Gray Area Mag: Premier Issue

letter from the editors gray a·re·a /grā ˈerēə/

noun A sphere of interest not readily conforming to a category or to an existing set of rules.

Welcome to Gray Area.

We are a fashion and lifestyle magazine focused on the many Gray Areas that exist in the world of trends. Fashion is meant to break the rules and push the boundaries. Our goal is to lead our readers to the unexpected, unconventional, and unfamiliar. We are here to spark new and creative ideas that will constantly reinvent themselves into styles that delight and inspire the Conn Community.

In capturing the incredibly cultivated personal styles across campus, we hope to inform our readers of the personal power that comes with unique individual fashion expression.

Gray Area turns the atypical into the coveted. Predictable is played. It’s time to hone in on the area that is too often overlooked. Whether that area is the undiscussed environmental impact caused by overconsumption and overproduction, or pertinent happenings in the fashion industry that are overshadowed by trends, we want to highlight topics that rarely receive the attention they deserve.

Our mission is to represent ALL people at Connecticut College. We are adamant that every voice is heard in the process of introducing our magazine to campus. We strive to stand for inclusivity. For every photo shoot we host and every issue we publish, we provide an open-invite for all students to participate as models, photographers, stylists, writers, etc.

We hope our first issue exemplifies creativity and diversity, as we are so proud of the efforts each and every member of our organization has made.

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With love, Kendrick & Carly

01 Letter from Editors

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02 Table of Contents 03 Meet the Team 05 Playdate 15 Queer Fashion

PREMIER

ISSUE

1 17 Room 308 21 Black and White 27 Depression and Fashion 29 Met Gala 33 BeadsOfWisdomCo

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the team GRAY AREA ISSUE 1 / VOL. 1

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KENDRICK HAWKINS '23

CARLY DENORA '22

Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief

CREATIVE LAYOUT

GRACIE PILAND '23 Creative Layout Director

MARTA DENNY '22 Creative Layout Assistant

MALACHI WARD '24 Creative Layout Assistant

DEI Co-Director

Head Photographer

EDITING

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION

TALIAH BROADUS '23

KAT CARRION '22

JAZMIN GIMENEZ '25

BRIELLE BLOOD '24 Head Copy Editor

DEI Co-Director

STYLING

SERGIO REYES '24 Styling Director

MAE EMERSON '23 Styling Assistant

SOCIAL

INDIA ROBERT '22

Public Relations Director

IZZY ARTINO '24

Head Makeup Artist

FINANCE

HEATHER EVERED '23 Events Director

SHUMAIL AZIZ '22 Finance Director

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P l a y d a t e 5

Arcade By the water Carly Denora Kendrick HAwkins MBM Fun Center Arcade was the site of Gray Area Magazine’s first ever photoshoot. Owned and operated by the Mullen family since 1993, the arcade boasts 170 classic retro games including a pinball machine and “Ice Ball Alley Roller”, both from 1970. This spot is definitely one of New London’s hidden gems and proved to be the perfect location for Gray Area’s debut. People come from all over the state just to play at the arcade. Visitors can also enjoy Ocean Beach Park, as the arcade is right on the half-mile boardwalk next to the mini golf course, ice cream shop, swimming pool, waterslide, and carnival. Gamers can get their fill of Pac-Man and then hop on the carousel or ferris wheel.

Unfortunately, both COVID-19 and vandalism have made the arcade's past two summers very difficult. When the pandemic hit, the arcade was forced to close during its busiest time of year. Owner Jeff Mullen took this time to repaint all the carousel horses. He dedicated them to first responders. His daughter, Lindsay Mullen, explained that the arcade is a “labor of love," and their whole family cherishes what they have built together over the years. Today, they remain open, even after closing, because they know how much this place means to other people. This past summer, however, they came to work to find their property in shambles. The water slide was ruined, signs were stolen, and fences were destroyed, costing over $4,000 in damage. The state of their park brought tears to their eyes as they cleaned up the mess.

