Style is a form of self-expression, and quarantine has changed how many people want to present themselves to the world. There’s a push every year for fashion to be about personal confidence and comfortability; however, I think that quarantine has pushed everyone to think about the expression of individuality through clothing in a different way.
Usually, the kick of being “different” phases out pretty quickly with the never-ending cycle of trends constantly going viral. During the quarantine, with all the time that we spent at home, many people went through a period of self-discovery where they changed many things about themselves: haircuts, athletic ability, crafting ability, and style.
Social media and the internet have seen waves of individualism, but more and more people are gaining the confidence to dress the way they want or to DIY some styles at home. Many people have finally been able to display the version of themselves they wish to present to the world through the way they dress.
Many individuals have been able to venture out of their comfort zone when it comes to expressing themselves. People have been finding out different styles from social media and testing them out until they’ve found an aesthetic they’re content wearing.
Senior Eden Kalaj-Rice said, “Over the course of quarantine, my style has shifted for the better. With more time, I was able to teach myself makeup and hairstyles that I never had time to learn before. I also was able to research the best ways to shop for clothes ethically. In short, I was able to find better self-expression that makes me feel my most comfortable self.”
The app TikTok has rekindled the popularity of many old alternative subcultures and styles and newer aesthetics amongst teens and young adults in particular. They try out many popular subculters, either widly loved or deeply hated, such as the VSCO girl style, which consists of larger T-shirts, scrunchies, and puka shell necklaces. The E-boy and E-girl trends are mostly black clothing usually paired with silver accessories and chains. Most recently, there is the cottage core style, which consists of flowy clothes in soft and earthy tones, very light in fabric, and natural themes. Trends online are usually global and always seem more significant than they are in reality; however, it’s nearly impossible to measure the general population’s fashion trends accurately unless they’re precise. Each person’s style is different and unique to themselves and the way they want to be portrayed.

These styles allow people to feel comfortable and confident in their skin. Don’t be afraid to try something new clothing-wise. Senior Gigi Taillon said, “My self-expression became a little freer during quarantine because I realized that we only have so much time with each other, so why bother wasting it by creating barriers and giving false representations of ourselves when we can join together to create a much healthier community.”