Quad Style: Andrea Tabora

Meet Andrea Tabora, a second year Art History major. She's the treasurer of WHPK, where she also DJs a weekly pop show (tune in on Fridays at 8am!). She's also an intern at the Visual Resource Center on campus. In her free time, she loves cooking, reading music reviews, going to museums and galleries, and hanging out with friends.

I’m wearing an adidas hoodie, a Hinds tour shirt I picked up at their show last October, American Apparel pants, Air Jordan 1 Retro High ogs, a Carhartt beanie, and Chan Luu earrings

How would you describe your personal style?

Depends on how I’m feeling, I go for lots of different vibes. Wish I could decide on a personal brand and stick to it, but there are too many styles I like to choose just one. I’m huge on stripes and knit fabrics, so in that aspect I think you could say some of my style is 70s inspired. Other days I try channeling a more utilitarian look; I’m big on wide leg, straight cut pants, boxy or oversized jackets, and my docs. The rest of the time I go for a more sporty look, even though I’m probably the least athletic person I know. I would describe my style as being “effortless” as opposed to people that look put together all the time, not in that I don’t put effort into it. I think my style is kind of casual and messy, but in a purposeful way.

“[I] wish I could decide on a personal brand and stick to it, but there are too many styles I like to choose just one.”

Where do you find style inspiration?

Instagram sort of- part of it is browsing the discover page and seeing musicians, artists, and other “creatives” (whatever that means) with really unique styles, but also finding out what the big new trend is and avoiding. I know that sounds pretty obnoxious, but it’s less that I don’t like popular trends, and more that I hate matching with other people. I think having to wear a uniform from 4th to 8th grade and then having a pretty restrictive dress code for all of high school has made me rebel and try to stand out with my clothing. I’m also inspired by the people around me, my friends are pretty into clothes and are always introducing me to cool brands and good sales. Also UChicago definitely has its signature looks depending on where you hang out.

Where do you like to shop?

I do a lot of online shopping partially out of laziness, but more so because I like to make sure what I’m buying can be integrated with specific pieces I own, which is easier to do with my closet in front of me. A lot of my clothes are from Urban Outfitters, Asos, and Zara because they update their merchandise frequently, so you can find fun things at decent prices. I am trying to steer away from fast fashion for ethical reasons, but I'm not doing that great of a job. For basics and other everyday clothes, I’m a big fan of Madewell. Their clothes fit me really well and their materials are great quality for the price. I am obsessed with shoes, particularly sneakers, and own way too many, mostly from Nike, adidas, and Vans. I also keep tabs on Carhartt WIP, Sandro, Reformation, and Opening Ceremony, but shop there less often.

“I guess I now look at fashion more as a choice rather than an obligation. Now that I’ve developed my own personal style and know what I’m most comfortable in, I can look at trends for inspiration instead of letting them dictate what I wear.”

Do you have any fashion regrets?

Anything I wore in middle school was probably horrible. I loved Delia’s graphic tees and would often pair them with awkwardly long plaid shorts. I was also really into designing my own Converse, and went all out with clashing colors and patterns. Aesthetically it was a train-wreck, but I respect how little I cared about what other people thought of me back then. I also regret my commitment to skinny jeans, lately I’ve been getting into baggier, more shapeless clothing and it is a life changer! I am so much more comfortable now, so I guess I regret any time I wore something uncomfortable just because I thought it was in.

What is your relationship to fashion? Has it changed over time?

I’ve always been conscious of how I come off to other people, and paying attention to fashion has helped me feel like I have some control over it. When I was younger, I was really eager to buy whatever everyone else was wearing because I was scared of looking weird, but I’ve definitely gotten over that and can now confidently wear what I like. I’m a big believer in the fact that anyone can pull off anything as long as they wear it with confidence.

I’m still super interested in trends, what creates them, and what determines how long they will last. Trend forecasting fascinates me (I’m still predicting, and at this point advocating to prove myself right, that traffic cone orange is gonna be the next millennial pink)! I guess I now look at fashion more as a choice rather than an obligation. Now that I’ve developed my own personal style and know what I’m most comfortable in, I can look at trends for inspiration instead of letting them dictate what I wear.

Why is fashion important to you?

I find fashion really interesting because there are so many components to it. It’s really easy to brush off fashion as superficial and commercial, and it is to some extent, but at the same time it’s much more social and creative than that. Plus it’s pretty much impossible to opt out! I always think of that scene in the Devil Wears Prada about the cerulean blue sweater... you know which one I’m talking about! My point is that what you wear says so much about you, whether you mean it to or not. By dressing a certain way, either emulating specific styles, conforming to trends, or attempting to disregard fashion all together, you’re sending different messages, affecting the way you’re perceived at first glance whether it’s accurate or not. To me, fashion is important because its a way I can control my image, and this gives me confidence. I want to say fashion is the middle ground between expressing who you are, but also who you want to be.