Despite the terrible chaos, Jeff Mullen and his family came together to rebuild the amusement park and polish up the gem that so many come to enjoy. Lindsay Mullen explained that they decided to keep going because "all they want to do is make kids and families happy."

Original Gamer 9

While the amusement park is only open during the warmer summer months from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the arcade stays open year-round. The family has intentionally made the arcade very affordable so that everyone can enjoy the space. Tokens are twenty-five cents each and games only cost one token! Prizes line the walls for kids to collect and bring smiles to faces of all ages. Lindsay Mullen remembers a summer when a woman of 96 years old came into the arcade to reminisce about her time at Ocean Beach in 1938. The arcade has always been a place where people can gather, share stories, and make memories together. Lindsay explained she wouldn't have wanted to grow up anywhere else; she’s happy she can give people a unique experience.

gamer Magazine

Childsplay

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Models wearing designs from A.Potts' SS22 line.Getty Images

Co-Opting Queer Fashion Within the recent realm of mainstream fashion, there has been an increasingly prevalent integration of clothing, accessories, and styles from predominantly queer people, specifically in younger generations. Oversized clothing, funky earrings, beanies, button-ups, elaborate rings, cargo pants, and high tops - these items alone do not necessarily connote queer fashion. Yet, when worn simultaneously, these clothing items and accessories oftentimes are likely to signal an expression of queerness. Many cultural factors arguably contribute to this new phenomena, such as fast fashion, the pandemic, and new forms of social media, i.e. TikTok. While TikTok brought on many cultural changes during the pandemic and beyond - especially in 15

middle, high school, and college-aged individuals - the app also deeply influenced the world of fashion, incorporating what has been historically queer styles into popular fashion.

Whatever the cause may be, queer fashion no longer remains simply queer fashion, and there are broader cultural implications to this dynamic.

There are many elements of this takeover which are relevant to acknowledge, but perhaps the most important is the discourse of cultural appropriation. While the term cultural appropriation is certainly intimidating and perhaps overused, the term truly does apply to this trend. Cultural appropriation is: "the adoption, usually without acknowledgment, of cultural identity

markers from minority communities into mainstream culture by people with a relatively privileged status." In Layman's terms, queer fashion is incapable of remaining intrinsically queer, if non-queer individuals wear items and use styles which have typically been culturally queer.

(The irony in all of this is that queer fashion, such as the items which I reference, is derived from Black culture).

Another issue with this cultural theft of queer style is the way that the queer community engages with fashion. For individuals within the queer community, queer styles are not only methods of expressing themselves, but also identification markers. By wearing specific items of clothing, queer people have been able to signal association with the community, without having to specifically out themselves. There was a comfort found in this approach to outward expression which has now been stolen from the community for the purpose of serving fast fashion trends.

Recently, fast fashion itself has been acknowledged as a critical issue which has received much attention and backlash, but further, by adopting queer style, this suggests a deeper rooted issue -- that queer fashion is a "trend" which can be utilized by a predominately straight fashion world until it is no longer in style, and therefore will revert to simply being queer.

This entire integration process has signaled to queer youth that their fashion, their culture, can be adopted and discarded at any time, just as other "trends" have been.

Personally, as a queer individual, there are days I dress as such and days where I recognize that my outfit is straight-passing, but critically, I have noticed that this line has become more and more blurred. I’ve had many conversations with my younger (and trendier) sister, and her queer best friend, about this amalgamation of straight and queer fashion. In years past, my sister’s best friend and I would joke about our outfits being obviously and openly gay, whereas my sister’s style was distinctly different (inherently straight). Now, the three of us often recognize how similarly we are dressed and how typically indiscernible the token straight of our group is. What disheartens me is that queer fashion "trends" are most present in middle and high schoolers' wardrobes, which means that currently, impressionable queer youth do not seem to have any distinctive, unique style which would proudly identify them as queer. Queer fashion has always been interesting, creative, and often superior (!!) to that of the mainstream. With popular culture appropriating these styles, queer individuals and youth have been made to suffer as the fashion world watches, indifferent to their plight, already planning the next trend.

