Secondhand Style

   Junior Jude Nordlund is no stranger to deals. Instead of searching department stores high and low, hoping for a sale, you’ll find her spending weekends between clothing racks in thrift stores. It’s here that she finds a lot of her favorite styles.

   “I like to have one piece of black clothing on at all times. Then I balance it out with other colors,” Nordlund said. “I don’t want to be wearing too much of one color.”

   This year, many have traded in high-end looks for consigned gems they find at thrift stores.

   For anyone not totally sold on the second-hand style trend, Norlund has some advice.

   “Don’t be afraid of how it’s going to look or if it’s going to be cool,” Nordlund said. “Just put together things that you like to wear.”

Track(suit) Star

   Some days, even getting out of your pajamas is hard. Thankfully, 2018 offered a fashionable solution to that problem. Streetwear brands like Adidas, Nike and Supreme offer comfortable sweatpants, sweatshirts and tracksuits, which combine the ultimate blend of comfort and style.

   “I wear a lot of Adidas,” sophomore Sam Martin said. “Some days I’m in head-to-toe Adidas. Shoes, socks, everything Adidas.”

   Streetwear brands often share a small corner of the fashion market called ‘athleisure wear,’ which blends athlete looks and styles with leisure clothing. Athleisure wear, which was first popularized by ’90s celebrities, most notably Sporty Spice of the Spice Girls, has made a full comeback in 2018.

   “I know Adidas and Nike were really popular in the ’80s, so they’re making a comeback.” Martin said. “Adidas made it’s comeback, and so did brands like Vans.”

Tying it all Together

   Everyone knows the saying “what goes around comes around,” and it’s never more true than in fashion. Hair scrunchies, first popularized in the late ’80s and early ’90s, have made a huge comeback this year. One student has learned to capitalize on the trend in an inventive way.

   Junior Lucy Donnici has started a scrunchie-making business. She hand-sews scrunchies and sells them through her Instagram account, @scrunchiesbylulu.

   “I started it because I wanted to make money off of something cute instead of getting a normal job at a business. I wanted to do something on my own,” Donnici said.

   The Beanie Babies trend of the ’90s meant everyone was starting their own collection, and some people nowadays have started scrunchie collections. The collections vary from owning a few to hundreds.

   “I actually don’t own that many. Probably around 20, which does sound like a lot,” Donnici said. “A lot of my friends have more of my scrunchies than I have of my own.”

You are the Music in Me

   Many musical artists release music in the late fall season in hopes to boost record sales just before the holiday season. This musical inspiration doesn’t stop at the recording studios though, it can be seen in both professional artists and newcomers. Senior Ricky Ames’ music has taken on a life of its own.

   “I’ve played the drums for five years. I’ve been producing for almost two and a half years. For me, I’m always making music. I practice every day,” Ames said. “There isn’t a single day that goes by where I’m not spending one-plus hours working on music.”

   Over the last year, the music industry has gained some major traction with popular artists, such as Chance the Rapper and Childish Gambino releasing singles and Brockhampton releasing a full album. A lot of this success can be traced back to the roots of the music itself.

   “They resonate with people, I think that’s that whole point of music. You’re communicating something, and it doesn’t even have to be verbal,” Ames said. “You can communicate ideas in all sorts of art forms.”

Do it for the ‘Gram

   This year it seemed like every few months there was a new superfood to be on the lookout for. Kale, quinoa, chia seeds, the list goes on and on. Freshmen Claire Manuel has taken healthy living to heart and eats a vegetarian diet. Manuel sees many reasons someone would decide to change their diet.

   “I think more and more people are realizing the health benefits of going vegetarian or vegan.” Manuel said. “Instagram has always been a place for artsy food pictures, so when people see beautiful images of smoothie bowls and such, they become inspired to go vegan. Instagram was actually the reason I decided to try going vegetarian.”

   Many celebrities, such as Ariana Grande, have also made changes to their diets in the last year. Manuel explains that with influencers like Grande, and the health-food community on social media, food is often the first place many people turn if they’re looking for a lifestyle change.

Just for Kicks

   The ’70s brought us platform heels, the ’80s brought us Air Jordans, the ’90s brought us jelly shoes, and the 2000s brought us Crocs. Where does that put us now?

   The last few years have been monumental for sneakerheads everywhere. With the 2015 release of Yeezy’s, Adidas’ collaboration with Kanye West, the quest for the best shoes in the game has overtaken the fashion industry.

   “For some people, having nicer shoes can show they are popular and follow trends,” freshmen Jeffrey Laubscher said. “When people start following a trend, more and more people do it.”

   Like most trends, shoe trends usually start with celebrities and athletes and then soon everyone starts following them. Because of this, many celebrities have outlandish style.

   “Basketball players usually have great shoe game,” Laubscher said. “They’re the ones getting the best deals with the best brands. They have the money to buy thousands of pairs of shoes.”

   Not every shoe you buy has to break the bank. Laubscher says he finds most of his shoes at thrift stores or on the GOAT shoe-selling app. There are great finds are out there, you just have to know where to look