For many female presenting students on campus, fashion is a major part of their lives because it allows them to express who they are and what they believe in. 

According to a journal article entitled “Fashion as Cultural Expression” by Meera Nair, “fashion serves as a visual language through which individuals express their belongingness, affiliation, and aspirations within society.” 

Jenny Russell, a junior at Shippensburg University, likes to dress up in blazers and light colors. She tends to wear “a bit of everything.”

“It’s an expression of who I am,” Russell said. "I like to present myself as approachable."

According to Russell, trends have played a large role in her own personal style. When she was younger, she used to wear ripped jeans but changed to baggy jeans when she noticed the current trend had changed. She also said that she never wore rings until she noticed other people wearing them.

Heather Kemp, another SU student, also uses her clothing to express herself. She enjoys formal wear and prefers dress pants over skirts. Growing up in a conservative family, she felt restricted. She eventually found fashion as a means of expressing herself. 

“It's a great way to just show personality,” Kemp said. 

Kemp’s fashion was also inspired by popular culture. She said that she is involved with forms of Asian media. A lot of her styling is from J-pop artists and Filipino artists and how they play with different textures and patterns. Fashion can also be used in support of pop culture movements as a way of expressing beliefs and non-conformity.

Madi Shively is another SU student who enjoys fashion. She often wears bright colors, fun patterns and a variety of silhouettes and materials. She said that her day always gets a little brighter when she sees her outfits in the mirror. 

“Fashion dictates who you are as a person,” Shively said. 

Shively said that she often bases her outfits on different decades or movements. She said that sometimes she will wear a leather jacket, which expresses her support of the Riot Grrrl movement, a feminist pink rock movement from the ‘90s. 

Various forms of popular culture, especially social media, continue to influence the fashion choices of many female students on campus. 

Many scholars give credit to social media as a way of popularizing fashion trends. According to “Media Influence on Fashion and Identity” by Maria Ilyas, social media specifically “serves as a powerful tool for disseminating fashion trends, providing updates, and influencing personal style choices.” Ilyas continues “Media platforms, including television, social media, and fashion magazines, play a significant role in shaping the apparel choices of teenage girls and young women.” 

While the industry certainly isn’t perfect, fashion allows people of all genders across the world to express themselves however they would like. 

Share