Words By Alexa Beckstein 16

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WHY I SEE MY LIFE IN BLACK AND WHITE

WRITTEN BY: SERGIO REYES

B

y the title of the article, I know it looks like this is going to be some deep and depressing story. Rest assured that is not the case. "Life in Black and White" is what I consider the story of my fashion evolution and how I want the world to perceive me. It all began when I was a kid. From as far back as I can remember, my mom has always berated me about my appearance, when all I wanted was to be a little sweaty boy, running around, without a care in the world. Fashion should be a kid’s last priority, yet my mom’s lessons taught me otherwise. I do not know what it is about my mom — and I am not sure if this is true for most Hispanic households — but she taught me to always look my best. One of her lessons was to ingrain into me that I am to be extremely embarrassed about being seen in pajamas. Instead, I have to make sure that my outfits are always coordinated.

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It took a long time for me to figure out my personal style. I wore a uniform for most of my childhood and pre-teen years, so I frequently used sober/basic colors. Things started to change when I entered high school because I had the free will to wear anything I wanted. Therefore, I started to experiment with bright colors. I remember wearing a pair of colorful Hawaiian shorts for most of my freshman year, which I still have to this day. Back in my high school years, which was only a year and a half ago, I was under the impression that the more colors I wore, the better. I liked the idea of having different colored shirts, shoes, pants, and outerwear. Orange was usually my goto when choosing garments. Based on compliments and experiences, I am confident that some of my past outfits were as good as I wanted them to be, while some just failed to fulfill their purpose.

As a first-generation student of color, fashion became important to me in high school; it was one of the few ways I could truly express myself. Surely, I had extracurricular activities and good grades, but that was never fulfilling because I was always searching for a signature look, in order to stand out from the crowd. This desire has been with me for the last couple of years, but my fashion sense has changed significantly. Generally speaking, I have always tried to be rebellious, unique, and creative, which is why I usually gravitate towards bold colors that are risky and not worn by many people regularly. However, my colorful side faded away once I got to college. Something worth noting is that as much as I love fashion, it is not necessarily something I see myself pursuing after graduation. I am a Government major who hopes to have a political/journalism career, and in order to achieve this, I need to be perceived as a serious person in the real world. Even though black is "too gloomy and only for funerals," according to the great Anna Wintour, who is Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, it has become my favorite color.

Wearing black and white outfits was a decision that required a lot of thought and planning. Getting rid of all my clothing, in order to pursue my new style decisions, is unsustainable, and unaffordable. As a result, the exceptions to my black and white rule are: gray, silver, gold, and blue denim. When I am not wearing both colors, I manage to combine at least one of them with my colorful garments, such as an orange shirt with black pants or a white shirt with jeans for a casual outfit. My proclivity for these two colors was fueled when I learned that Capricorns’ lucky color is black, and since I am an atheist, astrology is my “higher power.”

There are many obstacles to my new rule. One of the original reasons behind wearing black and white was to avoid challenges, and increase time-management, when picking an outfit. However, this backfired since two colors tend to be repetitive and boring, resulting in me needing to be more creative. To avoid monotony, I have managed to get black and white garments in different prints and materials: polka dot, houndstooth, velvet, and leather, among others. Furthermore, not many people agree with my decision as some think that I may be depressed or that I have turned emo. Aside from the creative challenge and backlash, I am never looking back on colors, and I am not even tempted because I have come to realize that this wardrobe change is simply pleasant as well as manageable. There is something so satisfying about seeing my closet almost entirely monochrome… so sophisticated… so peaceful.

