When you look around the cafeteria or walk through the halls at OHS, everyone is kind of saying something with their clothes. Some people look super put-together, and others just roll with comfy vibes. It’s all over the place, which is cool, but it makes you wonder: Where do students get their fashion inspiration from?

When considering public figures known for their admirable style, several names often come to mind, spanning influencers, actresses, musicians, and more. People draw inspiration from a wide range of individuals. Estefania Callabero, for example, shared that some public figures whose style she admires are “Elliot Smith, Jamie Dornan, and David Beckham, specifically their looks from the early 2000s.”

Simone Ward said the celebrities she looks up to are “Demetria Dias and Lily Rose Depp for fashion inspiration. I love both of their styles, and I like to incorporate elements into my own clothes.” 

Sophia Alas Morataya also expressed, “I really like Demetria Dias and Layla Blue, because they have a really simple fashion sense and anything they put on just looks good, and most of my fashion choices come from them.” These examples illustrate the diversity in fashion inspiration, from early 2000s musician aesthetics to modern, simple elegance. Individuals consistently find ways to incorporate elements of celebrity style into their own personal expression.

Deciding what to wear each morning often involves a quiet negotiation between two competing ideas: the desire for personal comfort and the urge to follow current trends. For some, the choice is purely driven by the moment’s desire, as a Ward noted “When I decide what to wear its mainly for the style in going for that day, if I want to dress comfy and if I want to dress cute I dress cute,” but as Shannon McCusker put it, “Personal comfort is so much more important to me. I love having my own style and fashion,” suggesting that being authentic in your own clothes is more important than following trends.

The transition from middle school to high school often marks a distinct shift in an individual’s fashion choices, moving away from past aesthetics toward styles that reflect a person’s identity. A high school student’s style changes due to outside and inside reasons. New friends and social media trends are the main reasons they change how they look during high school. This change can be quite dramatic, as said by Estefania Caballero, “My fashion sense has evolved a lot since I started high school, mainly because I started to care more about how I dressed. When high school started, I dressed a lot more comfortably and carelessly. Now my outfits are more planned out and allow me to express myself authentically.” For others, it’s a matter of refinement rather than total change.

Shane McCusker noted, “Since freshman year, I think my fashion sense has become more refined rather than changed, like I have the same style in a way, but it just looks better.” This internal comfort can be a powerful driver of expression, as highlighted by Lily Roth, who stated, “My fashion has changed drastically as I switched up my whole wardrobe once I figured out how to be comfortable in my own skin.” 

When students were asked which celebrity they would choose to swap wardrobes with for a week, they shared a variety of opinions. Shannon McCusker chose “Ariana Greenblatt because I love her style and just her as a person.”

Shane McCusker said, “For me, it would have to be Billie Eilish or Malcolm Todd to swap wardrobes with because they are both so swaggy.”

Anastasia Cernucan explained, “If I could swap wardrobes with one celebrity, it would be Demetria Dias because I love the outfits she wears.”

Estefania Callabero added that she would pick “Adam Brody in the early 2000s because his style is simple yet cool.”

These answers show how different celebrities appeal to people for their fashion, whether it’s bold, creative, or laid back. 

Overall, it’s very clear that OHS students draw their fashion inspiration from many different places, whether it’s celebrities, trends, or personal style, creating a mix of looks that makes the school’s fashion unique. But if you had to choose one celebrity to swap wardrobes with, who would it be? Why? Tell us in the comments!