by Karina Correa | staff writer
Choosing an aesthetic can be difficult when there are millions of clothing styles out there. Even myself, I’m constantly changing my style because I can’t find a specific one that I like.
E-girl, but make it better
“My aesthetic is kind of dark but it’s fun. It relies a lot on layers and different patterns and accessories. It takes bits from punk and goth subcultures and mixes them with a more modern mall-goth look. I discovered this style with a lot of trial and error,” sophomore Yennika Rivera said.
Back in my freshman year, the style of “e-girl” was pretty popular, which it’s similar to Rivera’s aesthetic. I tried it but I felt like the style was getting basic at the time. Her way of dressing up is more complex than just being an e-girl. Not many people use it so you wouldn’t really blend in. If you want something more complex than an e-girl aesthetic, want to stand out a bit more, this style is definitely for you.
“A specific item I would love to have are Demonia platform boots. I would easily lay down my life for a pair of those boots…” Rivera said.
Those boots will definitely go with any mall-goth outfit. Also to mention Dr. Martens, they finish up the look. They’re pretty expensive so if you’re looking for a cheaper version, they have some knockoffs at Walmart.
“I buy my clothes from all over. I mainly shop online from a lot of different stores. Amazon and Romwe are honestly good places to find stuff. I also thrift,” Rivera said.
I’ve seen that Spirit Halloween has some pretty aesthetic outfits and accessories. If you have been looking for something to complete your e-girl, mall-goth, grunge, etc. look then you should definitely go there and check it out. I went there last weekend and found a bunch of stuff, they have a variety of thigh high socks and fishnets.
“I started exploring my style during the last half of eighth grade, but I refined it during these last few months,” Rivera said. “I got bored during quarantine so I started experimenting with makeup and buying stuff online. I’d dress up and make new outfits when I was bored and eventually I solidified it,”
I can tell that most of us had found their true selves during quarantine, mostly because we were bored and had nothing else to do. Or maybe we just changed ourselves because we didn’t like who we were last year.
“During seventh grade, I tried to pull off a laid back basic style. I would only shop at Forever 21…it was tragic, to say the least. I was trying too hard to fit in with everyone else. I wasn’t happy dressing like that because I wasn’t being myself, so I wasn’t confident…” Rivera said.
At some point in our lives we have tried to fit in and most of the time it doesn’t really work, we end up being bored or just not feeling ourselves.
“I chose this style because it made me the most confident and happy,” Rivera said. “After I stopped caring about what people said and thought about the way I looked, I realized that dressing the way I wanted made me a lot happier than trying to fit in,”
Colorful and nostalgic
“My aesthetic is called kidcore, it consists of bright colors, childish themes, and things like glitter, rainbows, hair clips, the ‘90s internet, kid’s toys, stickers, etc. I usually wear skirts or big pants, and you always have to have some cute platform shoes. Accessories are very important, I usually wear colorful friendship bracelets and big dangly earrings,” sophomore Annabelle McGee said.
This one is related to the 1990s and 2000s. Honestly, I love the combination of the bright colors with the little accessories from the ‘90s and ‘00s, it just brings back so many memories.
“There are always items that I’d love to have to complete my looks, some can be hard to find because they are discontinued, or ‘vintage,’ but I really want a pair of white platform Mary Janes, or even just a fun bracelet made by a friend,” McGee said.
I’ve been looking for these Silly Bandz for so long – I loved them when I was little, I thought they discontinued them but I did some research and they actually didn’t, they still have their website so I got like 3 packs. If you’re looking for something vintage you should try a thrift store, most of the time they will have something for you.
“I buy my clothes primarily at thrift stores, or off Depop. I like to shop as ethically and eco friendly as possible,” McGee said.
Depop is a very good place to shop but sometimes it can be pricey – if you don’t want to risk anything then you should still check out your nearest thrift store.
“My style sprouted from a feeling of nostalgia I found when I put on things that I would’ve enjoyed wearing when I was younger. So I began to be drawn to bright colors, and fun accessories,” McGee said. “ I started out wearing some of my old clothes, but adding a skirt and some jewelry, from there I felt much more comfortable and happy, and so I started doing more research and figured out that this was the style I wanted. I have been looked at weirdly in public by people, but I think that’s a little funny. I like looking different than most people around me, it makes my days a little more interesting,”
Adult in the ‘90s and ‘00s type beat
“I would describe my aesthetic as a ‘90s grunge and y2k kind of feel. I just started getting into 90s alternative music and saw the way the musicians like Kurt Cobain dressed and thought it was really interesting and different,” sophomore Lara Maschio said. “ I chose this style because it makes me feel confident and reminds me of my idols,”
I discovered this aesthetic like 4-5 months ago, and I’m in love with it. It’s similar to kidcore but the only difference is that it’s like a teen or adult in the ‘90s-’00s – kidcore is more like a kid in the 90s-00s.
