Home — STITCH

Sweater weather has officially hit Northwestern! With the days darkening and the temperatures dropping, there’s no late-fall wardrobe essential that can compare to the humble, beloved sweater. Like reliable beater shoes in summer, sweaters are the staple you can always depend on to get you through the chilly morning walks to campus or the midnight crawls home from Mudd during midterms. They’re a cozy compliment to any fall outfit, and fun prints and patterns can make any gray day exceptionally bright.

Campus, FashionAlea WilkinsDecember 19, 2022campus, sweaters, sweater weather, beater sweater, knits, cozy, Winter

Embracing Femininity in Fashion

With the rise of these aesthetics, I asked myself the question: can a woman dressing feminine be empowering? I think it can. In a society that constantly puts down femininity, I think it is powerful to embrace it as a woman. Femininity doesn’t necessarily have to have a negative connotation. We are expected to behave like men because they are the standard for most things in society. Masculine traits, like being assertive and being driven, are, by logic, praised. Through dressing in a feminine way, women that are part of these aesthetics reclaim their femininity, and they are proud of it. Women do not have to hide their femininity and can embrace all sides of their identities.

FashionIsa GrauDecember 19, 2022Femininity, ballet core, tik tok, TikTok aesthetic, pink, bows, gender

Remember Project Runway? Well, It’s Making a Comeback

I hopped on the “Project Runway” bandwagon in 2012. As a second grader with a new paper doll fashion design set from F.A.O Schwarz, I had turned to “Project Runway” for the ingenuity and fervor I hoped to harness on my construction paper and glitter: elegant drapery, intricate bodices, exquisite tailoring … all brilliantly executed before the lights dim for the start of the runway show. When Tim Gunn announces the formidable “Your time starts now!” in his iconic, velvety bravado, the contestants appear to defy the first law of thermodynamics and make something out of nothing.

Fashion, EntertainmentNyla GilstrapDecember 14, 2022project runway, fashion design, tele, competition TV, designers

Unnoticed, Beautiful, Priceless Pieces

From colorful fuzzy socks, to that necklace you never take off, to earrings inherited from family, to a thrifted jacket you got for only $8: we all have pieces we could never part with because they carry with them a story. My gray cashmere zip-up hoodie with holes scattered along the seams looks like nothing special, but it has been my mom’s favorite hoodie since she was in college, and I feel close to her when I wear it on campus. Before our mass consumer spending over the holidays, it is important to take these moments to appreciate the stories behind the pieces we already have, that are priceless to us because of their story.

FashionAnna Grace SouterNovember 28, 2022Thanksgiving, gratitude, Family

Telfar: Timeless or Trendy?

Although the reasons for Telfar’s hype may be a mystery, numbers don’t lie. Some are buying to support a more inclusive fashion industry, while others might just want to dress like their favorite celebrities. Nevertheless, Telfar has already rewritten, and continues to rewrite, the status quo around luxury goods.The question now is whether or not Clemens can maintain this growth or if Telfar will be immortalized as a fad of the 2020’s.

FashionHaben FessehazionNovember 27, 2022Telfar, Telfar Bag, luxury

Bella Bots, Matilda Minions, and Personal Style

Are you a Bella bot or a Matilda minion? This is the not so age-old question that has been dominating my For You Page recently. It refers to a TikTok trend wherein users classify themselves as Bella Bots (as in the model Bella Hadid) or Matilda minions (in reference to the Swedish influencer Matilda Djerf). These videos typically consist of creators showing off their outfits next to captions like “deciding if I wanna be a Bella bot or Matilda minion for the day,” “serving Matilda minion today,” or “one bestie is a Bella bot & the other is a Matilda minion. … I don’t make the rules.”

Lifestyle, FashionErin CorridonNovember 27, 2022bella hadid, Matilda Djerf, personal style

Are you rich or just a coastal grandmother?

Coastal grandmother is an aesthetic that, like many, gained notoriety and fame on Tik Tok. The term was coined by TikTok user @lexnicoleta, who says that if you enjoy “Nancy Meyers movies, coastal vibes, recipes and cooking, Ina Garten, cozy interiors, and more” this aesthetic is the one you’ve been looking for. Most Tik Tok aesthetics have a short life cycle, taking the internet by storm for months only to end up in thrift and resale stores immediately after. Coastal grandmother, however, has a different trajectory, thanks to its roots and connection to upper class life.

Fashion, LifestyleMarija JovicNovember 27, 2022coastal grandmother, TikTok aesthetic, soft life

Men in Dresses: Are Fashion Binaries Stagnant or Shattering?

Underlying these so-called revolutionary looks is a larger conversation about appropriating queer culture. Actor Billy Porter criticized Styles’ cover photo saying that it only captured mainstream attention because he is “white and straight,” since Porter himself is known to wear lavish, untraditional looks on the red carpet. As gender-fluid dressing becomes more mainstream, it’s important to remember its roots and history as a larger socio-political movement.

FashionAustin KimNovember 20, 2022high fashion, high fashion trends, menswear, dresses

The Alien Era: What does the alien aesthetic mean for self expression in fashion?

This is just it—the alien aesthetic creates a “new world” which allows us to play with, or even completely forget, gendered beauty norms. If gendered beauty norms expect women to have perfect, arched brows, then let’s shave them completely. If there is an obsession with women’s feet, then let’s turn our feet into reptile feet. Let’s show that you can still be gorgeous when you break these norms.

FashionGigi CepedaNovember 11, 2022aesthetic, alien, Gucci, alexander mcqueen, drag, gender

Coperni: Futuristic or a Failure?

FashionAlani Cox-CaceresNovember 2, 2022fashion week, coperni, bella hadid, supermodels, future, innovation

The New "It-Girl"

Fashion, LifestyleAustin KimNovember 1, 2022bella hadid, instagram, instagram model, social media, thrifting

Youths are the Future: the New Luxury Consumer

Influencers create these micro labels, and the luxury brands behind them use the influencers-driven-micro-labels to target newer, younger consumers. On July 9, 2021, Greta Gerwig announced that she would be directing the live action Barbie movie. Valentino recognized that Gerwig’s announcement reawakened Barbie fans and knew they could capitalize on an audience obsessed with Barbie Pink. On March 6, 2022, Valentino released their Pink PP F/W 22-23 collection, and “barbiecore” began to dominate runways from top designers to emerging brands across the world.

FashionAbigail AbdiOctober 31, 2022luxury, designer, high fashion