The halls of Bonita Vista High (BVH) flash in a blur of colors and a wave of cloth. With the influence of social media at its highest, fashion has become a prominent trend at BVH.

Senior Alexys Padernal describes her fashion closer to the comfortable side. Padernal gets her fashion inspiration from influencers on Instagram and celebrities, including American comedian, actor and filmmaker Adam Sandler. Aside from his career, Sandler is known for his oversized fashion. Padernal appreciates that he wears oversized T-shirts, shorts and sneakers.

“Usually celebrities are known to wear things from high end brands and he [Adam Sandler goes] out wearing some shorts and a T-shirt. He doesn’t care [about the way people perceive him], which I really admire. He’s changing the stigma of looking a certain way based on [a person’s] reputation. He’s doing what he loves and he knows himself; you don’t have to be perfect,” Padernal said.

Padernal often goes thrift shopping in the mens section to find more oversized clothes to fit the comfortable style she follows. To her, it is “more comfortable than women’s clothes,” Padernal believes that as a freshman, she was “such a poser” with her style of clothing and the image she created for herself since she tried to fit in with everyone else at BVH.

“I used to be really insecure about my body; I was really arm-insecure,” Padernal said. “I’m starting to like my body for what it is instead of comparing myself [to others]. I do wear baggy clothes; I’m just being comfy and not trying to fit into this perfect picture that society deems us [to be].”

For junior Kevin Ituriaga, reverting back to in-person learning after the COVID-19 lockdown meant going from “basic” clothing, to exploring different styles. According to Ituriaga, social media platform Instagram is a space where he is able to explore the different styles of fashion and gain inspiration from influencers like American rapper Tyler, the Creator.

“Since the beginning of junior year, I was able to dress more confidently and because of that confidence, I was able to dress or wear whatever I wanted,” Ituriaga said.

For Ituriaga, his fashion sense leans towards a “vintage” aesthetic. This aesthetic aims to portray an older style of dressing, rather than the contemporary fashion style, claims Pop Sick in the article, “The complete guide to vintage aesthetic fashion.” In order to acquire the clothing pieces he owns, Ituriaga shops at local thrift stores. Initially, thrifting was a creative choice, but as Ituriaga explained, that eventually became an environmental choice. According to him, thrifting can oftentimes be a “gamble,” because clothes “might not look good how you wear it.”

Moreover, Ituriaga’s inspiration comes from his friends and peers at school. He adds that his friend, Jesse Goff, has a “big influence” on the way he dresses. Oftentimes, when Ituriaga sees Goff’s outfit, he’s “inspired” to create similar ones.

“Whenever I’m walking around during lunch with my friends, we point out different pieces of clothing [on other students] and we’re like, ‘Oh, that’s really cool. I like the way he or she is wearing that,’” Ituriaga said.

Senior Renata Araiza believes that they have a style closely related to “alternative” fashion; one that does not confine to a specific rule of clothing. Araiza feels as though their fashion has changed greatly compared to last year.

“My mom tells me that I never dressed like this [before the COVID-19 pandemic],” Araiza said. “They [people] want to express themselves outwardly. I feel like [a lot] of my fashion style comes from shows that I watch.”

Araiza’s go-to outfit usually consists of baggy jeans with a T-Shirt, that is preferably black-colored. However, Araiza wishes to wear sweats more often “because wearing jeans everyday is just too much.”

“I like to think I do [have a good fashion sense]. If I put so much effort into it, then I feel people are like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s a nice outfit today,’” Araiza said.

For many, fashion may be nothing but clothes put on the body to go about the day. But for students like Padernal, Araiza and Ituriaga, fashion has become a form of expression.

“You can say you have a good fashion sense, which is mainly confidence and how you dress. If you like the way you dress, then you should just continue dressing that way, no matter what people think or say,” Padernal said.

This article was updated on Feb. 9.