From cozy sweaters to plaid flannels to long cardigans, an abundance of fashion possibilities are offered by fall. But at Community High School, fall fashion is more than just clothing – it’s a form of self-expression, a way to showcase individuality and a means to boost confidence.
Fall fashion is often associated with rich earth tones such as orange, dark purple and forest green. These hues that reflect the changing season can be found in senior Maggie Beeson’s clothes; every fall, Beeson’s style changes with the season.
“I try to make a lot of my colors naturey and very natural so I can blend in with my environment during the fall,” Beeson said. “And it also just makes me feel connected.”
Protecting the environment is very important for Beeson, who aims to have the lowest carbon footprint possible. Living in a house that solely uses solar and geothermal energy, Beeson’s values of protecting the environment have been ingrained in her throughout her whole life. Beeson believes the colors she incorporates into her outfits in the fall are a personal statement that expresses her appreciation for the natural environment.
“I’ve always felt happier seeing myself in earthy tones because then I carry a little bit of the naturey side of me with me,” Beeson said. “My clothing represents who I want to be and who I think I am, and a lot of it is symbolism in the story behind it, so it’s super important to me.”
To find pieces that add personality to her wardrobe during the fall, Beeson always makes an effort to hit up thrift stores. For Beeson, thrifted clothes offer the perfect opportunity to create fashion-forward looks without contributing to the fast fashion industry. Starting the school year off by buying thrifted clothes begins a sustainable trend for the rest of Beeson’s year and ensures she’s playing her part in helping the environment.
“I do a lot of sustainable practices when I try and find what to wear during the fall,” Beeson said. “So I’m always thrifting or going to reuse places because we have enough clothes in the world to clothe like the next 17 generations. We have so many clothes that are very mass-produced which is very wasteful – the cotton industry sucks. So it’s very good to have good practices when it comes to clothing.”
In addition to Beeson, fashion is very important for senior Brook Fagan. In fact, Fagan has loved fashion ever since she can remember.
“I’ve loved fashion ever since I was super, super, super little,” Fagan recalled. “It’s always been one of my huge passions. Every day I wake up and try to come up with the most fun outfit possible.”
Each season, Fagan finds that her style changes rapidly. During the fall, Fagan finds herself wearing shades of browns and creams. She completes her outfits with varied textures: fleeces, corduroys and wool sweaters. For Fagan, fall is the perfect time to be expressive with outfits because fall clothing always makes Fagan confident with what she’s wearing.
“Fall fashion is really just a way of self-expression, and it’s also a really huge confidence builder for me,” Fagan said. “If I’m wearing an outfit that I know is good, I feel good about myself and I get extra support knowing I look good.”
Fagan sees her fall clothing as a means of self-expression. Fagan’s fall clothes let her be much more whimsical and flowy through her outfits, which she thinks channels her expressive and playful identity.
“I just love fall fashion in general. It’s so creative and such a fun way to express yourself,” Fagan said. “By mixing fall colors and wearing fall clothes, you’re able to really get into the attitude of feeling you look good, and you let yourself explore different aesthetics and look super different from what you normally look like.”
Unlike Fagan, senior Danny Komorek hasn’t always found himself drawn in by fashion. Prior to his senior year, Komorek didn’t dress very expressively and was much more toned down at school.
“I was kind of dressing just because I had to, and I don’t really enjoy feeling like that,” Komorek said. “So I made fashion into something that I enjoyed, and I made it into something that I liked doing every morning.”
This fall has been a turning point for senior Danny Komorek’s style. Starting this fall, Komorek began putting much more emphasis into his outfits. Komorek has always loved fall and got inspired seeing lots of people on social media who develop fall styles to develop his own fall style: sweaters and baggy jeans, one of the first times that Komorek has put lots of emphasis on the way he dresses. The start of the school year and the changing colors of leaves bring a sense of a fresh start to Komorek, which makes him feel like fall is the perfect time to start experimenting with outfits.
“I think it’s just really freeing to be able to dress the way that you want,” Komorek said. “Somebody’s clothing can say a lot about them, and I want my clothing to say a lot about me.”
Developing a fall style has been transformative for Komorek. Through beginning to play around with fashion, Komorek has begun to see fashion as a creative outlet; whenever he puts on a good outfit, Komorek feels much more confident and personable.
“It’s like in those cheesy TV shows where they’re like, ‘I feel like a whole new person,’” Komorek said. “I actually feel like there’s a whole persona I develop once I dress up.”
As students start to bundle up for the winter, it’s time to exchange the warm hues of autumn for the cooler shades of winter. But fall fashion provided students at CHS the perfect opportunity to embrace individuality and make a statement with every outfit. Throughout the fall season, students embodied the spirit of fall through their fashion choices, creating a vibrant tapestry of styles that reflect their evolving identities.
