Have you ever wondered if a place can dictate your style? Here are four individuals from all over who wound up in our little town, one way or another. Every one of these characters has fantastic flair. Whether it is in correlation to our town’s influence or not. Some of these individuals attributed their poise to the town and people in it, while others disagreed. Even though the town may not be a direct influence on others, it could be a haven to those who embrace creativity and idiosyncrasy. Santa Cruz has a great selection of thrifted clothes, along with one-of-a-kind people with fantastic energy. The beauty of our town is reflected through art, people, and how they present themselves.
Casey and Skyland
Welcome these two lovely ladies, Casey on the left and Skyland on the right. Casey graduated from UCSC, born in Los Angeles. She says she has always cared about fashion, and picking out an outfit is her favorite part of the day. She admits her approach to clothing has evolved as a person and acknowledges Santa Cruz has played a role in her choices. She is currently traveling, so most of her clothes are from her friend. The brown T-shirt is from Target, the green bag is from a clothing swap in New Orleans along with the colorful striped skirt. Brown leather studded belt is thrifted, jewelry is from traveling in Vermont, Oregon, Israel, Mexico, etc. With brown sunglasses from Crap Eyewear. She would describe her style as pirate hippie. Some of her icons are Helena Carter and Emmylou Harris. A tip she gave was to figure out your proportions and always try on clothes. Recommends choosing comfortable clothes with lots of layers so you are prepared for all-day wear and any activity. Skyland, standing on the right, goes to UCSC, born in San Jose. Her vibrant top is thrifted from Portugal, and the light-wash denim skirt is from a garage sale. Brown boots are from Ebay, and the brown side bag is from Depop. All silver jewelry, bangles and rings are from Spain. She has always enjoyed Santa Cruz. She explains how Santa Cruz has helped her express herself and allowed her more opportunities to do so. She would describe her current style as Cowboy Dixie or Cowboy Victorian. If she could only choose one piece of clothing, it would be a good pair of shoes. She advises trying on clothes and choosing what makes you feel good. Both of these ladies agreed that finding and getting to know yourself helps to express yourself. They also both credit Santa Cruz with having a positive effect on what they choose to wear.
Dan
Say hello to Dan. They are a current UCSC student. I love this almost Western bohemian esc elegance. They are wearing Magnolia Pearl black square glasses, a classic accessory. White mesh-like T-shirt with a western type font saying ‘LOVE’ and a prepossessing fire graphic from Free People. For accessories he is wearing two long necklaces and a wide leather studded belt from Free People. Lastly wearing a light wash ripped denim, also from Free People. I adore their ruminative accessory correlation, with brown being splashed head to Boots. This outfit is a perfect example of doing just enough. in a sense, the premise of the outfit is simple, but the amount of thought and time put into the outfit is recognized. I love how laid back the attire feels, as well as having amazing harmony with accessories. Dan is from Palm Springs but recently moved to Santa Cruz. They said moving to Santa Cruz never affected their manor; they have always been very individual and true to what they love. Picking out an outfit has always been important. Some advice they give for picking out your clothing is finding what you resonate with and guarantee it fits your body. If they could only choose one item to carry in an outfit, they would say a belt.
Tani
This is Isaac, he is from Scotts Valley. He is wearing a green and white flannel shirt that he got from his Dad. The black denim jorts are from Santa Cruz’s local thrift store, Oasis, with a silver chain from Amazon. The black Converse are from Depop, and his brown side bag is from Hot Topic. I appreciate the vintage outdoor look with a modern twist. His outfit is a combination of a simple outdoor aesthetic with an edgy twist. He favors in-store shopping and prefers looking for outdoorsy ‘rigid’ clothing, because it is sturdy and long-lasting. A piece of advice he gave when you are shopping is to look for something that is more ‘basic’ with quality. The reason for this is so you don’t end up falling into trends and end up getting rid of the clothes within 6 months or so. Having solid critical pieces is a great base to build off of. Picking out an outfit is important to him; if he had to choose one thing to save in an ensemble, it would be accessories.
By Malia Fort
