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Fashion School Sophomore
posted December 24, 2024
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Unlike the past few subgenres, the Fashion School Sophomore is one that exemplifies today’s fashion zeitgeist. Even though most of her clothes are vintage, from archival designer collections and obscure Japanese brands, she is on the cutting edge of style. The Fashion School Sophomore is very popular online, having amassed a bevy of followers who obsess over her “unique eye.” That’s why she’s in Fashion School, after all. Not only does she have a great aesthetic sensibility, she’s also got a perfect Glossier complexion, an edgy haircut, and she also knows about theory and philosophers and stuff. She carries around a point-and-shoot digicam adorned with stickers and uses it to take incredibly flattering candid pictures of her friends while they’re eating oysters, but they always return the favor. In fact, it’s to their benefit to post pics of her on their Instagrams—she’s got clout and a look. Plus, her purse that has a bunch of cute keychains hanging off of it.
She might live in New York City, but you can also find her in Mexico City, Paris, London, Montreal, or Madrid. She loves the grit of the urban landscape and how it makes the bright colors in her outfits pop. One of her favorite things is to take an item of clothing that is basically objectively hideous and make it look chic—and she’s really good at it. She finds her own fashion Inspirations from other it-girls on social media, archive runway pictures from Italian houses in the late ‘90s, and Lizzie McGuire. Most of her artistic energy is spent on curating her image rather than actually designing anything, but she doesn’t want to admit to herself that she should just be a stylist. I mean, she’s basically a celebrity, a big-time microinfluencer. It’s about more than just how she dresses, isn’t it? (Spoiler alert: not really.)
The Fashion School Sophomore is a trendsetter who has been ~lensed~ multiple times by fashion photographers. She’s obviously modelesque, and part of her appeal is that no matter what she wears, it looks good on her. Like her favorite stores Women’s History Museum Vintage or The Grotesque, she takes an avant-garde approach to accessories and layering, while nodding to the past with a chunky belt or skirt-over-pants combo. The circles under her eyes are due to late nights snorting ket and/or Adderall and partying in Chinatown/poring through all the Prada collections. Though she’s always had dreams of living in the big city, the Fashion School Sophomore probably grew up in a fairly populous suburban area (or Los Angeles) with wealthy parents who also have excellent taste. If she’s from the US, there’s a high chance one of them is from an exotic locale like Ljubljana or Cinqueterre or Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya and has a cool job like “architect” or “corporate lawyer for the company that owns Diptyque.”
I live in Brooklyn, so I see these types all the time. And while it’s easy to roll your eyes and chuckle condescendingly, you have to admit that the style is fun. Because it’s so du jour I can’t say what its lasting power will be—either 2025 will bring it into further development, or it’ll be abandoned for something fresher. I do love seeing stores like Urban Outfitters trying to jump on this style. It’s a very disquieting experience walking into a present-day Urban Outfitters store and noticing all the clothes for sale are the things you’d leave at the thrift store in 2011 for being too ugly!
And at the same time, I get what they’re going for and I want to try it myself.
Personally, I wrote the style off at first as “Limited Too c. 2003,” but then I started to appreciate it—maybe for that very reason? I also kind of questioned if I was too old to pull it off—after all, it’s very much “I was raised on TikTok and Euphoria” and I was very much raised on AIM and Degrassi. The last thing I want is to be my very own “How do you do fellow kids?” meme, Steve Buscemi face and all (any excuse to bring up 30 Rock). I don’t know, I like experimenting, trying on things I always owned but never styled just so. That’s the best part of it all, re-contextualizing your own closet! It costs $0.
Tall boots + baggy long shorts + layers + small purse with keychains + old sunglasses
Muses: Gabbriette, ‘90s Sofia Coppola, ‘90s Hope Sandoval from Mazzy Star
It’ll be interesting to see the trajectory of The Fashion School Sophomore. Will she intern at Miu Miu? Will she start dating that guy from that band The Neighbourhood? Will she end up writing for Byline? Fortunately, money is not an issue and the Fashion School Sophomore can follow her dreams wherever they may take her. Don’t you wish you were her, too?
You don’t have to shop at Cafe Forgot to dress like the Fashion School Sophomore (although that’s where she buys a lot of her clothes). Her favorite current designers are Tyler McGillivary, Orchard, and Vaquera, to name a few. Here are a few items I found while browsing the internet. Once again, I implore you to be careful using terms like “Y2K” although a lot of the time this stuff is posted under that vague umbrella. Key in on loud prints, especially collages (think Times Square Billboards + animal print + midcentury Chinese soap ads blended together using Photoshop and screenprinted over mesh).
Here are some of my finds. Not all of them are still available, but you can use the listings as a starting point.
