Square Magazine Second Edition "Parallels in Time and Fashion"

SQUARE MAGAZINE edition

SLELLARAP

second

in time & fashion

a special thank you to Dr. Wenger & The School of Journalism and New Media Lou Alidor, Jasmine Gibbs, Joe Hogue, Cara Krugmann, Mary McMath, Tiffany Nguyen, Ruby Reeves, Ellis Ross, Sofia Sanchez, Bridget Sprandel, & Caroline Taylor The Chancellor's House Bottletree Bakery & every reader, follower, and supporter of Square Magazine.

We would be nothing without you and your loyalty.

Thank you.

letter from the editors The rapid changes happening before our eyes are entrancing and it should be no surprise that our team found a pattern in the fastpaced blur of new ideas and ideals that make our modernday life what it is. Seeing parallels between the past and present is as easy as seeing a reflection in a mirror. As mere mortals compared to the enigmatic element of time, our infatuation with these similarities is painted throughout these pages. Our team’s relentless tenacity has allowed this labor of love to come to life. We could not be more proud to release the second print edition of Square.

Throughout these first few years I have seen Square evolve into something I had always dreamed of having at the University. It has been such a privilege to work alongside such talented individuals and to share a common vision in creating meaningful artistic expression. Square would not be the same without each and every person who has contributed - I will always be grateful for each of you.

While times are always changing, this year our staff was intrigued by the parallels of fashion from the past, to the present, and into the future.

We hope through our second edition we can engage you, inspire you, and give you a glimpse into what Square is all about.

DIRECTORS COPY EDITOR: Eleanor Hoover DIGITAL COPY EDITOR: Haley Clift

ED

IT O RIAL

Bella Duncan, Addie Flasck, Hailey Layne, Tyler Leik, Grace Logan, MC Middleton, Briley Rakow, Aliza Warner, Claire Watkiss

DIG

&

TEAMS 2021-2022

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Jacie Unland CREATIVE PLANNER: Isabelle McLeod DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Dawson Wilson

EATIVE R C

Sam Dakauskas, Ruth Emmerich, Anne McLain Hebert, Gracie Farquhar, Clay Lambert, Sheridan Mark, Xenia Minton, Grace Spencer, Kaitlyn Steinroeder, Elizabeth Stephenson

ITAL

DIGITAL DIRECTOR: Nicole James Emily Bone, Kristen Jebeles

BU

SOCIAL DIRECTORS: Kylie Cockrell, Molly Roberts

SO CIAL Taylor Dedeaux, Madalyn Dudley, Tessa McLane, Sarah Tonos

SIN ESS

BUSINESS DIRECTOR: Kate Abraham Grace Barrett, Liz Burnet, Millie Conn, Joseph Curcio

table of contents

01

PAST

02

PRESENT

03

FUTURE

01 page 6

the

LEGEND

of American Beauty

BY: ELENA OSSOSKI PHOTOS BY: DAWSON WILSON

The individual with the confidence to express oneself through sartorial choices, carry their head high with just the right amount of justified pride, a megawatt smile, and have a giving heart that radiates kindness to others as well as themselves has been referred to as an American Beauty. A sleek little black dress from the House of Dior may help one achieve this air of beauty, but by no means is it the sole benefactor of this covetable title.

The enchanting charms of a woman are celebrated by society almost as much as a national holiday. Someone who embodies the essence of “American Beauty” is rightfully fawned over for their ability to speak kindly and carry themselves with grace, yet this highly sought-after appearance has always been more complex than what meets the eyes of mesmerized onlookers.

“The girl next door” has been used time and time again in an attempt to describe the irrefutable charm of an American Beauty: someone who embodies internal and external beauty in seamless unison. Women like Grace Kelly, the press-proclaimed “American Princess,” are often referred to as the epitome of beauty in American standards by infiltrating her enchanting charms, talent, poise, and warmth into every walk of life.

Before the days of internet fame, the most admirable thing a person could do was devote their lives to being the best version of themselves for themselves and their loved ones. Likes and online and engagement have muddied the idea of being one’s "best self": a tiresome term that has been so overused it seems to have beaten itself to death. But alas, being the best in everything you do has seemingly always been the only way our PAST - PAGE 7

society identifies the qualities that we have chosen to recognize as our country’s standard of beauty. To be beautiful has a breadth of meaning, but it is all about the ability to capture the attention of spectators in some capacity, whether or not the consequential attention is chased after.

