Imagine strolling down a bright, fluorescent-lit hallway, taking in all the fashion choices of the people weaving in and out of your path. You are likely to see a wide range: boys in t-shirts and gym shorts, girls dressed to the nines in skirts and ripped jeans. Everyone alike already donning a cozy sweatshirt, having given up their resolution to dress nicer this year. 

Fashion trends fluctuate throughout time, borrowing from decades before and creating new combinations that represent the personality of the generation. Social media has the power to distribute a specific trend across multiple platforms and influence the minds of many teenagers at once. 

In a poll given to 40 Lambert students across all grades, 47.2% voted that the app Tiktok has the greatest influence on adolescent fashion choices while 44.4% voted Instagram and 8.3% voted Pinterest. 

Tiktok, a video sharing platform, has a feature called the “for you page” that distributes videos from creators all over the world to the user’s phone. This discovery feature makes it possible for any random person to gain a large following in a very short time frame. It is often young influencers who gain this traction and their followers, wanting to be like them, are likely to emulate the way they dress.

Many young people are taking a step towards sustainability by relying on thrift stores and online reselling platforms to build their wardrobe. 21.3% of respondents indicated that they buy most of their clothes from thrift stores such as goodwill and 15.4% specified further by stating they do most of their shopping on Depop, a popular reselling app. In addition to the sustainable nature of second-hand shopping, it allows for individuality as it is not likely that someone will stumble upon the same item as someone else.

Common trends dominating the start of the school year include: pleated tennis skirts, high-waisted jeans, fun earrings, statement pants (including bellbottom and cargo pants), and the recent trend of 5-inch inseam pants for boys. 

Additionally, many participants expressed gratitude towards their classmates for wearing masks in school to ensure the safety of themselves and their peers. Even something that seems like a hassle can become fashionable and customizable with the variety of masks available.

One anonymous Lambert junior wrote (about their favorite trend at the moment), “Wearing a mask. I hope it continues as a trend when people are sick even when COVID is over” while a senior chimed in with a simple “printed masks!”

Joshua Huntington, a junior at Lambert weighed in on his favorite places to shop, a sentiment true for a lot of Lambert boys, “it would be Pacsun or Urban Outfitters for like nicer graphic t-shirts, but like athletic clothes, I would go to Nike or something like that”. 

Huntington, when asked whether he thinks there is a fashion divide among different grade levels, further stated, “the more you mature, the better you can dress and the more style you have.”

At the end of the day, fashion is a personal choice that can allow someone to express their interests and make them feel more confident in a school setting. The next time you walk through that fluorescent hallway, take a moment to appreciate the creativity and individuality among your peers and allow that to give you the confidence you need to wear whatever you feel the best in.