Adidas sambas to Daily Drills sweatshirts. Alo sweat sets to chunky gold jewelry. These are just a few of the popular fashion trends circulating on social media and embraced by Homewood High students.
This year has already incorporated a blend of nostalgic trends and fresh innovations. Y2k style has returned to dominate the fashion world with cargo jeans, platform sneakers and low-rise pants. Simultaneously, cute athleisure is a popular trend with oversized sweatshirts and flare leggings styled fashionably. This dynamic mix of trends reflects both adaptability and the freedom HHS students have to express themselves through fashion.
An important factor of fashion is comfort. Seeking out clothing and shoes that are enjoyable to wear is often what initiates trends as people share comfortable and stylish finds. Baggy jeans, off-the-shoulder sweatshirts and Hoka running shoes are some examples of trendy yet comfortable pieces seen worn by students.
On the shoe side of things, ballet flats, loafers, Golden Goose sneakers, Adidas sambas and Birkenstock clogs continue to be prominent among students.
Online fashion inspiration platforms such as Pinterest and Want Locker, where users can save items and ideas they find appealing on “boards”, also contribute to the spread of fashion trends.
Trends are not limited strictly to clothing, either. Accessories and jewelry are just as evident, with North Face backpacks, Scout lunchboxes and Enewton bracelet stacks as trendy items worn by all grade levels.
Though not a single trending item, thrifting remains popular and is increasingly encouraged with second-hand clothing resale apps like Depop providing an online alternative. It is a great way to reduce consumption, minimize consumerism and provide a more affordable way to purchase timeless pieces.
Apps like TikTok and Instagram also influence thrifting, as creators post their thrifted outfits under the hashtag #thrifthaul, which has over 3 billion views on TikTok, inspiring followers to purchase more second-hand goods.
Senior Sadie Busbee is an advocate for thrifting as she admires the benefits it has on the environment as well as making fashion more accessible to everyone.
“Thrifting is fun because you never know what you’re going to find and you can find awesome pieces for way cheaper than if you were to buy it new,” Busbee said. “It is great because of all the benefits on the environment, and I love the feeling of going to look for something specific and then finding it there.”
However, a con to trends is the pressure for students to feel like they must participate and the stigma around wearing off-brand versions of trendy clothes. Senior Mary Martin Booker disagrees with this and encourages students to wear what makes them happy regardless of the brand name.
“To me, fashion is all about personal expression,” Booker said. “It is a way for people to learn about you before they get to know you, so it is important to wear and buy what makes you feel confident regardless of whether it’s a trend or not. I like to focus on pieces that make me feel ‘me’, rather than a label or brand name.”
Trends can be a fun shared experience, but they don’t have to define personal style. Whether you participate in trends or not, wearing what brings out the most confidence and comfort is key to expressing oneself through pieces that reflect personality and creativity.
