Just a casual stroll down East 13th Avenue through the center of the UO campus will expose you to the many walks of life that make up our student life. This strip of campus can seem like a runway, brimming with fashionable students who strut the streets and make a statement with their unique styles and trendy outfits. The Emerald profiled four students who embody what it means to bring style and flair to UO. Gaining inspiration from social media and expressing their identity through fashion, these students use their style as a way to show the world who they are.
Tevon Phomphakdy: swagger
Freshman studying human physiology
A vintage outerwear jacket, simple tee, cargo pants and a flashy pair of Nike Dunks. This trendy and eye-catching streetwear vintage style is the true language of Tevon Phomphakdy. Thrifted items and hand-me-down pieces are the main ingredients in his look.
Emerald: When did you first become interested in fashion and more conscious of your style?
Phomphakdy: I think it would definitely have to be my junior year of high school, when COVID-19 first started off. I started going on TikTok a lot and got a lot of inspiration from there. I just wanted to have a better appearance since in middle school and the first part of high school I just wore shorts and a T-shirt — it was really bad.
E: How would you describe your fashion sense?
TP: I would describe my style as streetwear based, mainly vintage street style. I usually go thrifting, and I don’t try to go for pieces that are too expensive — I try to keep it low budget, but I still have some items that are up in price. Most of the time I wear Blazers, Dunks and Jordan 1s.
E: When buying new clothing and constructing outfits, where do you find inspiration for your style?
TP: Honestly, TikTok. I see all these other people wearing different style clothing, and I try to piece it together in my own head and see if I can replicate that, but in my own sense of style. Some styles won’t work on me like others — there’s a lot of trial and error.
E: What advice would you give to students who are trying to get into fashion?
TP: If you want to get into it, maybe first follow trends. That’s usually the easiest thing to do, and people will compliment you on it. Then as you go, you can implement your own style and what you want to do. That’s what I did going with vintage wear. My parents had a lot of vintage wear from the 80s, so I made that into my own style.
Kennedy Hjelte: glamorous
Sophomore studying sociology
Kennedy Hjelte is hard to miss. As someone heavily inspired by color and pop, she uses fashion as a way to make herself stand out from the crowd. Hjelte experienced a history of being restricted with her fashion choices, so college has allowed her to blossom into her own form.
Emerald: When did you first become interested in fashion and more conscious of your style?
Hjelte: I’ve been doing pageantry for a really long time, and I think within those organizations they tell you to dress a certain way, so I never had my own style. I also think going to a private Catholic high school also altered the way that I dress, so I’d say freshman year, a year ago.
E: How would you describe your fashion sense?
KH: I love color. I used to own a lot of black so I needed to get away from that. If I see a piece I’ll be like “that’s super cute,” and it doesn’t always have to match each other, but it does to me. I think it looks cute and unique, so that’s why I do it, to stand out.
E: When buying new clothing and constructing outfits, where do you find inspiration for your style?
KH: I follow a lot of models on Instagram, a lot of male models which is really interesting. There’s Ian Jeffrey — he’s really cool. He just doesn’t care what other people think.
E: What advice would you give to students who are trying to get into fashion?
KH: Honestly just to not care. I think that’s really hard because people are going to look at you especially if you’re wearing something out of your comfort zone. I just think not to care about what other people think and do what makes you happy.
Gabe Lopez: confident
Freshman studying business
A man who carries himself with confidence yet humbleness, Gabe Lopez has a natural flavor to his fashion sense, and it’s easy to see the pride he takes in his style. Lopez blends a vintage look with his skate-inspired roots, curating a palette of subtle tones with an on-the-go look. He advises students to express their identity through fashion.
Emerald: When did you first become interested in fashion and more conscious of your style?
Lopez: For me it definitely would have started in high school but not really until sophomore year. I really got into it just from growing up in Portland and having so many thrift spots around. I really got to have a great time finding these amazing pieces from the past that just got me so interested in it.
E: How would you describe your fashion sense?
GL: I define my style as definitely a vintage style. I feel like whenever I’m wearing my clothes, usually I have a piece that’s at least 20 years old on. I’d say vintage and a mix of skate-wear, too. I grew up skating, so my first sense of style was a skate style, and that transitioned with vintage as well.
E: When buying new clothing and constructing outfits, where do you find inspiration for your style?
GL: I’ll wake up and pick my outfit depending on what mood I’m in. I always base my colors off of the mood I’m in, but I never do too many bright colors.
E: What advice would you give to students who are trying to get into fashion?
GL: Definitely wear stuff that makes you happy and use it as a way to express your emotions. It can always bring out the true you and the true person you are in the clothes that you’re wearing. Don’t try to copy someone else’s style because you think it’s cool — take inspiration but always do your own thing.
Sydney Chen: reborn
Sophomore studying human physiology
College was a major turning point for Sydney Chen. After realizing her true fashion identity and the real potential she had to up her style, she completely reinvented herself and never looked back. Today, she draws inspiration from Japanese fashion culture and encourages others to express themselves openly.
Emerald: When did you first become interested in fashion and more conscious of your style?
Chen: Pretty much all of high school, all I wore was sweatpants and hoodies because I had a boyfriend who really didn’t want me dressing up. For all of high school I just convinced myself that I was like a tomboy who didn’t care, but once I got out of that and got into college, I started realizing that I was actually the complete opposite. I really like dressing super girly and cute.
E: How would you describe your fashion sense?
SC: I feel like it varies, but the one I’m in right now and like the most is very lightly inspired, cutesy, Japanese lolita. I wouldn’t say kawaii, but like girly lolita-ish.
E: When buying new clothing and constructing outfits, where do you find inspiration for your style?
SC: I definitely use Instagram a lot. It’s a platform where people usually go to post their outfits, so there’s a lot of stuff on there. I follow a lot of people and a lot of magazine accounts that post that type of stuff, so I usually scroll through my feed and save things and use it for when I’m shopping later.
E: What advice would you give to students who are trying to get into fashion?
SC: When I first switched from just PJ’s in high school to actually going all out in college, I felt so insecure. I felt like people were staring at me because I would try to be extra. But honestly, if it makes you happy, why does it matter? If people dress the way they feel and want to express and present themselves, you already know more about that person before you even say hello.