Americans have marveled at the grace and selfless actions of their neighbors and role models alike (case in point, Grace Kelly). The secret to achieving beauty was quickly, and rather infamously commercialized.

Cosmetics available for purchase at every corner store and permanent hair dye you can do on yourself at home gained popularity in the blink of an eye as they created the illusion to our country of consumers that beauty is something that you can buy with the simple swipe of your credit card.

Despite the charges on our bank statements and the noise from media-oriented for the male gaze, the essence of American beauty is more than a handful of trips to the makeup counter and unrealistic “American Beauty” archetype of a woman with perfect hair and striking eyes with only a mere thought or two in her head. Being an “American Beauty” is really all about being the best in someone’s eyes, but we’ll unpack that later.

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how fashion has BY: ADDIE FLASCK ILLUSTRATION BY: ELENA OSSOSKI

D I S R U

Fashion, despite being an art form, is far too often denigrated as a glorified game of dress up. Lumped into many notions of the fashion industry is the perception of it being a joint commercial enterprise between dog-eat-dog internships and money-driven CEOs. Widely underappreciated are the societal contributions made by fashion designers. Without a doubt, the trends that appear on runways and trickle into our closets are often designed to capture the zeitgeist of a given time period. However, some of the most iconic clothing pieces in history have been those designed not to reflect an era, but to disrupt it completely. Changes in society are reflected in the clothing used to express ourselves, but the relationship between history and fashion is a two-way street. In the same way that we change our clothes, history shows that our clothes change us. Though many think of fashion design as a way to simply follow pre-existing trends, the art has long been harnessed as a tool to ignite change and express a desire to transfigure the status quo. Fashion is more than a reflection of society, it is an impetus for progress.

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Take, for example, the little black dress (LBD).

What is now an unequivocal wardrobe staple began as an effort to redefine the boundaries of women’s evening wear. In 1926, when Coco Chanel christened the LBD with an illustration featured in American Vogue, wearing the color black was reserved for people who belonged to one of two distinctions: widows or servants. Nonetheless, Chanel asserted the design as one of timeless elegance. The long-sleeved, loose-fitting style with minimal detailing blurred class divides by offering a design that was chic enough for high society yet simple enough to be recreated by anyone with a sewing machine. In true 1920s flapper fashion, the dress' allure relied entirely on the garment itself as opposed to a closely fitted accentuation of the female body.

Even as the Great Depression took hold, the sophistication of the LBD helped it skyrocketed in popularity. Now, just as Chanel had predicted, the LBD has sustained as a classic symbol of understated refinement for women everywhere.

P T E D

history

Though the launch of the LBD was a change of pace for both women and the fashion industry, it was granted a far smoother transition into the mainstream than other designs. Twenty years after the LBD’s rise to glory the bikini incited such an uproar that it remained overwhelmingly resisted in America for over a decade after its reveal. The bikini was first unveiled by French designer Louis Réard who covered the piece in newspaper as a foreshadowing of the inevitable headlines that would follow the swimsuit’s debut. The swimsuit was a daring novelty in conservative eyes of the 1940s. Despite being bashed by fashion magazines and harshly criticized by the public, the bikini eventually became a symbol of liberation and freedom to women in the postwar United States at the same time it rose to popularity in Europe. The suit’s acceptance into society, no matter how ambivalent, undoubtedly helped redefine previously demure expectations surrounding women’s bodies and clothing. By the 1960s sentiments regarding women’s clothing had a long way to go.

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At the time, American culture was deeply entrenched in narrow views of what it meant to be feminine; particularly in the workplace where strict dress codes for women enforced their inferiority to their male counterparts who sported suits without regulation.

Enter Yves Saint Laurent’s (YSL) 1966 autumn-winter collection named “Le Smoking.” In a shockingly controversial launch, the label unveiled what is widely accredited to be the first tuxedo for women. Though subsequent backlash proved the garment was ahead of its time, it represented many of the fundamental values of the feminist movement.

By presenting pants as a feminine item, the YSL “Le Smoking” tuxedo successfully challenged oppressive gender stereotypes and demanded freedom for women to dress for practicality as opposed to the male gaze.

