Profiles in Fashion

It is embarrassing to have to write about myself as if I were some sort of artist because my “style” is not very communicative; I have no message in it and I am no authority on anything except for my own body and my own rules. The main thing is that I tend to think of fashion as being pretty absurd. When I am dressing for anything more important than school or work, I put things together that make me laugh inside a little, and end up sort of making fun of myself. I always listen to T-Rex, Patti Smith or Sonic Youth when dressing. My fashion icons are Alex Fleming, Kim Gordon and the Marchesa Casati.

My favorite design houses are Balenciaga and Jil Sander for their structure and restraint, respectively, but I really enjoy looking at the theatrics of designers like Yohji Yamamoto and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac because they usually have a lot of humor in their work. Actually, I look at pretty much every major design label’s seasonal shows online as well as developing labels on www.firstview.com.

Another thing is that I pay a lot of attention to texture. Right now, I like jersey and stiff wool in garments other than pea-coats. For silhouette, I like high or dropped waists and soft, bunchy shapes as well as the shape of my own legs. I look pretty boring usually, but I used to dress very flamboyantly in high school and right now I am looking for something in between loud clutter and boring minimalism. I think with anyone style has a lot to do with your surroundings. For me it certainly has something to do with my twin sister Natasha Stagg, some of my best friends including but not exclusive to Jaleesa Turner, Racheal Soglin, Amber Bard, Soma Wingelaar and the very well-dressed Kellan Cummings, although if I find myself dressing for the opposite sex, I try to rethink some things.

Taryn Akemi Look

If anyone’s ever seen my room, it’s a battle field of eclectic jewelry, vintage dresses, thrift belts, dance clothes for ballet, modern dance, and hip hop and a myriad of hooded sweatshirts. Some of my favorite pieces of my wardrobe include a turtle necklace, a Y-3 for Adidas jacket, a vintage carpetbag, a teal vintage dress, my white and silver sneakers and a wooden pendant necklace with a gold geometric design on it. My attire often reflects my mood and personality – fashion is a form of self-expression. More recently, I’ve been influenced by urban hip-hop aesthetic and androgynous clothing. When I shop, I look for unique pieces that stand out to me, as if each item has its own personality. I absolutely love styling and creatively assembling outfits!

Favorite Places to Shop in Ann Arbor: The Getup, Salvation Army, PTO Thrift, American Apparel.

Style Icons: Edie Sedgwick, Sienna Miller and Kate Moss.

Favorite Designers: Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs, Heatherette, Karl Lagerfeld, DSquared, Zac Posen, Imitation of Christ, YSL and Dior Homme.

Page Redford

I’m rather meticulous and I find that there are times when I just can’t find anything to wear. But for the most part, I’m not too picky about my outfits. My clothes range from casual to dress-up to punk to cutsie-girly. I have an outfit for every occasion, seriously. Mainly I wear black, red, white or pink . yellow is a “no go” in my wardrobe. I shop anywhere (especially stores that are having a sale). Mostly I shop at Hot Topic, JC Penny’s, Urban Outfitters and the infamous vintage clothing shops.
The outfits in this article are the best examples of my everyday attire. I have a soft spot for pinstripe, collared shirts, fedoras and skulls. Instead of a polo and khaki pants, I wear black jeans, knee-high boots and a pinstriped shirt. Instead of PJs I wear a Batman shirt and baggy pants. You can always see at least a little bit of my personality in every outfit I wear, whether it’s intentional or not.

Jenna Eckstein