Each day, students walk the halls of WJ, all rushing to their next class before the bell rings. With such little time (and such long hallways), meeting new people or striking up a conversation with a stranger seems almost impossible. For students, clothing becomes a significant method of self-expression. With one glance, you can learn a lot about someone’s personality, interests and mood on that day. Each component of a person’s outfit is a clue to who they are. Some students tend to stand out in the sea of people hustling through the halls. You may have noticed a few people with unique style throughout your time at WJ, but unless you have a personal relationship with any of them, your impression of them is probably only based on their appearance. Let’s take a look at some of the fashion icons of our school and the fascinating stories behind the outfits they wear.
Ibrahim Khalid – Sophomore:
You might recognize sophomore Ibrahim Khalid by his eye-catching outfits that regularly include a flared style of jeans or pants.
“I like wearing the baggy jeans and small top combo. Something I like wearing that a lot of guys don’t wear is flared jeans, they lay better on your shoes than straight jeans,” Khalid said. His flared jeans are one of the things that sets him apart. “Last year when I would wear them, a lot of kids would make fun of me for it,” Khalid added.
Unfortunately, dealing with some negative reactions is a common experience for those who stand out.
Khalid discovered his passion for clothes and style at a young age. As a kid, he explored different fashion brands and styles on the internet where he was attracted to the work of high fashion designers like Rick Owens and Maison Margiela who still inspire him. In his freshman year, Khalid decided to start his own brand of clothing which also led him to do a lot of research on fashion. He learned from information online of how to make clothing and is currently working on putting an official start to his brand, Project Six.
Khalid describes his own style as “simple.” When putting together an outfit, he values individuality and creativity but also restraint at the same time.
“When you create a fit, don’t go overboard or try to copy a trend. Do whatever is comfortable for you in your own style. Do what you think will fit you the best and not what other people would wear,” Khalid said.
Many have recently asked Khalid to model clothing which he plans to start doing more of soon. He also takes professional pictures of himself to showcase his style on platforms like Instagram. For him, the clothing he wears is a statement.
“[Fashion] is a way to express yourself without words. Wearing different outfits can express how you feel without saying anything at all. Different styles say different things and it is a way of art.”
Mwape Sokoni – junior:
Junior Mwape Sokoni has always been into clothing and style but she first got involved in fashion right here at WJ when she joined the fashion club in her freshman year.
“I like being in that sphere of people who are also interested artistically and kind of helped me become more into things like thrifting and upcycling,” Sokoni said.
A defining characteristic of Sokoni’s style is that she bases her outfits on how she is feeling that day. Her clothing represents the product of her main interests, mood and even weather on any certain day.
“I would say my style is eclectic. I pull from a wide range of things and it depends on how I am feeling. It’s also a little haphazard, I tend to put a lot of patterns — even clashing patterns — together so my outfits can be kind of out there sometimes,” Sokoni explained.
Sokoni can be seen wearing many different types of clothing but one constant in her closet is baggy, flared or oversized pants and jeans that are meant to fall over the ankles. Her stylistic choices are inspired by 90’s streetwear along with elements of Japanese and Korean street styles.
“The most enjoyable part of wearing an outfit for me is putting it together. It is a really artistic process. I love looking through my closet, taking out different clothes and seeing what goes with what,” Sokoni said.
Aside from assembling interesting outfits to wear, Sokoni also explores her own creativity, using a sewing machine to customize and alter clothes. She ended up learning to use the sewing machine a little while after joining the fashion club and now regularly uses it to upcycle clothing that she thrifts, pulling interest from pinterest boards full of clothes that spur her imagination. Most of all, she appreciates the way that customizing her clothes makes them feel
As for the future, Sokoni is not completely sure where she wants to go with fashion but definitely hopes to continue building on her unique style by seeing what she can create and change.
“I don’t know if I want to go into fashion as a career but I do want to expand with it right now. I want to do a lot more designing and upcycling. I already thrift a lot so finding things at thrift stores and being able to make them into something new like making a dress or customizing a shirt is something that I definitely want to get more into,” Sokoni said.
Kabir Singh – senior:
Recently, the 90’s look, now considered vintage, has been making a comeback in modern style. But senior Kabir Singh has been putting together 90’s-inspired outfits ever since he got into fashion.
“I like the 90’s skater sort of style with baggy pants, baggy shirts and baggy jackets,” Singh said.
Though this style occasionally appears on teenagers today, Singh is a full embodiment of it. His outfits generally contain oversized tops and baggy denim, a staple of 90’s streetwear.
Like many, senior Kabir Singh became interested in fashion through going thrifting with friends and exploring different types of older clothing. As he went deeper into exploring his own personal style, he began to alter clothes to better fit his look. With the help of a borrowed sewing machine from his aunt, Singh commonly makes adjustments to pieces he finds at thrift stores and even creates new pieces from them.
“Whenever clothes just don’t fit right, I either add fabric or take away fabric to fix it,” Singh explained.
For the baggy fit of the clothes he likes, it is often necessary to take away some material in order to make them practical to wear. For example, Singh found an extra-large old football jersey. He cut off some of the lower fabric in order to maintain the oversized look on the top and on the sleeves, but also make it a more comfortable fit that pairs with the rest of his clothing. With his skills, the jersey was modified to look like it was made that way originally.
Though Singh is talented with the sewing machine, he doesn’t envision any business model based off of selling his altered pieces because he suspects that the workload and the time it takes to thrift and modify pieces would make the process too inefficient. However, modeling other clothing is a possibility that he plans to seek out.
“I have been thinking about modeling a lot recently. I would have to reach out to other people because it is hard to find modeling opportunities,” Singh said.
One thing is for sure, though; Singh will always be putting together outfits that exhibit his personal style and make him feel good.
“I like the compliments a lot, they are very nice. I also like seeing myself in an elevated way when I wear clothes that I love,” Singh reflected.
Aurora Megna – senior:
Senior Aurora Megna fell in love with fashion as a young girl tagging along with her mother and grandmother on their frequent thrifting adventures. Megna became interested in clothing and style while collecting nostalgic family memories, a wholesome way to be introduced to the world of fashion.
If you notice Megna’s outfits in the hallways, you most likely recognize her laid-back vibe, usually a product of her comfortable yet intentional clothing choices. Her outfits are mostly simple, calm enough to wear daily but clearly purposeful and well thought out.
“I tend to gravitate more towards masculine style, mostly oversized pants and hoodies, but I do incorporate colors,” Megna said.
She characterizes her look as “boyish” and “tomboy” but feminizes this style through her color choices and pairings. Something common in all of her outfits is comfort. They represent a fairly even combination of comfort and style which is not easy to do. Most opt for one or the other but to Megna, both are equally important.
In addition to the stylistic effect of wearing more comfortable clothing, Megna enjoys the personal aspect of that part of her wardrobe.
“It makes me confident knowing that I put together an outfit that I’m comfortable in,” Megna described.
For many, a significant benefit of creating unique outfits is the confidence boost you get when you are wearing something you truly love, and Megna appreciates that. She also utilizes her personal style to express herself exactly how she wants to.
“Having control over the little things like what I chose to wear makes me feel empowered throughout my day,” Megna explained.
Megna has modeled for friends who have clothing brands or friends who are photographers in the past. However, she only hopes to keep fashion as a personal hobby or an interest in the future.
