Allison Conley ’17 is a freshman from Richmond, Virginia, who gives a special touch to  everyday outfits. She spoke with The Argus about how Wesleyan’s student body has affected her style, which can be prim and proper at times. She gets her fashion fix on campus by online shopping from major outlets such as Urban Outfitters and American Apparel and turns to Internet sources of inspiration like Etsy and Pinterest, but Conley certainly appreciates the Wesleyan bubble of style as well.

 

The Argus: To what extent do you consider yourself interested in fashion?

Allison Conley: I definitely consider myself interested in fashion. I used to be a lot more. I used to be really into, like, reading blogs, fashion news sources, and stuff like that, but the past couple of years I haven’t really done stuff like that…I’ve been more interested in people around me, and more [interested in] what my friends are wearing, what I’m wearing than the, like, global fashion industry stuff.

 

A: Describe your personal style in three to five words.

AC: Probably put-together, kind of academic, and urban.

 

A: What do you like most about style at Wes?

AC: People are always wearing things in really different ways, like playing with silhouettes or wearing just basic things in really unique ways that I never would have thought to do, which is really cool. Or people like to play with layering a lot…a lot of my friends, when I talk to them about their colleges, they say a lot of people go to class in sweatpants every day, and like, I feel like that’s more the exception than the rule at Wesleyan. Like, people definitely put thought and effort into what they wear.

 

A: What do you dislike about style at Wes?

AC: I feel like sometimes people try to look intentionally grungy, or intentionally sloppy, and I like more put-together sorts of things. I mean, everyone has their own style, but I feel like an intentional grunge look is sort of prevalent, and it’s not my favorite thing.

 

A: How does going to school on a small campus in a small town affect your style?

AC: I feel like it definitely affects what I think is normal. Like, if you only see people your own age who are generally more stylish or ascribe to a certain kind of style, then you think that’s the normal style. So I went home over break and was wearing what I normally wear, and I didn’t realize how different it was from what I wore in high school.

 

A: How would you describe your style in high school?

AC: Well, my high school was an all-girls, Episcopal school in the South, so it was much more preppy, lots more pastels, more Lilly Pulitzer stuff, and I didn’t really wear Lilly and stuff like that, but I was definitely more into, like, cardigans and riding boots and floral dresses, and just that general aesthetic…and that’s definitely not what most people wear here.

 

A: Where are your favorite places to shop?

AC: I really like American Apparel, just because they have everything that I could want to wear. And there’s also a store in my hometown called Need Supply, and they have a pretty good online store as well…I used to shop there more when I could go there more often.

 

A: Who would design your dream wardrobe?

AC: Probably Rag & Bone and, like, Need [Supply], definitely. They have some expensive stuff that I don’t usually get, but I’d be down. And Stella McCartney.

 

A: What has been your favorite occasion to dress up for at Wesleyan?

AC: I don’t really love dressing up for formals and stuff like that, or special [occasions], like Halloween. I just like dressing for class every day, wearing normal things, but seeing cool new ways to. So I’m not really a big occasion dresser.

 

A: What is your go-to item of clothing for this spring weather?

AC: I wear this a lot [gestures to the thin, long-sleeved T-shirt she is wearing], just a simple, lightweight T-shirt. Because it doesn’t actually get that warm here, or maybe I’m just used to Richmond weather, where it gets, like, swelteringly hot. But [here] I always get just a little bit chilly, just like, long sleeves, with shorts and sandals. I wear my Converse a lot when it’s warmer; they’re really practical.

 

A: Is there a current trend on campus you love?

AC: I see all these people wearing overalls, and I really like that… yeah, high-waisted pants, I like those, like high-waisted jeans, and shorts, and stuff like that.

 

A: Is there a current trend you hate?

AC: I don’t know if this is Wesleyan-specific, but those dresses or shirts that have the cutouts here [at the shoulders], where it’s like the tank top with the extension. I don’t really get it.