Walking through the vibrant Springside Chestnut Hill halls during dress down day or regular school days it is clear that the students here have a diverse array of fashion styles. From bold to casual and everything in between every student is able to show their own unique flair. But what specifically drives these students’ fashion choices? The answer to this is worth exploring.
“For me I would say a big portion of my style comes from living in Center City, Philadelphia. I am introduced to a lot of different fashion trends there,” said Audrey Flanagan.
Other students find fashion inspiration from a variety of sources. Senior Kira Vakil stated, “I’m on social media a lot. So the social media stars that I follow have definitely helped me develop my style.” She continued, “I will just be walking down the hall and see someone who I have never talked to wearing a cute outfit and compliment them and ask where they purchased it.”
For other students, like senior Eliot Villasis, not a lot of inspiration is needed in terms of choosing an outfit: “I kind of just like to wear whatever’s available to me nowadays.”
Some students were born fashionable while others believe they developed their fashion sense over time. Regardless, all students recognized the change of fashion from early years to now.
“I’ve always been really fashionable,” said senior Haley Hamsher. “However now with social media platforms like Pinterest … I am able to see what’s trending and use that to form my outfits.”
Junior Rae Hartner similarly noted, “I definitely got influenced through my friends and social media and people I see on the street … all reasons why my style has changed so much from a young age to now.”
Audrey Flanagan recalled that she “used to wear a dress every day to school until the fifth grade … I would never say I had any sense of fashion until maybe this year at SCH.”
Different students prioritize different things when choosing an outfit in the morning. “First I look at the weather and make sure I will be comfortable in the clothing I wear so I am able to focus in school,” Flanagan said. On the other hand, Haley Hamsher focused on her outfit matching. “I like to do the sandwich effect where my top has to match the bottom color of my shoes,” said Hamsher.
Senior and Co-Student body president Matthew Mctamney saw old pictures of alumni wearing suits and ties to school everyday. “You see everyone now in like sweatpants and stuff. It’s like, nice institution. You pay a lot to go here, you know, might as well dress up nice,” he said. In response to this feeling, Matt unofficially set up “Formal Friday” during the 2023-2024 school year, where on Fridays students would wear suits and dresses to school. “I personally like to wear suits and look presentable and I knew a bunch of my peers agreed as well,” Matt concluded.
The large variety of motives and inspiration for fashion styles inside Springside Chestnut Hill’s student body come together to showcase more than outfits differing, rather celebrating each student’s individuality.
