BY TAYLOR DESMOND
“My influence is a weird combination of japanese street fashion and iconic 80’s fashion.” – Meredith Bond
Plaid pants, platform shoes and pink hair result from the influence of ‘80s pop culture icons and the desire of many CHS students to stray from the on-campus quasi-uniform of Lululemon legging and Northface jackets.
With a rosy head of hair weaving through masses of brunettes and blondes, senior Meredith Bond’s colored tresses have made her stand out since her freshman year. Her street style is both colorful and contemporary, finding inspiration from thrift stores. Commonly seen at the Goodwill in Monterey after school, Bond finds outfits that not only stand out for her personally, but for what trends she can create to make other students follow her lead.
“I see a lot of famous people on Instagram wear the same type of clothing available to everyone now through retail stores,” Bond says. “You’ve just got to find out what fits your personality.”
Teal eyeshadow pressed onto focused eyes wandering over paint-smudged fingers, junior Itzel Rios-Ellis sits in front of a pair of Nike Air shoes littered with roses and sunflowers.
“ITZO,” the name Rios-Ellis goes by when she brands her artwork, can commonly be found walking into class with a pair of Vans overwhelmed by paintings of influential figures, while a sheet of inked paper is tucked under the arm of her ‘80s-esque windbreaker.
Fellow junior Katie Short displays her work through social media, featuring videos of skating in Santa Cruz in her vibrant yellow shoes and cargo pants or working late nights while embroidering flames onto a pair of mom jeans.
“ITZO,” junior Itzel Rios-Ellis brnad name, sports unique floral patterns and vibrant colors.
Both Rios-Ellis and Short make a profit from their work, earning anywhere from $20 to $60 for customizations, inspiring other kids across campus to purchase student-made wares like patched pants or painted sneakers.
As for trends themselves, students at CHS can often be seen wearing denim, floral patterns or pastel-tinted wardrobe. Sporting contrasting colored stripes and oversized mom jeans, students find inspiration from mainstream clothing stores such as Urban Outfitters or acquire clothing through a popular online thrift store, Depop.
Junior Drew Aber commonly models for former CHS students and their photography accounts on Instagram, using fashion as a contrast to his everyday life.
“YG and ASAP Rocky have definitely influenced me the most, and I always want to keep the crowd guessing whats going to be next.: -Drew Aber
The number of students breaking the boundaries of fashion has increased rapidly in the last couple of years, with students choosing to shop at thrift stores over commercial brands. With popular culture icons sporting homages to the ‘80s and ‘90s, street style is beginning to reach the younger generations, exemplified well at CHS.
