By Khi Davis

Walking through the halls of OCCC, you see many different people. And based on the features of a person, they may catch a few glances. For some, it may be looks, others could be focused on physical appearance. But one of the more pronounced features that stands out is someone’s clothes.

Clothes play an important role in daily life along with everyday culture. From celebrity merchandise and luxury brands, to simple brands such as Nike, Adidas and Champion, these iconic brands have left their mark on today’s society.

Especially with the cold winter the students are experiencing, the people manage to find their own ways to remain fashionable in these winter breezes.

Depending on perspective, outfits can define people for what they love as well as show how they carry themselves.For instance, fellow student Atticus Wall picked out a vibrant yellow and navy blue flannel with a matching navy undershirt, paired it with some army green jean joggers, and tied it together with some black shoes.

And not to mention, he had some pretty cool socks on too.

His inspiration was to go for an “outdoor” “exploratory kind of look” (Wall). Although for some people, outfits could be coordinated based on occasions.

In this case, student Maria Ortiz keeps a spare set of workout clothes for the days she visits the OCCC gym.

“I pick whatever, anything comfortable to work out in,” she states.

In other worlds, people are inspired by color themes, such as a Joanna Garcia monochromatic fit or Johnny Armstrong coming through with the black, white and gold colorway.

Joanna Garcia

Funny thing, both Garcia and Armstrong wore Nike Air Force 1’s. When it came to all of the outfits, everyone wore at least one item that they were passionate about, like Ortiz’s blue Columbia jacket, which was a gift.

Whether it’s a vintage coat or a fresh pair of Air Force 1’s, everyone around OCCC has their own special flare that is shown through their style choices. From hangers in stores to websites at the tip of a finger, clothes come from many places onto the backs of consumers.

Garcia enjoys going to thrift stores to find clothes.

“I’m usually more into browns, grays, blacks or whites”, she said.

Her outfit was actually thrifted, and her jacket came from Costco. Thrift stores really do have some hidden gems.

Armstrong likes to shop at different malls, such as the OKC Outlets or even malls in Atlanta. As he shops, his choices depend on the vibes he’s feeling. He may go for an eye-catching and colorful look for the club, or he may buy something black or white for everyday living. The man knows what he’s doing. However, he prefers online stores because of their wider selections.

“Whenever you’re shopping for someone that’s as tall as myself…it’s harder to get clothes, so going online is really where it’s at,” he said.

In the same vein, Wall likes to hit up the Sooner Mall for shoes and shops online for clothes.

“I go for stuff that’s durable. Clothes that are gonna last me a long time and can withstand my daily wear and tear.” Anything that catches his attention, on “Amazon or whatever,” he’ll pull it off.

When it comes to Ortiz, she likes to save the bills and find the deals. She does most of her shopping online, but also likes to visit Ross and Marshalls.
She enjoys finding “cheap clothes that look nice.” She’s even had people ask her, “oh, where did you get that?” and she flexes by saying, “I got it at Ross.”

When it comes to finding clothes, not everyone looks for the same thing. It’s all about what stands out to them and how they want to pull it off.

Louis Vuitton, Yeezy, Champion. These brands, and many more, are very popular within fashion culture. When it comes to people, some may shop for specific name brands, but others are more focused on rocking out the clothes as they come.

For Armstrong, he loves shopping for name brand clothing. He even pulled up to class wearing a patterned white Nike hoodie with some gold chains and matched that with some black Nike sweats, then tied it off with some white and black Air Forces with a gold swoosh. With Nike being one of his favorite sport brands, he also likes brands such as Adidas and Versace.

Ortiz also likes Nike and Adidas for working out, but she doesn’t necessarily like to shop for expensive clothes. Along with Wall and Garcia, they like to wear their clothes as is and not necessarily for the label. As long as they know it looks good, they’ll rock it out.

Out of all the articles of clothing there are, both Ortiz and Armstrong like shoes the most. While Ortiz is intrigued by sandals and heels, Armstrong enjoys Air Force 1’s.

While Garcia may adore yoga pants the most, Wall is more fond of thick shirts and jackets. While there are many genres of fashion, people learn to make it their own.

They may envision colors that would go well together, develop a personal theme, or they could have just thrown random items together, it’s really up to the chooser.

Fashion doesn’t have any boundaries. It’s all about what makes a person feel comfortable and confident. Everyone has different tastes, and that allows the community to blossom together, from head to toe.