A calculated risk, YSL’s design ultimately helped usher the U.S. into the second-wave feminist movement and cleared the stage for women’s fashion as we know it today.

Of course, the list of unsung crusaders within the fashion industry does not start nor end with only a few notable pieces. Art has helped shape humans for as long as there have been humans to be shaped. Fashion is living, changing, and it is a reflection of ourselves that is fastidiously incarnated by some of the world’s most inspiring creators. At its core, the world of fashion is fueled by designers who seek to make a societal impact with their work, to express their ideas freely, and to understand that fashion is not always the same as what is in style.

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PHOTOS BY: XENIA MINTON, DAWSON WILSON

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02 page 18

the

REALITY

BY: ELENA OSSOSKI PHOTOS BY: DAWSON WILSON

of American Beauty

Without playing into cookie-cutter standards of physical beauty, the true brilliance that lies in the legend of American beauty is the appeal to be one’s “best” in every way possible. Society has notoriously rewarded those who prove themselves to be the “best” even if it is to the point of their own demise. As many of us gawk at the perceptions of American Beauties we have in our minds, it is easy to forget that the reality of true beauty has nothing to do with the experience of the spectator.

While it is not important or even necessary for something or someone to be perceived as beautiful, beauty entrances us. Being entranced by beauty can be misconstrued as worshipping vanity. Once again, recalling the fame of a silver screen star, it has been noted that the late Audrey Hepburn was admired for her poise and charity just as much as she was for her looks and onscreen talent.

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The complexity of her beauty lay in the poise with which she carried herself and the charity she showed to those in need, therefore expunging any connection between beauty and vanity.

Like any of the countless, infamous beauties that have come before us, anyone could be the person who brings joy to others through a momentary smile in the elevator or inspires someone by dressing in what makes them happy. The quality of individual beauty is a birthright that we all have and it remains infinitely more valuable than the woes of materialistic beauty. Despite how far we have come in terms of embracing beauty in every form, our society is still burdened by and filled with a bombardment of advertisements, including ones that try to sell beauty as a product. Beauty cannot be bought, sold, borrowed, or bartered. Obtaining beauty is not possible because it is not something you can hold in your hands.

The spirit of quintessential beauty reveals itself just as much in citizens who live in dull corners of unknown towns as it does in the Hollywood universe of borrowed couture and plastic aesthetics. The essence of American beauty is never going to be achieved through the temporary charms of bleached teeth or Rapunzel’s locks. It is about being the best for the sake of yourself and no one else. American beauty is self-indulgent and blind in a way that it is free of barriers and issues that may arise from glorifying physical appearance.

The essence of American beauty is all about the distinct perceptions one has of themself. Although our lives are constantly susceptible to other people’s perceptions and prejudices, the only opinion of ourselves that matters is our own. As the saying goes, beauty is, and always will be, in the eye of the beholder.

With this in mind, how can we confidently call something inherently beautiful while simultaneously striving for American beauty?

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southern

DISCOMFORT

BY: ISABELLE MCLEOD ILLUSTRATION BY: ELENA OSSOSKI

The South is a place known to be rooted in traditions. These traditions are known and loved by those born in the South. But some, when really examined in aspects of our culture today, can seem trite. While the idea of a swipe of lipstick being able to cure your sad mood or wearing white after labor day being a fashion faux pas sounds dated, these passed-down rules from great grandparents and before are a reflection of what people used to, and sometimes still hold dear in their culture.

That being said, these traditions are not all bad, and many years of living in the South confirm the idea of “southern comfort” that many know and love.

Southern memories of hot humid summers with cold glasses of iced tea, warm hugs from family members, beautiful tablescapes, and “meat and three” style dinners evoke a certain sense of style. All of this considered, the entirety of existing or growing up in the South begs for tradition, class, and heeding to the idea of appearance having a certain expectation.

Southern fashion, though, is not all monograms, cowgirl boots, bows, and Lilly Pulitzer.

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When thinking about what fashion means for many of today's experimentations with bold outfits, mixing prints, maximalism, masculine silhouettes, Southern tradition begins to turn on its head to create this idea of “Southern discomfort.”

