An outfit is not complete for junior Caroline Erickson without a few whimsical accessories. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
ABBY KIDWELL | STAFF REPORTER | arkidwell@butler.edu
College fashion is constantly shifting in order to accommodate function, follow trends in form and reflect the changing nature of the world that students live in. Here on Butler’s campus, students are finding new ways to merge their leisure time with their professional life. Read on to discover the next of our Dawgs with Style through a Q&A style interview.
Caroline Erickson, a junior astronomy-astrophysics and physics double major, curates her wardrobe with a key idea in mind: to dress for herself, not other people. Fashion is the outlet that best allows Erickson to showcase her creativity, and she takes pride in putting her most authentic foot forward in the world. With an innovative eye, Erickson combines unexpected pops of color, vintage pieces and distinctive textures into chic, cohesive looks.
The Butler Collegian chatted with Erickson about her recipe for a successful outfit, her inner circles’ role in her personal style journey and how to limit overconsumption.
THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN: How would you describe your personal style?
CAROLINE ERICKSON: It [fluctuates] a lot. I don’t think there’s one way of describing my style. I like thrifting all of my pieces and finding unique clothing and outfits that match my personality of that day. My outfits can range from how I feel about the weather that day to “Today, I want to be more [eclectic] with my style,” or “Today, I want to [wear] a nice top,” or whatever. It really just shifts and [fluctuates] based [on my] day-to-day. It’s difficult to try [to] put one or two words to [describe] my style. It’s very unique to me and my personality, though.
TBC: Do you think how you dress reflects a major part of your identity?
CE: I think it does. I’d like to say that I am able to involve some of my personality within my school through my outfits and [present] my more creative side. It also brings up conversations like, “Oh, I like your jacket; it’s cool.” Then [I can] talk about where [I] got [my] jacket from, like, “Did you thrift it?” And then [I] can talk about jewelry. A lot of the clothing pieces I have developed throughout the years of thrifting and a little bit of shopping [has] built up a story behind most of the pieces. Every day, I want to try to put an outfit on that makes me feel confident and reflects who I am and how I feel. It just puts more of me out in the world and puts a good vibe [out].
TBC: Where or from whom do you get inspiration for your style?
CE: I get my style inspiration from a wide range of people. There are a lot of people on Pinterest that I like, but I do follow several queer creators on Instagram … I also get a lot [of ideas] from my best [friends] … They’re some of my biggest style [inspirations] because they help me reflect on pieces I’m about to buy. They try new things. They try different color combos, and they try different shapes and we just like to experiment with a wide range of outfits. [There’s also] a lot of queer content creators. I love queer fashion in general … When I went to Berlin this summer, the style was so good. Everybody had their own personality, and so that’s where I get a lot of the inspiration to get fun and unique pieces. There are trends within the fashion industry that I do follow … [One queer creator I follow] is Madison Weidman. She’s cool.
TBC: How has your style evolved over the years?
CE: It’s evolved a lot. I would say I started actually caring about my style [my] junior or senior year of high school and putting on clothing that I really thought expressed myself and my identity. I’m gay, and I want people to know as best I can. I wanted to be expressive about what I wore, so [it was slow]. It really took off [during my] freshman year of college when I started going thrifting with my best friend Ella. With thrifting, you [have] to know what you want, the type of things that fit you, what colors and sizes and just experiment with things and work with what you have. I think once I started learning those concepts and learning what I liked, [my style] really took off.
TBC: What are your top three closet staples?
CE: Probably this shirt. I think I got it from Pitaya freshman year. It’s actually supposed to be [the other way] around. [My favorites are] a nice white long-sleeve top, my low-rise baggy Levi’s jeans and a pair of high boots. I love a good pair of boots and tennis shoes. I [also] have this brown workwear jacket [thrifted from Walls] that stops right at the hips … I wear it a lot. And then a belt. I love a good black belt.
TBC: Is it ever difficult for you to have a unique personal style on Butler’s campus?
CE: No. It’s difficult to find other people [with] a similar style, but I don’t find it difficult [to showcase my style] because I do what I want. It’s actually one of the things that helped my personal taste expand. I don’t care what other people think of me, especially when it comes to [style]. People are going not to like my outfits. I don’t care. And so having that and just wearing my outfits out confidently, I love doing that. Sometimes I’m like, “Do I wish I lived in Berlin? Sure.” Butler’s not going to be Berlin, but that’s okay. And there’s still a lot of people [with] really good fashion sense here.
TBC: Do you have any controversial style opinions?
CE: I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of leggings. I think they are a very functional pair of pants and they’re comfortable … But also, it’s whatever people feel confident in, and it’s how they express themselves. And as long as they don’t care about my outfits and what I wear, I really don’t care about theirs. I’m not going to go up and tell them, “Hey, I hate leggings.”
TBC: What is your greatest challenge in fashion?
CE: Not buying into microtrends and taking a breath when I want something new and [thinking] about it. If I really do want it in a couple of weeks or even a month, or even two months, that’s when I can get into purchasing an option. But the quick buys, the “Oh, I think that’s really cute. Let me get it right now” or “I need it right now” type of overconsumption has been a big challenge for me. And learning — especially when it comes to my jewelry — [to wait and buy] staple pieces that [will] last.
I don’t think, especially when you can find a personal style through thrifting, that SHEIN is a [viable option]. You’re going to get [the item], wear it once and then it’s going to be in the trash or it’s going to be in a Goodwill. It is infuriating to know that [garment workers] are being treated the way that they’re being treated, and that is how the economy is going. It’s hurting people; it’s hurting our environment. When there are other options, as a privileged society, that we can take, we just need to take them.
TBC: What advice do you have for people who are struggling to find their own style or the confidence to wear what they want?
CE: For confidence, that one took a while to develop, but I would say having a strong support [system] of friends who want to stylistically challenge themselves as well, so you can all do one thing together. Or one or two people, they [can] try something new that’s a little bit out of your comfort zone. If you go out there and you fake the confidence with it, you’re gonna get compliments … Trying things, [and] if something doesn’t work out, that’s okay. It’s an outfit. But [you should] try new things and figure out what you do and don’t like stylistically.
I [also] love a good thrift, and trying on your friends’ clothes and trying different styles that are really weird. And learning how to also work with what you have so you don’t feel like you have to constantly be buying new things. [For example], this shirt, in the back, used to be a square neck, and now I only exclusively wear it [backward]. Wearing a scarf a different way, wearing a top a different way. And I think there are a bunch of different things online, on Instagram, that you can find, such as “Wear a button shirt like this” [or] “Ways to add some spice to your closet with what you already have.” Just having those [friends] to be like, “No, that looks awesome,” even if you think you look funny [is important]. Go out there [and] wear it because most people are scared to.