“I try to shop mostly second hand at thrift stores like the salvation army or goodwill and supporting some small businesses like my friend’s clothing accounts. If not, I rarely shop at stores like Urban Outfitters. My shoes are from vans. I would like to buy more boots and sandals from Doc Marten,” Maschio said.
Urban Outfitters sells really good clothes, including vintage clothing, but it can also be a bit expensive. Other stores where you might find clothes for this aesthetic are Forever 21, H&M, Target, Walmart, Romwe, Poshmark, any thrift store, etc.
“It certainly made me confident, although my style has mostly always made me feel better about the way I look since it’s something I can control,” Maschio said.
Softer but modern
“My aesthetic is a mixture of soft girl and pastel colors. I discovered this style by TikTok trends and seeing people walking around with it,” freshman Kylie Matthews said. “I would say my aesthetic is a soft/put together to kind of look. My inspiration for my style came from TikTok since I saw a lot of girls who dressed like this and I fell in love. I picked this style since I thought it was absolutely adorable and admired everyone I saw who did it,” freshman Kaylee Myers said.
I’m pretty sure this style was created with TikTok and Pinterest. For me, the first time I heard about it was in TikTok – most of the aesthetics we see today originated from those two social media. The rest are trends we brought back from the ‘60s-’00s.
“I buy my clothes from H&M and American eagle, along with various online shops [and the] majority of my shoes [are] from DSW,” Kylie said. “I mostly get my clothes off Romwe and Amazon,” Myers said. “I don’t really have a place I get my shoes, if I do it’s probably just Academy or online,”
DSW has a great variety of shoes, I go there whenever I can. Sometimes they have good discounts
“I chose this style because it makes me feel comfortable and confident. It made me more confident because I feel as if I look good in the clothes I wear,” Kylie said. “I realized this aesthetic was best for me because I felt the most comfortable and confident in it. When I go out in this style I feel a lot better because I get more attention and I hate just blending in,” Myers said.
The Indie Kid
“I would describe my style/aesthetic as a mix between cottage-core and indie. I really admire gothic subcultures, but my favorite is trad goth. I also like Lolita fashion. The detail that goes into the hair and outfit are really impressive,” sophomore Ella Laun said. “I chose this style because it is very flexible and has a simple base I can build off of,”
I find Lolita fashion to be cute, if you’re into anime, you might like this one – although the clothes can be pricey and kind of hard to find.
“I like buying clothing from Depop, but I mostly just steal my dad’s clothes, my shoes [are] from DSW and Demonia,” Laun said.
Not going to lie, I’ve stolen some clothes from my parents as well, mainly because it’s something I need or it’s a vintage piece.
“I like to express myself through clothing because my mom won’t let my dye my hair, so I figured it’s the next best thing. Plus a lot more thought goes into putting together an outfit than the hairstyle,” Laun said.
Having a style also works for cases like this one. If your guardians don’t let you dye your hair (for example) then you can express yourself through clothes.
“My aesthetic makes me feel more confident because it’s mostly big t-shirts and comfortable clothing,” Laun said. “ Going out dressed like this makes me feel accomplished like I put in effort instead of wearing a hoodie,”
The ‘80s lover
“My aesthetic is inspired by the ’80s and ’90s but I also look like a hippie sometimes. My older sister in a way [inspired me], as well as grunge rock and other ‘80s musicians,” senior Ali Rowshan said.
I can see where the inspiration comes from, a lot of rock musicians had a good style back in the ‘80s and ‘90s. I’m another person who loves the style and music they had back then, including the ‘50s and ‘70s, those are my favorites.
“I buy my clothes from thrift stores or other stores like H&M [and I buy my shoes from] Vans almost exclusively,” Rowshan said.
I’ve been to H&M multiple times, and they do have stuff to go with the style hippie, ‘80s, and ‘90s. If you are looking for these types of clothes then you should consider H&M.
“I’d get compliments on it, and I’d look in the mirror and everything would just feel right, like a puzzle piece locking in,” Rowshan said. “Going out with this style makes me feel happy. It’s made me way more confident because I’m able to express myself. In a sense, I feel more free,”
It makes me happy to see that these people were able to find their true selves. To be honest, I feel like trying one of these styles one day. If you still haven’t found your aesthetic or can’t decide, I suggest participating in the “trying different aesthetics” challenge on TikTok. Each day you try a new style and in the end, you decide which one was the best for you.