"Southern discomfort” can be seen as, namely, making Southerners uncomfortable when looking, dressing, or being different from what everyone else in the region is used to seeing or interacting with. There is an air of uniformity when trends cycle through late to smaller cities and stick to almost every person getting dressed in the morning. In a college town such as Oxford, Mississippi, you do not see a lot of variety in outfit choices; whether it be boys wearing t-shirts, button-downs, and khaki pants or girls wearing different versions of the same sweater with jeans or leggings. This mass mentality of dressing seems to stem from a place of not only comfort but conformity.

Tradition is ingrained into Southern style in that everyone aims to dress just different enough to be an individual yet remain unnoticed. And that mentality often results in outfit blueprints that we see repeated over and over again until a new, acceptable trend stumbles upon the scene.

Everyone has a personal style that they feel comfortable wearing, but reactions are mixed when a person chooses to dress differently than what is expected.

This is something that is happening more so in the South because of the conformity of fashion and a greater lack of variety in people's personal style.

Fashion is supposed to set you apart because it is a form of individual expression, meant to inspire and be shared. Fashion, while it has a different meaning from person to person, is at its core meant to bring excitement to people. It is a form of art through self-expression simply by choosing what to wear each day.

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"This mass mentality of dressing seems to stem from a place of not only comfort but conformity."

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Living in a small town in Mississippi presents the opportunity to stand out as that does not exist as easily in a more fashion-forward, heavily populated city.

Walking the streets of somewhere like New York simulates a fashion show, with each person’s individual style saturating the city streets. Individual dressing is becoming more common in the South, especially in Oxford where many out-ofstate college students bring styles from less traditional places. Social media has also played a big role in inspiring people to explore new types of clothing and dress not just how they think they should dress while living in the South, but dress in how they like.

When individuals try to oppose the mass mentality of basic trends, they start to question not only clothing choices but southern traditions. This is where “Southern discomfort” comes to life; in change-makers choosing to move on from traditional ways of appearance in exciting ways, encouraging other individuals in the South to break away from the traditional dress they’ve always known. “Southern comfort” is not bad, but the “Southern discomfort” that change brings about is equally important to the art of fashion existing to inspire people in the South.

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trends throughout time BY: BRILEY RAKOW

PHOTOS BY: DAWSON WILSON Fashion is a constantly evolving cycle of trends with different silhouettes and styles each taking their turn on the main stage. Every decade is commemorated by how we repurpose styles of the past to fit a modern aesthetic. To determine how modern fashion evolved into the trends we see today, we must look no further than the biggest trends of decades past.

The countercultural wave of the 1960s saw bright colors, patterns, and tie-dye as everyday wear, similar to where these elements are today. As French bombshell Brigitte Bardot rose to fame, so did her signature look of a simple mini skirt paired with go-go boots. This trend has recently resurfaced as tall, structured boots paired with skirts and dresses. On the more sophisticated side, the 1960s saw natural outlines rise to prominence with fashion icons such as Jackie Kennedy sporting silhouettes that hung straight alongside the body rather than hugging its curves. This silhouette currently takes form in the way of oversized clothing for both men and women.

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Now, thanks to 1960s inspiration, fashion is encouraging body positivity through less revealing and constricting styles.

The freedom of clothing seen in the 1960s was amplified as the 1970s approached and antiwar movements sparked the “flower power” aesthetic that defined the era. The nonconformity of 1970s fashion was revolutionary and continues to inspire modern generations to step out of their comfort zone and wear clothes that represent who they are. Higher waistlines, wider pant legs, and platform shoes that dominated the 1970s are all trends that have likewise dominated the past decade, with pieces like bell-bottoms, maxi skirts, and platform mules returning to storefronts and closets around the world.

Clothing has always been used as a tool of expression, and moments in history are often marked by the fashion of the time. The fashion world is an ever-evolving cycle of trends, but it is this evolution that makes its prevalence constant.

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the evolution of women's roles in fashion BY: MC MIDDLETON

PHOTOS BY: KAITLYN STEINROEDER, DAWSON WILSON Fashion styles are indicators of the times. Often viewed through the lens of feminism, women’s fashion over the past century has alluded to female power and presence in society. Styles such as trousers, miniskirts, and revealing ensembles call to mind icons who altered the course of women’s fashion and marked changes to women's roles in western society. Today, a woman can be anything. She can run a boardroom, lead a social movement, raise a family, or do them all at once.

