Autumn McMillan, 2021
Her Grinnell style:
“Bohemian Afropunk. I look for articles of clothing that are multi-purposeful, [like] a scarf that can function as a headwrap, or a dress that would look good with a sweater on top but can also be worn to a formal event. When I purchase an item of clothing, I am making an investment, so I expect it to last me a long time, not just for the next trend. My wardrobe functions off a very simple color palette of earth tones and accessories with vibrant patterns. The majority of my mom’s career has been in the fashion industry, so she actually makes fun of me for not taking enough fashion risks.
The 70s [inspire me]. Everything about [that era] was innovative and bold, both in the fashion industry and in grass-roots politics! I admire Black women in the 70s as role models in fashion and [in] fulfilling my civic responsibility as a leader. I look to women like Chaka Khan, Pam Grier and Dianna Ross. Of course, I follow women in our generation too! Like Zendaya’s collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger, which was a nod to 70s style with a contemporary twist, and I also love Jodie Turner-Smith, Janelle Monae, Erykah Badu and Tierra Whack.”
Her isolation style:
“Personally, the biggest fashion tragedy of social distancing has been that I was just beginning to experiment with lipstick ombres before leaving campus! Also, that I don’t get to wear my myriad of colored glasses anymore. For [online] lectures, I try to look comfortable but presentable, so usually just a sweatshirt. In response to COVID-19, I’ve made an “outside uniform” for going on runs and to work. The uniform is a rotation of clothing that I wash weekly to save me from damaging items by washing them too much. It’s limited my style to modest and androgynous clothing, but never at the sacrifice of serving looks.
When people ask me “How do you manage to look good every day?” (Yes, that was a not-so-humble brag), I always respond that the trick is to make sure everything in your closet is cute, so no matter how much of a rush you’re in, you’ll always look good! I have outfits for everything, all the way down to my loungewear and pajamas! Quarantine has motivated me to go through my closet and minimize the unnecessary. My goal is to be able to live out of a large 50lbs suitcase, which is the standard maximum for luggage on most international airlines.”
AT Tambay, 2020
His Grinnell style:
“In the winter [of my first year at Grinnell], my friend Max Hill came to visit me here in Southern California. We’re looking for stuff to do – we go into the city – we go thrifting for the first time. For me, it’s such an awesome experience because I get to spend very little money, but I get to find kind of an individual sense too. When I first started getting into fashion, I really liked the idea of being able to say something with my clothes, so I would always try to dress really loudly. Now, my style has changed not in terms of what I’m wearing, but how I’m wearing it. I always spend as little as I can [on clothing], have some cohesion and never wear the same outfit twice.
I love old, color blocked, 90s windbreakers. In fact, I never go to frisbee practice without a windbreaker. I think white shoes are essential, just a solid piece. I’ve also been really into collared shirts ever since I went abroad because especially in Senegal, T-shirts are not really a thing in the school environment. I’m okay not dressing up certain days, but I also know that on days when you’re not feeling good, dressing up can help you out.”
His isolation style:
“The first couple days it was just straight PJs, but then I was like, ‘I can’t be a bum bro.’ Plus I enjoy [getting dressed]! I’ve been allowing myself not to match because my grandma has this really nice lavender cardigan that she left here, and I’ll throw that on top of anything if I’m cold. I think that maintaining your appearance while being in the house and still getting excited about dressing up will make people who are living with you while you’re isolating or quarantining much happier and make yourself much happier. Nobody wants to be living with a bum! Maybe the sweatpants quotient has increased by a factor of 1.5, 1.75, but other than that, nothing has changed.
Kate Guiney, 2023
Her Grinnell style:
“I guess a combination of vintage styles and bright colors make me happy. I find color coordination really fun! It’s a lot of just patterns and combinations that are both obviously just aesthetically pleasing, but maybe remind me of something specific, like a movie or a person in my life or a picture. I would say a full range of decades, from like the 40s to the 80s [inspire me]. I think it’s really fun to pair stuff that might come from different eras and make combinations with them. Clothes are a fun game, really!”
Her isolation style:
“Now that I’m at home, I’m definitely wearing much more comfortable clothes all the time. At the same time though, sometimes I just want to dress up because it’s fun, and that’s kind of part of why I did it in the first place! So sometimes I’m in just sweatpants and a sweater, but if I’m feeling like I want to kind of act like the world’s a little more normal, then I can dress up, and it’s kind of comforting, I guess. And I can try new combinations because part of nobody seeing my outfits now is that I can dress up super weird.”
Az Fuller, 2022
His Grinnell style:
“I think it is heavily influenced by New York culture. I’m from the city, so definitely through high school what I saw kind of influenced what I wore, and I didn’t really realize that until I got to Grinnell. I like turtlenecks and rugby shirts specifically. I don’t know why, but those two are my go-to. I feel like what interests me most is definitely if I’m interested in a specific designer, kind of what they’re thinking and what they try to do with the stuff they make. I can’t afford a lot of high end or high fashion stuff, but I kind of look towards that and try to take what I can to incorporate it into things that I wear and buy. I like this one brand, Opening Ceremony, which are these two Asian designers, and they make stuff that is very New York-ish. I like Frank Ocean’s style and ASAP Rocky.”
His isolation style:
“For the most part now, I’m definitely in my PJs, just wearing whatever, cause I couldn’t bring a lot of my stuff home. If I have to do an essay or something one day, I’ll wear something that’s not my PJs, because I feel like if I’m wearing something nice, I won’t sit around in my bed and just kind of waste it. I don’t dress up for people. A lot of the time it’s more for myself. Definitely like there are some days [in Grinnell] where I’m just like, fuck it, and I’d wear what I’m wearing now cause I’m not gonna care about my outfit every single day. It’s just more often here because there’s no reason, really, to do it. [The fact that I’m isolated] doesn’t completely change the way I’m dressing right now in quarantine, but it definitely affects it.”
Esme Rummelhart, 2021
Her Grinnell style:
“Kind of recently I was like, it’s kind of funny that I don’t really have a style. But also, I do! I would say that my style is … I wear so many things. I think textures are really cool; I like material quality. I get a lot of my clothes from secondhand stores, so a lot of times I’m looking for kind of older stuff. I think that we used to make clothes a lot nicer, so I think that more than anything else could have impacted my style. I would say that there is also a constant [question of], ‘Is it comfortable?’ I will absolutely not wear something if it’s not really comfortable, and that definitely does impact everything about my style. I would also say that my mom’s style has subconsciously influenced mine a lot. It helps that a lot of my clothes are just her old clothes.”
Her isolation style:
“I don’t really dress anymore. I am literally just wearing large t-shirts. There are times that I’ll change the PJs that I’m wearing, though. I’ve noticed that I’m not as productive as I’d like to be out here, and I sometimes think like maybe it’d be a good idea for me to put on outfits, so I feel like I’m awake and a human and having a day, but I think we’re just not at that stage yet. I’m on lounging, non-existing vacation mode. It’s hard to say how much of it is about people seeing me, but there is definitely some aspect of me being ready to be seen. There are days at Grinnell that I will go out looking the bummiest that I ever look if I’m like, not feeling great, or if I need to be incredibly comfy, or literally not think about my appearance at all. But there’s definitely a lot of days that, in order to feel alive and awake and productive, I’ll actually put on an outfit and take two seconds to think about it.”
