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The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

Fashion flashback

Silver jewelry is out and gold is in. Ruffles, clogs, suede, big hoop earrings and aviator glasses are all reappearing in stores this season. Having a flashback yet? No, we have not entered the twilight zone, but fashions of the late seventies and eighties are making a comeback.

What exactly is back in? Stephanie Sherman, a senior in the business school majoring in marketing with a special interest in fashion, gives the rundown:

For the season, suede is really coming back, Sherman says. And leather is big time. Leather handbags, pants, skirts and shoes.

She also points out that denim made a comeback last year and is here to stay. Fashion designers have even begun to make denim business suits for women.

(Designers) are not just leaving it as a casual thing, they’re putting it into business wear, Sherman says.

Bright colors are also hot. Reds, oranges and cobalt blue are pretty popular, especially when mixed in with black for both men and women, Sherman says.

Gold is the biggest rush, she adds. It’s gold everything.

Jewelry especially has shifted from silver to gold. Gold dresses, skirts, pants, shirts and all kinds of accessories are also popular.

It sounds tacky at first, Sherman says. But when you see it on someone it sparkles. It looks amazing.

Designers are doing more with animal prints this year, according to Stephanie Doak, partner at Express clothing store at the Georgetown Park mall located at M Street and Wisconsin Avenue.

Chain belts over sweaters and miss-matched clothing are also making a comeback in the new century.

An orange, black and brown skirt is being sold with a red shirt, Doak says. Miss-matching lets the two separate items stand out independently.

GW students are quick to pick up on the latest fashion trends in stores, but many students agree that women follow fashion more than men. There are men out there who follow fashion trends but just do not like to admit it, Sherman believes.

Guys don’t have as many choices and aren’t judged as often as girls, Sherman says. Girls just have a different mentality.

Junior Brian Elerding says he is not interested in and does not follow fashion trends.

Not at all. It’s not a thing in my social group and I don’t feel like picking up magazines to figure out what I’m gonna wear, he says.

Elerding shops at thrift stores where clothes are cheaper and fit his taste better. He is also able to find more comfortable clothes there, he says.

Junior Jeff Boyle also does not follow trends and what is in for the season.

I have my own style, Boyle says. I don’t follow what the crowd does. Everyone is wearing Banana Republic and Gap, preppy stuff, and I’ve got my bright colors.

Freshmen Stella Chung and Arushi Terway say keeping up with trends and fashion can be fun. Sherman agrees.

Fashion is coming back because people love it, because it’s fun, Sherman says.

All three women classify fashion as an artistic vent.

I wouldn’t wear something that wasn’t a beautiful piece of art, Sherman adds.

Many women, however, do not follow upcoming trends.

It’s not good to conform, and you should have your own taste, sophomore Michelle Milberg says. If you like something then you can follow (fashion). If you don’t then you don’t have to.

Many students say music preferences and activities effect how people dress, and what someone chooses to wear can be an insight into their interests.

Someone who wears running shoes or a baseball cap everyday may be into sports, while someone who wears stiletto heals or Gucci shoes would be less likely to participate in such activities, Sherman says.

Boyle agrees that music and activities sometimes affect style.

I mean if you listen to punk music, you see tattoos, piercing and whacked-out hair, Boyle says.

Also, with the return of rock from its slight decline in the 90s, the grunge-like rock star look may become fashionable again.

Maybe the Kurt Cobain look will come back, Eldering says.

According to Sherman punk-rock glamour is coming back, with a little bit of spice.

You’ll get a cut-up sleeveless top with a Chinese print on it to make it authentic and trendy at the same time, she says.

Whatever seems to be coming back, the fashion phenomenon is definitely cyclical, invoking many freaky flashbacks from the past.

It’s the best of the late seventies and eighties, Sherman says. (Designers) are taking the pop/rock look and making it elegant and classier.

-Cindy J. Roth contributed to this report.

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