The Dynamic Student Style
How four students’ styles have changed over their time at Northwestern
Photographed by Caroline Ward, Anna Weeks, Maria Arias and Coco Huang
“I don’t really care that much about what other people wear,” Lauren McCaffrey said, “But some of the stuff I wear has changed because of people and coming to an entirely different place than where I am from. ”
Lauren McCaffrey
Lauren McCaffrey, a second-year studying communication studies from San Clemente, California, thinks her style has changed since coming to college but not at a drastic rate. It’s easy to come to college and think that everyone has their style together and their identities figured out, but the truth is that everyone’s style is constantly changing. Like a chameleon that adapts to where they are, students from all over the globe come here to Northwestern with continuously evolving and increasingly dynamic styles. With this in mind, four students from different backgrounds share their experience with having a dynamic style and fashion identity since coming to Northwestern.
McCaffrey says that her adaptation to college comes from her friend, Medill student, Julietta Thron, who is from Caldwell, New Jersey. McCaffrey, like a lot of students, was exposed to new backgrounds and cultures when she came to Northwestern. Since coming to college she has left behind her Orange County community for new influences, friends, topics, locations and experiences.
After meeting Thron and spending so much time with her, McCafrey added,“Some of the stuff she wears I would have never worn. She’s influenced me with wearing different types of sneakers.”
McCaffrey used to wear only three pairs of shoes back home in San Clemente, California. But since coming to Evanston, her friend Thron has influenced her to try different pairs of sneakers and shoes. McCaffrey says that Dr. Marten’s and Nike Air Force One’s are her two staples.
Along with buying more shoes, McCaffrey has noticed that her style changes based on location and weather. Back in California, she was used to wearing more revealing tops, but in college, she’s changed her style to more conservative crop-tops and oversized sweaters.
Overall, McCaffrey believes that she stays true to the style she’s had for so long, but since coming to Northwestern, she has tweaked her style after meeting new friends. She makes sure to wear clothing that makes her feel confident but also what she feels is appropriate for Chicago.
Roderick Campbell
On a similar note, fourth-year and communications studies major Roderick Campbell has also adapted his style since coming to Northwestern. However, as a St. Louis, Missouri native, Campbell believes his style comes from his background.
“I take a lot of pride in where I come from, and I think me knowing that influences a lot of my style,” Campbell said.
Campbell described his style as “very St. Louis” due to his sneakers. Back in his hometown wearing expensive shoes is the epitome of being stylish. Although his style is connected to St. Louis, Campbell says that when coming to Northwestern his first-year was a big change.
“In St. Louis, I grew up around majority black people and I come to Northwestern and it’s a predominantly white institution and I’m not seeing people who look like me on a regular basis, which I was accustomed to back home,” said Campbell.
With a culture shock like this, Campbell had to adapt so that he felt comfortable his first-year. Although Northwestern is slowly becoming more diverse, it can be hard to acclimate. However, being around new people with different experiences may mean adding new pieces to one’s identity. For instance, Campbell updated elements of his style due to the people he was surrounded by.
Like McCaffrey, Campbell said that one of the main changes to his style was the type of sneakers he wears. Back in St. Louis, wearing a new pair of Nike Jordans is commonly considered the peak of style, but on campus, Campbell has realized that he doesn’t need to buy a new pair of 200 dollar sneakers in order to be considered “fresh.”
“In college, I did a lot more thrifting because it’s my own money I’m spending,” Campbell said. “And I don’t want to go broke to try to change my own image.”
Along with thrifting as a new way of changing his style, Campbell bought his first pair of Vans his freshman year of college. This was one of the first pieces he bought in order to adapt to “party culture.” Being able to wear a pair of shoes that are stylish but can be used as “beaters” was why he purchased a pair.
Irem Özturan
Campbell believes that style and fashion can be very dynamic. He says that his style definitely depends on location and how he feels. When in Chicago, Campbell has become more comfortable with a chill style where he wears oversized t-shirts and shorter shorts in the warm weather. Compared to his St. Louis style, he considers his Chicago style more beachy and casual. All in all, Campbell believes his style has changed throughout his three years at Northwestern but he always makes sure he includes his St. Louis roots and his favorite 90’s vibes.
When talking to , a second-year in Weinberg, it was clear that her style changed drastically since moving from Istanbul, Turkey to Evanston. She blames most of this change on the conservatism back home.
“My high school had a strict dress code and that made my style very safe and standard,” she said.
Therefore, when Özturan moved to Northwestern, she felt liberated. She could wear anything she wanted, from costume-like outfits to more fashion-forward looks.
The style people have on campus also affected how she stepped out of the comfort zone she was used to in Turkey. “Americans don’t really dress up, they look very comfy all the time, ” she said, “I don’t like wearing leggings or sweatpants but this makes me look for a more comfy and chic style rather than not comfy and chic style.”
This comfy-yet-chic style is seen in her favorite item of clothing she bought since coming to NU: her long brown and black checkered skirt, “I just thought they [long skirts] were comfortable and you can also be chic and it looks great. Also just because you can wear thermals or stockings to keep warm and it’s still very pretty and comfortable.”
Overall, Özturan confirmed how dynamic style can be. “In college, it’s changing a lot whether it’s location or different stages in your life. I think that fashion changes dramatically in those big shifts in life.”
When she talked about how she’ll dress when she goes back to Turkey, Özturan confessed “it changes so much in a year that I don’t even know what I’m going to wear this summer.”
Keyla Carvalho
Brazilian senior Keyla Carvalho’s style, like Özturan’s, has also been dynamic. Though her style hasn’t drastically changed since she moved from São Paulo to Evanston, Carvalho admits that these changes in location helped her further narrow down her edgy style.
As Carvalho adapted to the cold, she grew to love unique boots and jackets. Though these two items were definitely not made to be worn in Brazil, this didn’t stop her from wearing them back home. “I’ve gotten used to wearing boots even when it’s super hot and it’s just funny because I’m there and I see everyone wearing flip-flops or sandals and I’m wearing boots,” she said.
During her abroad quarter in Paris last year, Carvalho also felt her style shift. Whereas in the U.S. she thinks that people don’t get dressed up enough to get to class, the French “dress up way too much to go to college.” Therefore, in France Carvalho felt that she had more chances to develop her style.
Carvalho also recalled a specific moment when a friend of hers in France told her she wasn’t edgy enough. “So after that I started seeking edgy more, dressing in black, changing my hairstyle, wearing more red lipstick,” she remembered.
Her fluidity in style continues to this day, though this time influenced by work rather than a friend’s remarks. “I had to buy business casual stuff for work and I’m trying to incorporate that because I don’t want to buy something that I’ll only wear to work,” she said. “Maybe I’ll have to dress more business casual-ly in general.”
Carvalho’s style has changed after living in three different places in three years. Whether it was because of Evanston’s tough weather or a friend’s comment that rubbed her the wrong way, Carvalho’s style is dynamic as it progressed over time into the edgy style she considers her “signature style” nowadays.
Ultimately, changing one’s style when moving to college is inevitable. College is a time for growth and exposure to new adventures. It’s a whirlwind of independent decisions and individuality. With this new freedom, you’re able to decide who you want to be and alter it as many times as you want, and oftentimes, that can be through one’s style. Through new friends with different styles, experiencing different locations and drastic weather fluctuations, students experience dynamism within their styles. These dynamic shifts are as big as buying a new all black wardrobe or as little as buying a new pair of Vans. Yet, no matter the change, it’s clear to see that style is dynamic and reflects that people evolve just as much as their styles do.