She might live in New York City, but you can also find her in Mexico City, Paris, London, Montreal, or Madrid. She loves the grit of the urban landscape and how it makes the bright colors in her outfits pop. One of her favorite things is to take an item of clothing that is basically objectively hideous and make it look chic—and she’s really good at it. She finds her own fashion Inspirations from other it-girls on social media, archive runway pictures from Italian houses in the late ‘90s, and Lizzie McGuire. Most of her artistic energy is spent on curating her image rather than actually designing anything, but she doesn’t want to admit to herself that she should just be a stylist. I mean, she’s basically a celebrity, a big-time microinfluencer. It’s about more than just how she dresses, isn’t it? (Spoiler alert: not really.)
The Fashion School Sophomore is a trendsetter who has been ~lensed~ multiple times by fashion photographers. She’s obviously modelesque, and part of her appeal is that no matter what she wears, it looks good on her. Like her favorite stores Women’s History Museum Vintage or The Grotesque, she takes an avant-garde approach to accessories and layering, while nodding to the past with a chunky belt or skirt-over-pants combo. The circles under her eyes are due to late nights snorting ket and/or Adderall and partying in Chinatown/poring through all the Prada collections. Though she’s always had dreams of living in the big city, the Fashion School Sophomore probably grew up in a fairly populous suburban area (or Los Angeles) with wealthy parents who also have excellent taste. If she’s from the US, there’s a high chance one of them is from an exotic locale like Ljubljana or Cinqueterre or Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya and has a cool job like “architect” or “corporate lawyer for the company that owns Diptyque.”
I live in Brooklyn, so I see these types all the time. And while it’s easy to roll your eyes and chuckle condescendingly, you have to admit that the style is fun. Because it’s so du jour I can’t say what its lasting power will be—either 2025 will bring it into further development, or it’ll be abandoned for something fresher. I do love seeing stores like Urban Outfitters trying to jump on this style. It’s a very disquieting experience walking into a present-day Urban Outfitters store and noticing all the clothes for sale are the things you’d leave at the thrift store in 2011 for being too ugly!
Personally, I wrote the style off at first as “Limited Too c. 2003,” but then I started to appreciate it—maybe for that very reason? I also kind of questioned if I was too old to pull it off—after all, it’s very much “I was raised on TikTok and Euphoria” and I was very much raised on AIM and Degrassi. The last thing I want is to be my very own “How do you do fellow kids?” meme, Steve Buscemi face and all (any excuse to bring up 30 Rock). I don’t know, I like experimenting, trying on things I always owned but never styled just so. That’s the best part of it all, re-contextualizing your own closet! It costs $0.
Muses: Gabbriette, ‘90s Sofia Coppola, ‘90s Hope Sandoval from Mazzy Star
It’ll be interesting to see the trajectory of The Fashion School Sophomore. Will she intern at Miu Miu? Will she start dating that guy from that band The Neighbourhood? Will she end up writing for Byline? Fortunately, money is not an issue and the Fashion School Sophomore can follow her dreams wherever they may take her. Don’t you wish you were her, too?
You don’t have to shop at Cafe Forgot to dress like the Fashion School Sophomore (although that’s where she buys a lot of her clothes). Her favorite current designers are Tyler McGillivary, Orchard, and Vaquera, to name a few. Here are a few items I found while browsing the internet. Once again, I implore you to be careful using terms like “Y2K” although a lot of the time this stuff is posted under that vague umbrella. Key in on loud prints, especially collages (think Times Square Billboards + animal print + midcentury Chinese soap ads blended together using Photoshop and screenprinted over mesh).
Here are some of my finds. Not all of them are still available, but you can use the listings as a starting point.
Clockwise: Vintage Mudd Patchwork cardigan(?), Orchard NYC rhinestone thigh highs, Vintage Long Sleeve bodycon shirt, vintage Harley Davidson motorcycle boots, Handmade Crochet Bonnet, Sculptor Worldwide “Keepsake” bag, Vintage Diesel miniskirt, Vintage White Moon mesh rose tank top, Vintage Puma lace-up ballet flats, The Grotesque Archive.
The Fashion School Sophomore loves to add a crafty edge to everything she wears, whether it’s a crochet bonnet or a knit sweater with really, really, long sleeves. She and her friends have spent nights creating Shrinky Dink keychains to trade with each other, but also love making their own beaded bracelets and anklets (to layer over socks in the winter). Despite the fact she may dress like hundreds of other girls with similar interests, the Fashion School Sophomore ensures that there’s always a personal, unique touch to whatever she’s wearing. You don’t have to look like Ella Emhoff to pull off this look—all you need is an eye for texture, color, and fun.
Muchos besos!
The Fashion School Sophomore loves to add a crafty edge to everything she wears, whether it’s a crochet bonnet or a knit sweater with really, really, long sleeves. She and her friends have spent nights creating Shrinky Dink keychains to trade with each other, but also love making their own beaded bracelets and anklets (to layer over socks in the winter). Despite the fact she may dress like hundreds of other girls with similar interests, the Fashion School Sophomore ensures that there’s always a personal, unique touch to whatever she’s wearing. You don’t have to look like Ella Emhoff to pull off this look—all you need is an eye for texture, color, and fun.
Muchos besos!