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DEPRESSION AND FASHION *TRIGGER WARNING FOR DISCUSSION OF DEPRESSION*

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WORDS BY India Roberts

Like most people, my college experience has been a series of ups and downs. Between mental health issues, sick family members, and the pandemic, the experience has been anything but what I was expecting. Although I've been able to find a great deal of my identity during this time, the challenges I have faced have felt unbearable at certain moments. Through my past three years, fashion has been a lifesaver for me, and my main self-care practice. Putting on makeup, doing my nails, and trying on fun outfits has kept joy and self-love in my life, despite the hardships. Putting clothing on that I feel good in has been the only thing getting me out of the room some days. Therefore, I believe the narrative that "fashion is a frivolous, stupid endeavor" is harmful, because for some people it is connected to how they survive. Different garments can disguise how you’re feeling, allowing you to show up and appear confident, despite whatever struggles you're facing in your personal life. This mask may seem harmful, but it allows people struggling with depression, heartache, ill family members, monetary problems, or abuse of any kind, to show up and function in their daily lives. As someone with chronic depression, the clothes I wear have made me confident enough to face the day and complete the tasks that I sometimes feel too depleted to tackle.

My freshman year was a period of time where I wore the craziest clothing. Three weeks into school, my sister called me and said that doctors had found a tumor in her body; they thought it may be cancerous. Little did any of us know that she, a healthy fifteen-year-old girl, had stage four metastatic cancer. It would be an understatement to say that I did not handle this period of time very well. I hardly cared about schoolwork, and I spent most of my days eating pizza and watching television. It is true that I had friends and did some of my schoolwork, but for the most part I was checked out in a crazy depression. Most days I would manage to get out of bed, put some wild clothing on to mask my lack of confidence, and create an impenetrable facade. Medication and therapy helped, but for the most part, I faked my way through the year.

Dressing up and styling other people, joining a fashion club, and forging space to feel good despite the current state of affairs was how I got by.

The new Gray Area club is important for this campus, because it provides an outlet for future and current students who are in tough predicaments, or are recovering from trauma. Self expression is truly how some people are hanging on to their life- creating art and design through the pain. This magazine is a beacon of hope, a source of joy, and a celebration of identity. My sister is now in remission, and she has been for about two years now. I’m lucky and grateful to be part of this magazine, and to be a healthy, content human going to school and learning everyday. I want this magazine to be a place where ALL students get to escape from their lives for some time to be abstract, free, and colorful. I remember covering Kendrick’s "Room of Their Own" freshman year and being shocked at the attention to detail, plethora of vintage family photos, and the obvious dedication she had put into creating her room. I know that this year and next year the magazine will be in good hands, and I can’t wait for the many new faces who will hopefully join, and the creative minds already on the team.

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THE MET GALA:

THE GENDER POLITICS OF FEMINE DRESS ON MEN

WRITTEN BY ROSE G

The men of Hollywood have been participating in gender politics, and it has become problematic. In 2019, Billy Porter stunned the world in a suit that extended into a dress. In 2020, Harry Styles appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine, creating lots of commotion online. In his article interview, Styles describes his experiences with feminine fashion: "I find myself looking at women’s clothes, thinking they’re amazing," Since he was a kid, he has enjoyed dressing up, and recalls a time where he had to wear tights for a role in the school play. He references this experience as, perhaps, what piqued his interest in experimenting with clothing. ​"As a kid I definitely liked fancy dress," ... "I remember it was crazy to me that I was wearing a pair of tights."

Harry Styles has been challenging these gender norms for quite a while now. For example, at last year's Met Gala, he accessorized with a pearl-drop earring. He also wore rings during the interview, which has become a popularized trend, by some on TikTok. "He has a new army of mini purses," remarks Lambert, Styles’ stylist. A dress (pictured), made for this shoot, spurred conversations, which revealed that

29 CREDIT: TYLER MITCHELL

many loved how it challenged the societal norms. Since Harry has been seen as the epitome of masculinity by many, its impact was even greater. Others hated it, and claimed that this was trying to push a leftist agenda. Many on the right claimed that masculine men were dying, and they missed this presentation of masculinity. One of these people, Candace Owens, tweeted that "There is no society that can survive without strong men. The East knows this. In the West, the steady feminization of our men at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence. It is an outright attack. Bring back manly men." There is much to unpack in this quote, but I would like to focus on the aftermath.

