Many say that the style scene at Stanford is generally basic and laid-back — a typical depiction of its West Coast setting. But if you look around, you’ll see unexpected diversity and spot many individuals out there that love rocking their own fashionable essence. Take a look at a few of our student style profiles!

 

For freshman Doris Rodriguez ‘20, one single word can’t fully describe her authentic style.

“I will say that most of the stuff I own is from thrift shops back home in Miami,” she says about her closet, which is a huge combination of different pieces. “I generally try to go for a laid-back, sort of old-school look. I love anything with camo green or mustard. I feel like I can always make those colors work.”

Doris believes that style is a part of her identity; when she puts an outfit together, she “shares a little of [herself] with everyone else.” In terms of being unique and standing out with your own stylistic expression, Doris shares that we shouldn’t try to look like everyone else.

“Pick things because you like them, and you feel good in them. At the end of the day, your confidence can start the next trend.”

Michael Spencer ‘20 says that the style scene at Stanford is laid-back with a “California laziness vibe,” but it’s always nice to see some people around campus that add their own flair to their style because it reflects a piece of their personality. As for his inspiration, Ryan Gosling is hands down his style icon because, “I mean, have you seen ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love?'” For Michael, blazers and Converse are his go-to items.

“Blazers make you look nice and put together, and I add my Converse to dress it down and give it a kid-ish kick!” he said.

It’s all about keeping a good balance, but above all, to develop your own personal look, he suggests, “don’t let other people choose your style for you!”

 

Vianey Villalobos ‘18 would describe her style with three words: simple, semi-fancy and affordable. For Vianey, being simple means opting for one solid color instead of bright colors or patterns; semi-fancy is the adjective she uses to describe her love for wearing boots with heels or skirts and dresses because she enjoys looking dressed-up to an extent. But at the end of the day, it’s all about affordability and wearing clothes that don’t break your bank account.

“Style is expressing what you like and feel.” she says. “It’s weird to say, but if I feel fancy as a person, then I also want to look fancy through my style. People can express their inner self through what they choose to wear. For example, I saw this video of an old woman who said she feels green and her favorite color is green, so everything she wears is green.”

Although she thinks wearing all green could seem a little extreme for others, she still believes that style is expressing who you are and what you want other people to understand about you. Wear whatever calls your attention, “whether it’s mainstream magazine trends or florals in the wintertime.”

 

Yan Yan ‘18, another junior who believes style is about simplicity, describes his look as “innocuous, clean and casual.” Yan doesn’t want to stand out too much, so he tends to gravitate toward plain white shirts and a good, reliable pair of denim jeans. Yan loves having basics and creating different outfits with the clothes he has. Oftentimes, he draws inspiration from “organic geometry.”

For example, he likes the organic appearance of freshly cut and oiled wood because it’s a natural look with intentionality. Yan’s style has become a lot more relaxed and laid-back over the years.

“I used to care and think a lot about what I wore, but now I have so many other more important things to think about,” he says. “There’s always a phase in your life when you’re trying to impress the people around you and like I’m over that phase. Now I’m just dressing according to what makes me feel good about myself.”

For Yan, style simply means being super comfortable and proud about the stuff you own.

“I don’t really have a lot of articles of clothing, but I have a couple pieces that I really like.”

 

Contact Clarissa Gutierrez at cgutier ‘at’ stanford.edu.