Being at an HBCU, style and inspiration surrounds us daily. These four ladies give their insight on what style means to them.
Jasmine Kidd, fresh., Roanoke, VA
Kamaya Finn “Amari”, soph., DC
Dai’Jah Allen, fresh., Richmond, VA
Jahmiah Anderson, sen., Richmond, VA
Q: How would you define your personal style?
Jasmine: “I have a diverse fashion style. Sometimes I’ll go for this aesthetic, or I may like that aesthetic, so I just like to try different things as well.”
Kamaya: “It’s a mix of a lot of different things. It’s definitely influenced by the things I see on the internet. I wouldn’t say it’s particularly one thing… like I don’t wear the same style every day.”
Dai’Jah: “I would define it as very colorful and creative. Overall, it’s an expression of my personality and my emotions in the mix of that.”
Jahmiah: “I would say it’s me because I try not to follow trends. If I do follow a trend, I tend to add my own flavor to it and make it my own, authentic style.”
Q: Why do you feel like its important to take risks when it comes to dressing?
Jasmine: “It’s good to have change, be different and want to try new things. I feel like overall, it boosts your confidence.”
Kamaya: “It’s less about wanting to be seen as attractive and more about the ritual of it all… especially since I look unconventional, everyone’s not gonna like how I look but it helps me separate that from myself. It helps with my confidence, so I don’t have to worry about what I look like to other people.”
Dai’Jah: “It would allow diversity and for you to stick out from others. Women are looked at a lot especially for beauty standards but it’s just a creative way to express yourself… It’s all about finding your place.”
Jahmiah: “It shows that you’re different; it makes you stand out more. Nobody wants a copy of the same thing they’ve already seen.”
Q: Why do you think women in particular, need to care about how they look or dress?
Kamaya: “Walking around knowing that I put a lot of work into how I look today, just helps me feel prepared for everything.”
Dai’Jah: “It helps with esteem too because it goes with the phrase, ‘if you look good, you feel good.’ It takes big confidence to separate yourself from the rest.”
Jahmiah: “Fashion is art. What you wear is art. As a woman, when you dress up, it ignites your courage. It ignites your confidence. All around, it just makes you feel good. For me, it makes me feel good to look nice because somebody else that may not have that confidence could see me and be inspired.”
Q: How has where you’re from impacted the way you dress?
Dai’jah: “It has a vital role in shaping my style. Richmond is a very urban place, and there’s a developing art community there and it’s amazing. So I look at that for influence. I’m from Southside Richmond so for us being from the south, we listen to a lot of rap so that music culture influences my style as well.”
Kamaya: “I spent most of my time in Philly, but in high school, I went to art school in DC. I had no choice but to come out this way. I was always seeing people care a lot about their outfits, and making it look very different.”
Jahmiah: “Since elementary school, I was obsessed with art. I love to draw and I use that skill and transfer it to my style.”
Q: What are some tips you would give to change or elevate their style?
Jasmine: “Even if you’re nervous about it, do it! Fashion is a world unique to yourself. You have to look at inspiration from social media or any platform. We’re at an HBCU and there are a lot of stylish people around us.”
Kamaya: “The two biggest things are inspiration and confidence. Look around and see what you like and when you see something, don’t be afraid to try it. If you like it, then wear it.”
Dai’Jah: “Do broad research about things that you’re already interested in that way, you can cultivate your personality into your look. You never know until you try it.”
Jahmiah: “Don’t get so caught up in social media and how other people are doing it.
