my (U-M) shirts, I will kind of crop them a little or do something like that to fit that style.
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Pharmacy junior Katie Zhao has witnessed her personal style blossom over the past few years at the University. Her incredibly niche inspiration shines through in her self-described “grandma-core” outfits.
TMD: How would you describe your personal style?
Katie Zhao: I’m really into thrifting; that’s my current evolution of style.
One thing that’s really stuck with me: I was in Chicago with a couple of my friends in May, and we were all in a hotel room together. All of our suitcases were open, like, “Oh my god, what are we going to wear to dinner?” And then one night, one of my friends was like, “Oh my god Katie, you literally dress like a Korean grandma.” And I was like, “You’re so silly, what?” And then she pulls up a Google image of what these Korean grandmas are wearing, and I’m like, “Actually, those go kinda hard!” And that’s really been, I think, what’s been inspiring me a lot.
TMD: What is a unique element that you’ve incorporated into your style — a personal fashion trend of yours?
KZ: Layering in general is something that I’ve gotten really into, like repurposing shirts that I wear in the summer. Like a blouse that’s a button-up, I’ll turn it into a cover-up and I’ll put a turtleneck under it and call it a day. I’m really into vests now, which is funny. I got a lot of cool grandma-core thrifted cardigan-esque clothing items that I’ve found ways to repurpose, like with layering.
I guess a fashion rule I’ve stuck to myself is either flowy pants and a tight top or a flowy top and tight pants, but usually not both.
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The range of styles shows among these students shows that every student has a story behind their daily picks and style philosophies. These stories enhance and define the clothing they wear each day. We find the “why” behind what they wear: the stories they hold alone and share with loved ones.
We can discover intimate and special details from the wearers’ lives if we just ask, revealing the context behind their truly individual styles.
Daily Arts Writer Cecilia Dore can be reached at cecedore@umich.edu.