Rocking his iconic lineup of vibrant and sleek t-shirts, Westmont senior Michal Waclawek presented some of his thoughts, opinions and advice regarding fashion’s impact on his life and its role in life in general. Here’s what he had to say:
Describe your style in 3 words:
Awesome, colorful, and simple.
Who inspires your fashion?
There’s this rapper named Aminé and he has a really colorful style, it’s like mine but better. And he makes his own stuff too, he has a lot of collaborations like New Balance. Also, this other guy Smino is really good, I don’t think he makes any of his own stuff though.
What’s your favorite item in your closet?
Either this shirt, [Brown GAP t-shirt] or the jeans. My pair of blue jeans.
Where do you shop for your clothes?
It really depends, I think that’s one of the hardest things about fashion because dressing up is the really fun part but then doing all the little research for the shopping, like where to find pieces that you want, is the hardest part. One spot I really like is Vacation in San Francisco, it’s in Little Italy. I also like the Goodwill next to the Jack in the Box. That’s where I got my homecoming fit. I also like this really good thrift store in Spain called Humana. It’s like Goodwill but curated, really cheap stuff too. That’s where I got my Adelaide shirt for five dollars. It was awesome.
What is your favorite accessory?
I have this little bag from Urban Outfitters, I put my stuff in there for concerts. Also I like my sunglasses that I got in Portugal.
What is something you would like to try fashion-wise?
Fitted suits, and I want to try styling a biker jacket.
What’s a fashion trend you love?
I love how baggy jeans have made a comeback. I feel like that’s not really a hot take, I think everybody likes them. I think a lot of the point of fashion is to manipulate your silhouette to present it in the way you want it, and I think baggy jeans allow that to happen in a creative way, whereas skinny jeans or more fitted styles of pants expose you more which is something people aren’t really looking for nowadays.
What’s a fashion trend you hate?
In 2016 when people wore those really long H&M shirts. I also don’t really like the Ugg’s slippers.
Why is fashion important?
It’s not, but it’s fun. I think it’s fine if you don’t think about dressing yourself up. I don’t really think about it either, I’m a chronic outfit repeater. Poet and I didn’t even know it. But if I had to argue that it’s important, I would say that it’s a way for you to express yourself and a way to say without words the person that you are. Giving people a vibe. If you dress formally for a job interview it shows you’re serious and if you dress in a different way in a social setting, like if you use a lot of colors it can show creativity where if you’re just wearing something you find basic it can show that you’re not an intentional person. It’s not necessarily concrete information, it’s just stuff people can infer about you.