CURRENTLY STALKING: ALEX DAYTON
There’s a quiet, almost celestial energy that pulsates from Alex Dayton as she glides through the Norris crowds. Though demure in voice and posture, the Northwestern junior speaks about media representation, ethical consumption, her collection of red Doc Martens, and growing up at odds with the conservatism of her Midwestern hometown with strength and conviction. Similarly, her style is full of perfect contradictions. She maintains a rare balance between bold and unassuming, ensnares the attention of passersby without falling into the trap of garishness, and blends punk with pixie.
Name: Alex Dayton
Year: Junior
Major: Comparative Literary Studies
Hometown: Lake Forest, IL
Tell me a little bit about yourself. What are you involved with on campus? More importantly, what are you passionate about?
I’m a comp. lit. major. I’m also the technical director for the Purple Crayon Players, which is a theater board on campus that does theater for young audiences. I’m very passionate about theater for young audiences. I think it’s one of the most important art forms and it’s also a constantly evolving field. It’s a really new area as far as theater and playwriting goes. I think that it’s very important that kids see themselves on stage. I’m very passionate about representation in theater.
I also do prop designs for a lot of StuCo shows. Right now I’m working on a show called Strangers of Intimacy. It goes up April 21 and it’s a student-written script by Marion Hill. You go through the script and see what props are specifically stated as being there, what might be implied, and, based on the aesthetic that the director’s going for, you make your props list and find or build those items.
How did you become so deeply involved in theater being a comp. lit. major?
I kind of fell into it. I did some theater, but not a lot, in high school. I very occasionally was involved with tech in high school but I lived in the arts dorm freshman year, Jones, and I just got to know a lot of people that were involved in theater.I kind of fell into doing props design and ended up really loving it.
How does your involvement in theater, with its variety of characters and costumery, influence your personal style -- if at all?
I don’t know if my involvement in theater influences my style so much. I think different works of art have, whether they be TV series or movies. There’s specific characters I definitely relate to and have definitely stolen bits of their fashion and style. One of the characters I really related to growing up was Cassie from Skins -- and that’s a very privileged position to be in, to be able to grow up and see yourself in characters in the shows and movies you watch -- but I definitely really related to her and found her style inspirational.
I was very into the Harry Potter books growing up and I have really loved Luna Lovegood since I was quite little. I have a dirigible plum tattoo because she would wear them as earrings. Also Audrey Horne from Twin Peaks. Just stylistically I really related to them and also personality-wise.
How would you define your personal style?
A little bit ‘90s, post-apocalyptic fairy’. I guess I thought about it a while ago because people have told me I have an eclectic sense of style. I definitely do, but I think it does have some focus. There’s certain things I like. I love Doc Marten shoes, combat boots in general. I love plaid in more of a Celtic way than a schoolgirl way. I like anything kind of magical looking, like if it has a sheen to it.
My style’s definitely evolved. I like to stay true to what I like as a person but also I can’t help but be affected by what is happening in the fashion industry. Recently I bought a pair of Adidas Stan Smiths, which is not something I would normally wear but I’ve been really liking them.
What’s your favorite piece of clothing, accessory or pair of shoes that you own?
I really love red lace-up Doc Martens. I don’t have that many shoes so when I do buy a pair it’s kind of a big deal for me. But I have three pairs of red lace-up Doc Martens and they’re really a go-to. I wear them all the time, like I wear them out.
As someone who grew up closeby, how would you define the style here in the Chicago area?
I think it kind of depends on where you are. The town I grew up in was pretty conservative, which was an interesting place to grow up as a queer person. There was a lot of North Face, L.L.Bean and Lilly Pulitzer which I’ve never really been into, but that’s what I observed growing up.
I definitely dressed in a way that expressed myself. I wasn’t really able to be open about my identity growing up, so I definitely gravitated toward dressing in a way that expressed myself as different from the conservative mainstream of my town.
Now that the weather’s warming up, what are some looks that you’ve been meaning to try?
I’m very much a fan of layers so I kind of love the winter for that reason. I’m looking forward to more T-shirts. There’s this brand called Stay At Home Club that has great graphic T-shirts. I bought one a couple of months ago and I’ve been wearing it out, it’s great. I’d like to look into more artists that put their art on shirts. I like it when artists are able to make a livable profit off of their art.
What other places do you shop?
I like to shop at brands that I can morally support. Like right now I don’t really like the shirt I’m wearing. It’s Brandy Melville which I don’t mind stylistically but I do think it’s not necessarily ethical to create a “one size fits all” clothing line marketed at teenagers when the only size you’re selling is a small. I don’t think that’s healthy for kids to have that thrown in their faces during their formative years.
I do like to shop online. I like smaller stores and stores that are more ethically sourced. I definitely like going to thrift stores but I’m kind of torn on the romanticization of thrift stores. I feel like you’re taking something that a lot of people have to do and don’t necessarily want to be doing and then turning it into a bougie fashion statement.
