When you think fashion, you might think “Westphal College of Media Arts and Design,” as the school is known for its fashion design and design and merchandising majors.
As a psychology major myself, fashion and styling clothes are some of my favorite hobbies. Although I decided not to pursue fashion as a career path, it continues to play a part in my everyday life. I wanted to see if fashion’s importance and different types of styles varied from major to major. I asked a couple of students from different majors here at Drexel to test this theory.
Software Engineering: Kaaviya Senthil is a second-year software engineering major at Drexel. When asked on a scale of 1-10 how important fashion is to her, she claimed it landed at an 8. Senthil expressed her enjoyment of dressing in a way that makes her feel confident and good about herself. The majority of the fashion in her major and environment consists of “sweatpants, hoodies, shorts, and t-shirts.” Senthil continued, “That’s not to say that there aren’t people that dress the way I would take inspiration from, but the majority of the people I encounter tend to not have the same fashion style that I do.” Fashion trends Senthil is currently a fan of include baggy/oversized clothing. The versatility of this style allows her to create multiple outfits out of a few basics. “I’m also really into low-rise pants and I”’ve been wanting to accessorize more,” added Senthil. Three words Senthil would use to describe her current style include “Casual, minimalist, and neutral.”
Design and Merchandising: At Westphal, Kunaal Krishnan is a second-year D&M major. With fashion being very important to him, Krishnan rates it a 10. “Fashion is one of the core foundations of self-expression alongside music and art. The way someone dresses says a lot about themselves and how they choose to represent themselves in the world,” Krishnan explains. When asked if he thought his major and the environment he’s in influences the way he dresses, Krishnan claimed that everyone in his classes “throws a fit on,” encouraging him to reciprocate. He believes that our hobbies, music taste, personality, environment, and the people around us influence our style. Krishnan describes the style of his classmates as dressing fancy and “things you would see in a magazine.” Krishnan claims to not really follow trends and instead find what he likes on his own. The all-black look is something he has recently been enjoying, along with being attracted to “unique-looking garments rather than graphics.” Krishnan’s current style can be summed up in three words: “Diverse, reflective and skater.”
Business: Taking all of her classes at Lebow, Laura Ibrahim is a first-year management information systems major. Fashion has never been a main priority for Ibrahim, but lands at a 6 on the importance scale. Although she sees the importance of wanting to dress well, Ibrahim finds it difficult in college to “find the motivation to wear nicer outfits to class because I’d rather opt to wear things that make me feel comfortable.” Ibrahim’s peers are described as dressing in “just a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt of sorts. Especially in the winter months, it’s a lot of blacks and blues, not a lot of variety in color.” With this being the case, the thought of dressing differently and wearing clothes that don’t “fit in” amongst her peers, pushes away Ibrahim’s desire to branch out into other fashion choices. A fashion trend Ibrahim is into right now is vintage-style sweaters, “They don’t feel as basic to me as a sweatshirt but they provide comfort in the same way,” she claims. Three words Ibrahim would use to describe her fashion sense are “comfortable, simple, and neutral.”
I think it is safe to say there is a significant contrast in the importance of fashion within majors. The diversity of perspectives on Drexel’s campus reiterates the idea of self-expression and personal style. As someone extremely qualified (I just like clothes), I encourage you all to wear what you are comfortable in and create your own personal style!