By Hillary Travis
Special to powhatantoday.com

What’s your passion? Sporting that flashin’ fashion? Ah, yes… high school is indeed one of those stages in life where everyone is still searching for who they are. Trends are sure to come and go, but nobody can escape the fashion police. Powhatan High School students display a medley of styles and personalities, and the school is not without its cliques, but fashions tend to travel in packs. That’s not to say that there’s no intermingling of styles, nor am I saying there is a major clique problem at the school, but you definitely have your fashion basics.

Diversity is a beautiful thing, and PHS has its own set of “goths,” “punk rockers,” “preps,” “jocks,” and so forth, as well as hundreds of students who make their own fashion statements.

Sometimes the most admirable students are those who can get up in the morning, throw on a sweatshirt and jeans, and not worry about what others think of their appearance. Teenagers are often concerned with their appearances, as there can be pressure to impress others and “fit in” with the crowds. But in reality, everyone needs to realize that it doesn’t really matter who you are on the outside… and I know it’s cliché, but it’s true.

Ten years from now, nobody is going to care how you dressed in high school. It’s not going to matter what color your hair was, how much your purse cost, or what kind of shoes you wore. Students can get wrapped up in the trends of high school, and lose sight of the things that are really important. Everybody finds comfort in the way they dress, though, and it’s always vital to look in the mirror and love the way you look.

Powhatan’s public school system has been considering turning to school uniforms in recent years, as many students choose to violate the dress code, but I personally worry that this would take away some of that comfort and individuality that students value so much. There are many schools that successfully have a uniform system, but at the same time students who have been able to dress on their own terms could lose that level of comfort. And with the personal concerns over image, it could distract them from schoolwork and lead to more self-consciousness. On the other hand, it would discourage any student from feeling “out of fashion” or driven to “fit in” with a certain clique. So, either way, clothes are clothes.

So what is “in style” at Powhatan High School? From personal experiences, name brands are still a driving force among students. From Vera Bradley handbags to Hollister shirts, students like to advertise their shopping tastes across their bodies. Many students are bringing 80’s trends back, with leggings (a popular way around the “three inches above the knee” skirt rule, as it allows for full coverage and less fuss), thick headbands, big hair, and the occasional legwarmers. Even old bands and shows are coming back, in the form of Pink Floyd T-shirts, Rainbow Brite jackets, and other such reminiscences. But for parents who excitedly think “Wow, my old albums are all cool again,” well, I’m sorry to say that it’s typically just a fashion trend. But who’s to say you’re not “hip” anyways? I mean, Michael Bolton’s sappy music could still make a big comeback, right? (Ha!)

Now, bearing in mind that I am not here to establish any stereotypes in any sort of way, every type of fashion comes with its own unique trends. There are the “scene” kids, as well as the “emos” (short for “emotional, though it is more of a fashion statement than a personality trait now), who tend to wear tight skinny jeans (tapered legs, often accented with a studded belt), shirts that typically carry the name or logo of a favorite band, zip-up hoodies, and some of the most interesting hairstyles I think I’ve ever seen. The gothic kids still tend to wear darker clothes, from black jeans embellished with lots of belts and loops to thick-heeled boots and eyeliner, straying towards the “Hot Topic” store basics.

The preppy kids tend more towards stores like Aeropostale and Hollister, with polo shirts and low-rise jeans (or checkered shorts in the summertime). Other popular fashions right now around school are flashy purses (I find it unbelievable that some girls actually bring Louis Vuitton bags to school on a daily basis), unique piercings (lip rings are on the rise, especially with boys getting “snake bites,” which are two piercings, one on each side of the mouth like fangs), Birkenstock shoes, flip-flops (which make a terrible noise, thus the name), and other such items.

As students become upper-classmen, the trends shift more towards college wear, and fashion trends slowly disappear. Many seniors often wear a sweatshirt from their school of choice, thrown over a matching t-shirt and pair of jeans. Upper-classmen seem to be less concerned with what is fashionable, and go more for comfort and function. There are fewer cliques among upper-classmen, which is probably a sign that students tend to unite better, all under the driving thought of “we’re almost there… almost graduates!” and the instinctive need to “show off” and “fit in” no longer matters.

The only major complaint I can make about fashion at Powhatan High School is one that a majority of students have expressed concern about: team uniforms. The school establishes strict rules for their dress code, from the length of shorts and skirts to the openness of tops, but the rules don’t seem to apply to uniforms. From cheerleading to tennis, the outfits these sports require consist of some of the shortest skirts I have ever seen, and I question the necessity of such displays.

Should it really be fair for a cheerleader to wear her uniform all day throughout the school (rather than changing into it when necessary), when little is left to the imagination and dress code ideals are thrown out the window? I mean, if it’s part of school policy, it should apply to everyone, should it not? And perhaps there are good arguments in favor of allowing such attire, but from personal experience, I can certainly say that it is something that needs to be dealt with. For example, the high school has a lot of stairs, which are very steeply inclined and I often find myself forced to come face to… er… bottom with other students when climbing to the second floor. On several occasions, I have seen more of the anatomy of a cheerleader than I will ever care to, and I believe that this is both personally offensive to the person who has to witness such a display and likely troublesome for the person wearing the uniform. Where has modesty gone with athletics? I understand that shorter skirts provide better mobility, but they also invite unwanted stares and unnecessary displays of physical attributes.

So there you have it… PHS fashion in a nutshell. Fashion is fashion, no matter where you look, and odds are if you see it in a store display, you will eventually see someone you know walking around in it. It’s always nice to dress in a way that is comfortable to you and fitting to your personality, but fashion should take no sacrifices, and you should always dress for yourself. Never wear a certain style of clothing just to “fit in” with a certain group, and never lose yourself in a passing trend, because in the end, it will always blow over and be forgotten.