By Samantha Alzate, Reshma Deonarain, and Victoria Kuzma, staff writers
Adrianna Romanowski, a current sophomore, stands out among the bland walls of Townsend Harris High School with her on-trend, unique outfits. The clash of patterns and colors all add up to define her personal fashion sense as she cruises down the hallway.
To achieve her current style, Adrianna turns to various Instagram models as inspiration for looks she wants to put a personal touch on. Model, “Internet Girl,” is Adrianna’s biggest icon in terms of print, pattern, color, and overall outfit combinations. “Internet Girl,” began to leave her mark as a thrifter and has shaped the fashion world by selling her own clothing brand. Accessorization plays a role in the success of any outfit. Luckily, “Internet Girl” is aware of how to style for an occasion by focusing on the accessories as well. Adrianna also adds that, “The early years of Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne are all idols I gain inspiration from.” The culmination of various influencers aids in expressing her self-defined “early-2000’s style.”
Many pieces come from thrift shops, especially those in Brooklyn. New trends and style choices can be found on every corner but unique pieces are less common. Beacon’s Closet, L Train Vintage, and Buffalo Express are just a few of the Brooklyn thrift stores Adrianna frequently visits. She states, “They have styles you wouldn’t see in stores, and I can come into school wearing something I know no one else has.” This helps to building the individuality of the outfit and boosts her confidence. However, she also shops at more traditional stores like Urban Outfitters and Unif, where she “looks for more unique pieces.” Ultimately, Adrianna states, “I like the creativity of thrifting and it’s fun to play around and experiment.”
Her journey to finding a style she loves has been a tough one. Adrianna states, “When I was younger I didn’t really have a fashion sense, I usually dressed in whatever my mom picked, which was often Justice.” Eighth and ninth grade were known as her “emo stage,” where [she] would wear all black.” The rise of Instagram allowed her to discover and copy the fashion styles of the models that dominate the platform, later evolving it into her own. Adrianna’s favorite pieces now include rainbow shirts and grand bell bottoms. Truly a blast from the past!
When asked about what she would recommend to people wanting to switch up their style and be different Adrianna urges, “Don’t be afraid to wear weird stuff. Do whatever you want. Patterns on patterns surprisingly look good.” Fashion is just a game of taking risks.
