Fashion has always served as a simultaneous tool for self expression and connection to culture. Recognition of clothing or style can be a great conversation starter. Walking up to someone and complimenting what they’re wearing is a simple act of kindness that can reaffirm them as a person.
There has always been a symbolic meaning behind what we wear. Before our personal choices influence our style, our geography and culture does. After that, the decision of how to decorate ourselves is in our hands.
Whether through shirts, jeans, jewelry, shoes, jackets, or other methods, our stylistic choices show our personality. At Rhinebeck High School, the fashion choices of students can give us many insights into their creative sides and personalities. The cut of jeans or color of shirt you wear say more than just what meets the eye. They show the preferences you have and choices you make everyday when getting dressed.
An outfit can oftentimes be the building block of a community. When you meet a group of people for the first time, you may first gravitate towards the person whose style is most similar to yours. How you present your personality with your style can make a big first impression.
Noel Kohout is one student at RHS interested in pursuing a career in fashion. When asked what she thinks of the style at RHS, she responded, “Rhinebeck definitely has its own style, which feels relaxed, eclectic and confident.”
Each year, RHS seniors vote for the two people in their class who they consider to be the “Best Dressed.” This year, seniors voted for Alana Park and Calder Wright.
When asked about how it feels to be considered the “Best Dressed,” Park said, “It feels cool to know people notice my style and also like it.”
Wright responded, “I feel pretty honored. Rhinebeck [High School] has a lot of well dressed seniors, so I’m just glad that I got voted for it.”
There are many motivations for dressing up. When asked to describe what’s enjoyable about dressing up for school, Wright responded, “I really like the creative side of clothing, so for me, it’s just fun to put something interesting on and wear it out. So I guess that’s what motivates me, mostly just having fun doing it.”
Within Rhinebeck High School, there are many students interested in pursuing a career in fashion. Just two hours away from New York City, Rhinebeck students are right on the edge of a global center of fashion. Parsons School of Design, the Fashion Institute of Technology(FIT), and Pratt Institute are just a few examples of schools that students could study fashion at in NYC. Since FIT is a SUNY, it’s an affordable option for New York State residents.
Kohout also currently plans to pursue a career in NYC: “Fashion is so synonymous with self expression: if you are going to an interview or on a date you start thinking about what you’re going to wear, you think about what makes you feel comfortable and how you can express and represent yourself though your clothes which I think is so cool and unique, it’s a part of daily life and I love to have fun with it!”
There are many things to admire about expressing your creative side through style. Kohout continues on to say, “I also love the process of Fashion which is why I want to go into fashion business/marketing following the process from a designers inspiration (which can be gathered from a place and time, artwork, cities, history reinvented and pieced together from different decades). The creativity is endless and how that is marketed to the public is in of itself so interesting to me.”
Fashion is a tool for self expression that can provide a sense of community and sense of self. By embracing the power of style, high school students can enjoy a journey of self-discovery, experimenting with how they’re perceived by themselves and others.
