Hello hello hello! Jessa Chargois here, NOT Jessica, reporting for my third semester writing for the fantastic CollegeFashionista team. Blessed to have the opportunity to study fiber science and apparel design at Cornell University, I truly believe that my purpose in life is within the fashion world and to inspire as many young people as possible to follow their dreams.
Born and raised in a little town called Saugerties, New York, nestled within the Hudson Valley of upstate New York, I’ve grown up with an appreciation for the outdoors. With this appreciation of nature, I value the production side of clothing. Rather than purchase a shirt dyed with toxic, synthetic colors in China, resulting in water waste, I would rather thrift a vintage shirt, filled with memories and stories to tell from countless owners. I am a firm believer in the circle of life clothing can hold, and I constantly donate my old clothing to continue this cycle.
Besides my closet hippie-dippy side, I’m a social media nerd, photography lover and a vegetarian. I have a paper crane tattoo on my wrist, I work in a bakery in my hometown, I would like to die by suffocation of puppies, I am the most competitive person you will ever meet and I am a Scorpio, which says all you need to know about me.
My closet is filled with every sort of vintage and quirky silhouette possible. From a pair of bowling shoes I may or may not have “borrowed” permanently from an alley to a tank top I constructed entirely of Snapple caps, you can pretty much assume at least one garment I have on was found in a Salvation Army. Obviously I appreciate brands and luxury goods, but they are twice as cool if I found them for half the price hiding within a thrift store. Monochromatic and striped, my go-to outfit recently has been pairing thrifted chunky turtlenecks and my black pleather jacket with a pair of black “mom” jeans I distressed myself, costing me a whopping six dollars. I love embroidering and changing my fashion finds and creating unique pieces that I know only I will have.
I am so excited to be back as a Style Guru, showcasing Cornell’s diverse and unique sense of fashion and the amazing semester ahead!