The Women’s Suffrage movement used the ever-important image of a proper woman to its advantage. Original suffragettes aimed to be seen as proper and dainty until the movement gained traction. Activists were later seen dressed in smart trousers, which eventually ushered the trouser into the western woman’s closet. Ever since the suffrage movement, menswear has become a mainstream staple in every woman’s closet as the ready-to-wear seasons pass by.

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The 1960s ushered in an era of mod styles, social change, and second-wave feminism.

Futuristic colors, cuts, and designs in metallic fabrics and tall all-weather boots went hand in hand with the rise of the Space Age. All the while, explosions of floral, checkerboard, and psychedelic prints were seen on the runway and on icons such as Twiggy. Mary Quant’s mini skirt made waves and altered the trajectory of what was considered acceptable in women’s fashion. Though hemlines were gradually rising, the sudden rollout of legbaring skirts and hot pants was a sign of freedom and social change whether society was ready for it or not.

When MTV hit the air in 1981, the world consumed pop culture at a rate never before seen. Television, music, and film had a grip on viewers and listeners that was reflected in fashion through the rise of denim, leather, abundant accessories, and sky-high hair.

High waistlines returned to popularity, but this time with the power of advertising. Hip-hop, rock, and pop performers had fans who followed for both their art and their style. Madonna shook the world when she stepped on stage in a bra that most know without much introduction. The iconic 80s shoulder pad and power suits celebrate the surge of the working woman.

Fashion is one of the most important aspects of female perception. While fashion is not what made these possibilities true, it marks the timeline to show when women gained their power, their confidence, and place at the table. Women have not always been free to express themselves without being chastised by the media or their communities.

When a woman was expected to fit into a predetermined place, the styles that defined these moments in time are what we use to gauge where they stood in their homes, communities, and cultures.

"While fashion is not what made these possibilities true, it marks the timeline to show when women gained their power, their confidence, and place at the table."

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the origin of trends

BY: GRACE LOGAN ILLUSTRATION BY: RUTH EMMERICH

Fashion trends shape society. “Everybody is wearing it” with “it” subjectively changing over time. However, where did these trends begin and how did women’s fashion transition from dresses showing no body shape to it being socially acceptable to wear anything and everything today? Who rocked the leather jacket first? When did denim become essential to a closet?

Why are headbands a thing? The list of trends continues. Some of these trends that have evolved throughout history have interesting origins from around the globe.

Beginning with the iconic leather jacket. What was first used during wartime as a soldier’s uniform quickly became a statement in many wardrobes. Prior to the first World War, leather jackets were seldom used in the military, specifically the pilots. In 1928, United States immigrant Irving Schott designed a leather jacket for motorcyclists to wear which was sold at a Harley Davidson store in New York City.

The jacket quickly became a phenomenon. In the 1950s, after years of motorcyclists owning the leather jacket, it made its way onto n the big screens. Marlon Brando and James Dean both sported leather jackets in some of their most popular films of the era such as “Wild One” and “Rebel Without a Cause.”

This created the “rebellious” and “bad boy” personas the jacket represented.

With Hollywood’s backing, the leather jacket would not go anywhere and only continued to grow in popularity. In the 1970s and the 1980s, Joan Jett and Blondie were some of the first women to rock the leather jacket. Because of this, women branched out into the leather world and today women’s fashion incorporates leather into more than just a jacket. It has been a staple ever since.

Denim is something no one can live without and everyone has their favorite pair of jeans. Denim jeans were invented in the 1800s in the French town Nîmes.

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The original name was “Bleu de Nîmes” which was eventually shortened to denim over time because of the influence of French slang. In 1873, denim was patented by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss prompting the first mass production of jeans.

Hollywood again supported the growth of the product as celebrities like John Wayne, Ginger Rogers, and Carole Lombard were seen wearing denim in various western films. In the 1930s, Vogue is quoted as calling jeans “Western chic,” Brando and Dean brought forth the “rebellious” persona yet again combining denim jeans with leather jackets. Blue jeans made their runway debut in Calvin Klein’s 1976 collection.

The corset dates back to the early 16th century and can be found in fashion history across Europe. Particularly, it is seen in Crete, Greece in early sketches. It was originally employed to shape the female body and has since evolved into an iconic piece of clothing. The corset has changed its purpose for women throughout history.

