Portola High is home to more than 2,000 students, many of whom express their identities through distinct clothing styles. Through their personalized fashion, sophomores Averie McKinley and Michaela Fan and junior Aiden Kim exhibit their unique characters.
For McKinley, Decora-kei, a Japanese street style originating from the 1990s, helps her showcase her creativity through her appearance. The abundant accessories and the vibrant colors that characterize this style are what makes it so appealing, according to McKinley.
“The main part is that wearing my style, even if it’s hard, makes me happy,” McKinley said. “I love how it looks, and I like that I can connect with other people who like the same style as me.”
Since discovering Decora-kei on social media in sixth grade, McKinley has built her confidence to start dressing in such an iconic and eye-catching style.
“It’s scary at first, but if you really want to, just do it,” McKinley said. “If you think that you should do it, then you should do it because it’ll make you more happy being who you are.”
Finding the right style and donning new clothes for the first time may seem like a daunting task. But for Fan, this process of experimenting with a new Y2K look led to comfort and confidence. Now, Fan enjoys curating outfits through thrifting with friends and styling clothes given to her by her aunt.
“Just try things out,” Fan said. “Maybe look on Pinterest because that’s what I like to do. Just get inspiration, and don’t be afraid to dress differently from other people.”
Having a unique style made Kim open to taking inspiration from peers and expressing his newfound interests through clothing. For Kim, building connections and community is a crucial part of his identity.
“A lot of my style came from my friends and the people that I met,” Kim said. “So I think it resonates with the dimensionality of what I wear.”
For Kim, his choice of clothing is tailored to his own taste. One of Kim’s favorite articles to wear are skinny jeans.
“I just wear what I think looks good, and I slap it on,” Kim said. “‘Good’ is something that you like and not really what others care about. When you wear stuff, it expresses who you are.”
