Fashion and Its Impact on Hillgrove Students By: Malik Webster

Fashion at Hillgrove High is more than just a daily choice—it is a form of expression. The variety of styles seen in the halls reflects students’ individuality and how they view themselves. From layered fits to casual hoodies, Hillgrove students use clothing to tell their own stories. According to Teen Vogue’s article Eccentric Company: How to Find Your Personal Style, discovering one’s fashion identity is about dressing for oneself rather than conforming to what others expect. It emphasizes individuality, creativity, and the power of fashion as self-expression.

Senior Nile Herrera has a strong foundation on where he stands best when it comes to fashion. “Really, it’s just, like, what fits to my body the best.” Then followed stating, “A lot of people around here really wear like skinny jeans and crop tees, like really just the skinny jeans. Can’t wear that because my thighs are like, thick as heck, I mean, thick., feel me? So it won’t look good on me, so I need some baggy. And then I have broader shoulders, given I’m not skinny as heck. I wear some, like, more layers or something that, really just fits the silhouette.” For Nile, his wardrobe represents both his confidence and his reality sharing, “Um, but you know, I’m, I’m still flying besides the fact that, you know , my mom be paying for the, for the, for the clothes and everything. But, you know, the point is that I’m still fly and I don’t pay for my stuff.” Comfort and confidence guide his choices. “If it’s not comfortable, I simply don’t wear it if, like, it’s good self-control. I would never wear something for, like, for the own for the pure fact of just looking good. I got to feel good and look good at the same time. Okay, so that’s important.” Nile also explained that his fashion reflects what looks best on him, not others. “They don’t. They never will. I wear what I want to wear. I wear what looks good on me, ’cause no one else is me. So I only wear what looks good on me. 

Senior Nehemiah Champion shared a more reflective view of fashion’s purpose. Revolving around self-expression. “It portrays who you are and how you carry yourself,” he said. For him, individuality comes first. “I feel like nobody should try to fit in. I feel like everybody’s gonna need themselves enjoying their own journey, try to find themselves in their own world.” Nehemiah’s outfits often mirror his mood. “Sometimes I’m feeling, like, a little tired, a little bit, like, you know, some calm, like, hoodies, like, sometimes, at time, or I’m feeling, like, very confident, real energized, all, like, going somewhere… a little nice.” He also values creativity saying, “It Shows a person’s creativity and imagination.”

Junior Kaylee Robinson finds meaning and memory in her closet allowing us to understand her fashion values. “Um, I get a lot from, I get a lot of hand me downs from like my friends, my parents, my grandparents,” she said. “Everything I wear has some sort of story that goes with it.” She also finds joy in accessorizing. “Necklaces, rings, just jewelry and jet, because the louder you are when you walk, the better you’re out. I love the little clanks.” Even though she sometimes feels she goes in her words, “a bit too much,” she adds, “who doesn’t?” For Kaylee, confidence in fashion means embracing both comfort and personality. “Don’t care, just go for it,” she said.

Each of these voices adds a different stitch to Hillgrove’s fashion story. Nile reminds us that fashion is about fit and confidence, not approval. Nehemiah shows that style can mirror the mind—calm one day, bold the next. Kaylee proves that what we wear can hold memory and meanin. Together, their words form a message that runs deeper than clothing racks or Instagram trends. At Hillgrove, fashion is self-discovery in motion. It is the quiet power of choosing what feels right when the world tells you what is “in.” It is the confidence you feel in the mirror before first block. So the next time you walk through the hallways, notice the small details: the oversized hoodie pulled on for comfort, the layered and the baggy and even the skinny jeans because here at Hillgrove, fashion is not about standing out—it is about showing up as yourself.