For example, in the 1800s women strived for an hourglass shape while in the 1900s the corset was used to show off an “S” shape. There was a decline in wearing corsets as an undergarment from 1940 to 1970 as the thought that corsets caused respiratory diseases and birth defects grew and decreased the popularity of the item In 1970, Vivienne Westwood revived the trend with a reimagined corset into a top for women to wear rather than it being hidden beneath clothes. Jean Paul Gaultier and Thierry Mugler followed the trend seen on the runways. Today, corsets are used as statement pieces in a variety of outfits for both men and women.

These origins are just some examples of how the fashion world is globally influenced. From Europe to the United States and everywhere in between, trends begin all over and take shape in so many different ways. Trends help connect the globe throughout history. The “it” item has more history than many realize and fashion’s influence on culture around the world is undeniable.

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03

TIMELESS

American Beauty

BY: ELENA OSSOSKI PHOTOS BY: SAM DAKAUSAS, KAITLYN STEINROEDER, DAWSON WILSON

What began as a term used to describe the exceptionally well-rounded charmers of the past and the fashion-forward yet philanthropic tycoons of today, American beauty is a mere illusion of how we perceive others based on individual gauges of success.

Having a fixation on beautiful things is not a vice. Our society’s love affair with the quintessence of pure American beauty has manifested into a worldwide obsession.

Consequently, we continue to work tirelessly on projecting our own ideas of success through every aspect of our lives, including individual notions of what we consider to be marks of true beauty.

If American beauty is the result of a truly personal experience of striving for internal greatness, any function of society that stresses the importance of an individual’s external appearance seems incognizant to the timeless values that humans hold near and dear.

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While the concept of American beauty has been picked apart, it is extremely difficult to define what makes something beautiful. The dictionary can try with all of its might but to call something beautiful under definitive terms with limitless confidence is nearly impossible since aesthetic experiences are rarely universal. Two people can be looking at the same flower, but the fact that they are looking at the same object does not imply that they will have the same perception of its appearance.

We are twenty-two years into the millennium and the world is our oyster: we design our lives to fulfill our wildest dreams, surround ourselves with people that bring us joy, and seek only what we please. With this amount of autonomy the days we are given, debating what is and is not universally beautiful is ludicrous, if not, trivial at best. The old Latin saying, “de gustibus non disputandum est,” harps on this perennial notion and directly translates to "in matters of taste, there are no disputes." In this way, American beauty will never die.

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can beauty i r " e m "A w ill n e v e r d ie.

is the internet changing BY: MILLIE CONN

For decades the fashion world has experienced many different realms of trends. Social media, while serving many different purposes like connecting, sharing, and learning, also serves as a channel for trend evolution. Now, like never before, social media offers the opportunity to connect in creativity and constantly evolve as a community. In the modern days of social media, we can see how the expansion of the internet has sped up the evolution of trends.

Does it seem like just about every time you log onto a social media account you see something that you hadn’t seen before? Being able to connect and share with others online has given the world of fashion an opportunity to evolve at a new pace. With so much emphasis on innovation and creativity, the pressures of being a designer in the modern fashion industry can seem paralyzing. Sometimes, it seems that social media influencers drive trend evolutions faster than designers themselves.

With an overwhelming takeover of social media influencers, there has been a vast decrease in the time it takes for trends to evolve. Influencer marketing has given consumers a more personal connection to trends along with a level of confidence to indulge in new trends.

Influencers have made the fashion industry more reachable and, in turn, trends are of interest to more people, speeding uptheir evolutionary process.

With the internet easily accessible to a large portion of consumers, people have been able to connect like never before. This creates a sense of community, understanding, and togetherness that in turn creates confidence. Confidence is what drives the evolution of the fashion industry and has given many the opportunity to set trends, influence others, and put their very own personal mark on the world of fashion.

Social media has also surfaced a trend of mix-matching elements from different decades.

This not only makes the wearer stand out (while garnering respect for the curation) but also helps promote sustainability.

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the speed of fashion?

What goes around comes around, and it is important to keep this statement in mind when picking out new items because almost every article of clothing we consider tossing into the donation bin will make its way to peak popularity in a reincarnated form. Even pieces that you thought could never be in style or look “cute” again can be creatively repurposed years later.

When a worldwide pandemic began, in person connection was completely cut off. This was a time when the internet really gained a strong grip on revolutionizing the fashion industry. The internet offered a way of socially distanced communication. You could take pictures in an outfit, post them on Instagram, and the next day a thousand people could be styling the same trend you just posted.

