Best Dressed of HPHS
Francesca Schneider
At HPHS, there is a very prominent culture of what I like to call pajama-chiq. I, too, have fallen victim to this trend. In a sea of sweatpants and hoodies, some very fashionable outliers stand out among the rest. These are the people who look like they’re headed for the red carpet and not third-period history with Mr. Sweeney. My goal: find those outliers and get the inside scoop. I asked around the school, and these people were mentioned most frequently for having a fashionable and unique style.
Khaniyah Williams
Junior Khaniyah Williams describes her style as “chic”, though her friends may say she dresses like a “grandma” or “rich auntie” in part by her quarter sleeves and vintage textiles. She usually shops at ORT, a thrift store in downtown Highland Park, though she also gets her clothes from Discovery, H&M, Hollister, and Urban Outfitters. The inspiration for her outfits comes from her own confidence. She believes in “being completely authentic and wearing what you want, regardless of what others think”. She doesn’t often use inspo from social media; she just starts putting on clothes and wearing what she thinks looks good together. Her style has changed dramatically over the past few years. In middle school, she wore outfits to blend in with everyone else. Through gaining more confidence, she became comfortable with the idea of standing out. Her outfits have become an outlet for expressing her creativity.
Olivia Rejano
Junior Olivia Rejano calls her style “cute J-fashion, late 90s to early 2000s, with a pastel 1950s palette”. She mostly thrifts, but she also gets some clothes from her mom and shops at Hollister and Urban Outfitters. She gets most of her outfit inspo from Pinterest or Instagram, but also from “watching movies and TV shows from the 1950s to 2000s”. Throughout her life, she has experimented with various styles, ultimately settling on J-fashion. Just growing up allowed her to discover what she likes best and evolve her style.
Kyra Darden
Senior Kyra Darden can sum up her style in a few words: artsy, random, colorful, and silver. She shops all over the place. A mix of
Ross, Fashion Nova, Amazon, Hot Topic for jewelry, her family’s closets, and thrift stores. She has learned over the years how to better accessorize and layer clothes, as well as “experimenting more and picking up odd pieces of clothing, accessorizing with ties, owning odd colored pants, fun hats, A BAJILLION ACCESSORIES, etc.” Kyra’s advice for finding your own style is putting together unconventional pieces; “if you like it, rock with it”. She also warns that “you’re gonna flop so hard with some outfits, trust me, you’re gonna have something planned only for it to turn out awful, but that’s how you learn!” Her outfits are specially defined by borrowed articles of clothing. Jewelry from her mom, watches and ties from her dad, a button-up from her twelve-year-old brother, but she states, “it is simply not a fire fit if I haven’t taken somebody else’s clothing to level it up”.
Alexi De La Cruz-Ramirez
Junior Alexi De La Cruz-Ramirez says she enjoys dressing like she’s from the 90s and 2000s with fun tops and lots of lace. Many of her clothes are purchased second-hand, but she also likes Brandy Melville and Urban Outfitters. She finds her inspiration from both Instagram influencers like Mazzy Joya, and also from her music taste. Specifically, she takes inspo from artists such as Lana Del Ray, Beabadoobee, and Alice in Chains. Her style has really emerged as her personality developed, but also as she stopped caring about what other people think about her. Her style stays both fashionable and unique to herself because she enjoys designing and creating her own clothes; “I hand-made my homecoming dress and I felt like myself in it”, she explains. To elevate your style, Alexi suggests studying fashion and watching runway shows, so you can stay informed about emerging trends and feel confident in your style choices.
Sophia Glass
Junior Sophia Glass describes her style as 2000s downtown girl chic. She thrifts most of her clothes, but also wears some of her mom’s clothes from when she was around the same age. Some people who inspire her style include Eliana Sewell, Allison Harvard, and Vivienne Westwood. She also likes designing outfits based on color palettes such as Neapolitan and mint chip. Her advice for leveling up your outfits is to accessorize. She explains that “it can be jewelry, belts, or even something with your hair. But adding accessories or just adding something small to an ordinary outfit is what uplifts it and makes you stand out”. Additionally, layering is also something that can elevate your outfits. She suggests wearing a t-shirt over a white long-sleeved shirt, for example, to make the outfit much more interesting.
Apart from those interviewed, there are many other individuals with a strong sense of fashion. They make the hallway-walking-people-watching-experience that much more interesting. Next time you spot an outstanding outfit, take a moment to appreciate the effort that went into it; I know I will!