We grow up and constantly reinvent ourselves. I think this transience of human nature is also reflected in our ever-morphing fashion, which shapes us and is shaped by us. Perhaps this is peculiar, but I think of fashion trends as ephemeral creatures. They are creatures that act as vehicles of expression, and sometimes they vanish only to reappear years later, renewed. I find beauty in fashion’s form of expression because it allows us to say something about ourselves and how we’re feeling—without ever saying a word.
I’m happy you stumbled across my page—my name is Sarah Kam, and I’m pleased to join the CollegeFashionista community this summer! I’m currently pursuing a Marketing major and Visual Arts minor. I just finished a wonderful two years at Rutgers University, and I’m both excited and anxious about transferring to Boston University this fall as a junior (so please say hi if you see me!). I’m a lover of Studio Ghibli films, handwritten letters and bunnies. I’ve got the biggest sweet tooth, and I enjoy dining with the company of my loved ones.
To be honest, I can’t pinpoint the defining moment of my life when fashion became an integral part of it. It took me a while to find my own voice in fashion; my parents used to dress me and my sister identically—my sister in blue and me in pink. In the ‘90s, I wore chokers and oversized Pokemon shirts; in middle school, I went from a skater phase to a Hollister phase. My parents never wanted me to worry about what I wore—they stressed that clothes were expensive and materialistic, and instead, they emphasized the importance of inner beauty and academics. Because of this view, it took a while for clothes to transcend a purely “functional” meaning for me. But now, I view fashion as a vehicle of expression that is purposeful and potentially empowering.
More than any fashion designer, Fashionista YouTubers are my biggest source of inspiration. I hold one particular YouTuber, Jenn Im, dear to my heart. She can rock any outfit, and she always encourages her fans to wear whatever makes them happy—and consequently, I’ve discovered that making that decision is extremely liberating. Like Jenn, I find it perfectly okay to dress up to class every day. I would describe my own style as sweet and whimsical; I wear dresses the majority of the time, with soft cardigans and knee-high socks. In fact, I wear dresses so often that my friends jokingly accuse me of never wearing pants—one time, I wore pants and everyone stood up and clapped. True story. Recently, though, I’ve become interested in expanding my fashion parameters by experimenting with distressed jeans and making a statement with monochromatic looks.
Want to get my look? I put together an all-white outfit with a denim circle skirt, and I paired it with a more delicate ruffled crop top. I finished off the look with transparent platforms to add an interesting touch of texture!