Utilizing social media in the fashion industry means connecting with others to build and evolve trends. Very rarely is a whole outfit based off of one's own original thought. The fashion industry has been able to utilize the internet to evolve because of the community that carries this industry along.

This community of fashion-loving souls are encouraging, loving, and accepting to one another. Modern-day internet has given the whole world of fashion lovers a connection to every aspect of the industry in order to evolve it. Giving everyone an opportunity like no other to encourage their community to be confident, bold, and brave. Through connection over the internet, fashion lovers rely on each other for encouragement as they generate new styles everyday into the world of fashion.

The world of fashion is a playground for people who don’t associate themselves with the term boredom. Much like the world of fashion, the internet has an indefinite amount of possible evolution. As the internet evolves trends, in turn it evolves us. Without the internet as we know it today, social media would never be close to where it is now.

There are more ways than imaginable for us to be grateful for the abilities social media has given growth within the fashion industry. The Internet carries an opportunity like no other to love, encourage, and grow. Fashion has meaning and passion behind it. What you wear says so much about you, you can almost fully understand a person based on the outfit they have on.

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PHOTOS BY: DAWSON WILSON

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looking forward:

trend forecasting & recycling

BY: KATE ABRAHAM PHOTOS BY: KAITLYN STEINROEDER, DAWSON WILSON

Fashion is not constant; no trend lasts forever, no style stays in the headlines for years on end, no color of the year stays outlives its calendar term. Nevertheless, this is what makes fashion the phenomenon that it is: everchanging, transitioning into new styles, trends, and themes as the seasons change.

Looking back at the past century, this fact is proven when comparing the common choices of clothing from decade to decade.

Bold neon hues, dramatic shoulder pad details, extravagant puffy skirts, biker jackets, and more made their appearance into the fashion world, bringing about a completely different aura than its recent counterparts.

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Moving into the 1990s, another shift occurred and trends including low rise jeans, baby tees, tube tops, and button-downs became the trendy pieces shoppers gravitated towards. This demonstrates constant themes: evolution and change.

Not only does fashion change, but with changes from season to season, trends from years past are recycled, re-entering the fashion scene. As mentioned, shoulder pads were prominent in the 80s. Fast forward to 2021, shoulder pads made a comeback, and with a vengeance. This past style has been incorporated into current fashion, such as adding a padded shoulder to a leather blazer, the basic white tee, or a classic silk blouse. Without a doubt, it is not the same as it was a few decades ago, further explaining one of the most exciting characteristics of the world of fashion.

No trend recycles and appears exactly how it was in the past. Trends are modified and adapted into what is current, making each trend anew while drawing inspiration from the past. Vivid neon colors also exemplify this process. They have recently come to life again in the fashion scene, making just as loud a statement as they did in the 80s. These bright shades of neon have been adapted to the present trends and can be seen in almost every item on the racks during the early 2020s This ongoing process gives us the opportunity to look into the future, predicting what our wardrobe could hold next. Take a look at your denim; a theme can easily be seen when studying what styles of denim were popular at different points in time.

Transitions were seen from bell bottom to skinny, to jegging, to boyfriend, to crop flares, to straight leg, and on and on. Seeing this cycle leads you to foresee what could be next. If trends were to follow the current method that seems to show lots of the 80s and 90s fashion making its way back, one could predict that low rise flare jeans that fit every body type will be the next to the headlines.

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Other predictions for the future of style made known by Liz Burnet, Square Magazine business team member, include low-waisted mini skirts and vintage sunglasses. Both of these styles draw inspiration from 90s fashion that we are seeing more and more often in today’s fashion scene. Grace Barrett, also a member of our business team, predicts voluminous silhouettes will be a trend making a rise in the upcoming seasons, and we are already able to see a glimpse of it now with full dresses, blouses, and skirts currently making their mark.

This process of continuous change in the fashion world exemplifies the excitement and attraction that many have towards it. In simple words, this is what makes it fun for men and women everywhere.

The possibilities of outfits are endless, and new opportunities to introduce different pieces into your wardrobe are always presenting themselves. Fashion is powerful and evolving, never stagnant. Past trends recycle, and new trends form, making it all the more intriguing to take what is in the headlines and make it your own.

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