While it was clear that Harry was interested in wearing a dress to send a message that clothing should not be attached to gender, others who have participated do not have similar intent. "There’s so much joy to be had in playing with clothes." says Harry, "I’ve never thought too much about what it means—it just becomes this extended part of creating something." Another man who has worn traditionally feminine clothing is Pete Davidson (pictured below) who recently wore a dress to the 2021 Met Gala. At this point, people past Republicans, who may see feminization as evil, are starting to question the intent behind men who wear dresses. I see their point! Beyond simply jumping on the trend, wearing feminine items was seen as a PSA that you were taking these steps and working on your misogynistic upbringing, while simultaneously becoming an ally to women and femme individuals. It is difficult to tell which of these men are actually reflecting on their privilege and perpetuation of the Patriarchy, and which are simply hopping on the trend; in order to receive validation or to be labeled as the next "woke king."

It amazes me how wearing powdered wigs and heels was seen as a highly masculine action whereas now, imitating anything that is comparable to what a women wears, disrupts the Patriarchy. I wonder why this exists in Western culture when, in other cultures, men wear feminine items, such as the Scottish kilt, and it is perceived as natural and normal. Kilts are not depicted as feminine, yet are very close to skirts in terms of functionality and appearance; but still we do not perceive this as the feminization of Scottish men. Traditional garb for Arab men are longer shirts that function as a maxi dress, and this is not seen as feminization. Married men can wear rings without being called feminized. People reacted differently to Billy Porter, probably because he is an openly gay man, and we stereotypically associate femininity and flamboyancy with gay men. Why is Billie Porter, Harry Styles, or Pete Davidson wearing dresses any different?

Again, many online participated in conversations. Some pointed out that they are highly skeptical that someone like Pete Davidson, who has jock-like mannerisms, would be so reflective about a global system of oppression. While I see their point, especially since feminine dress was popularized prior to the Met Gala, we do not know his intentions. Ultimately, it would be great if, considering the impression he gives others, he was deliberately reflecting on his privilege and worked on becoming an outspoken ally.

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Now, rather than being afraid of the criticism and stigma in reaction to wearing a dress, men can instead be opportunistic; wanting to receive validation and trust of an oppressed community to conceal their problematic ways of thinking and behavior. This way, they cannot be questioned for such actions. The trendiness of wearing feminine dress has slowly dissipated. Women have made jokes saying, "If he wears rings, run!" which implements the toxicity that surrounds femininity in men. If men value gender-based introspection and becoming better allies, they can do so without announcing it in a way where they can get validation. At the same time, men can alter how these announcements are made. It is not our job to distinguish which men we can trust, but instead, it is up to men to show us through their actions that they are worthy of our trust.

Additionally, validation towards men for doing the bare minimum needs to stop. Women and femmes should be valued enough to be treated with respect. However, rather than men taking this as encouragement to do the internal work, the easy route is taken and performed instead. As a society, it is better to focus on the men who are doing this reflective work rather than the men who are simply performing it.

CREDIT: MIKE COPPOLA

CREDIT: DAZED

Amelia Kirby is a senior at Connecticut College, majoring in Environmental Studies and minoring in Economics. She has always had a passion for entrepreneurship, so she started her own Etsy business, BeadsOfWisdomCo, which she began in April 2020 right when the pandemic hit. Her goal is to put a smile on people's faces during difficult times. Kirby makes all of her jewelry by hand and welcomes custom orders! In this issue, Gray Area models wear her pieces in "Playdate."

Find Amelia's affordable pieces on Etsy and Instagram at BeadsOfWisdomCo.

Entrepreneur

Student

BeadsOfWisdomCo 33

Amelia Kirby

Outtakes