“It’s not about the clothes, it’s about the person wearing them,” I was told in Olneyville, under pouring rain that had ruined my own outfit, by an impeccably dressed young man, “Your fit can come from Walmart, it’s about how you pull it off.”
I like this idea because it takes a different approach to fashion as a means of self-expression. It shifts the focus to the wearer’s choice in garment over the garment itself – how they have made this piece theirs. I was reminded of an earlier conversation with a man called Leo, who told me about trying to look for a bit of yourself in the clothes that you buy and wear. Perception occurs from a single glance, but has a stronger impact in a setting that prompts recurrence, where people will regularly see each other. This creation of a social structure in a given environment is why the presence of colleges and college students heavily contributes to an active fashion culture.
Somewhat like standing too close to a photo and missing the full picture, accreditation to the presence of Brown University students was initially lost on me. Former Brown professor, Wendy Lawton, was among many others that impressed the influence of Brown and RISD students on cultivating fashion culture in Providence and Rhode Island. With RISD, this was a no-brainer. At Brown, we have a saying that, “You can always spot a RISD student” by the distinct style with which so many of them dress. Even when wearing garments that are uncatching in isolation, so many RISD students seem to have sharp eyes to fit, material, and piece coordination that identify them immediately on campus. RISD’s annual Apparel Designer Senior Thesis show, which frequently catches the attention of Vogue, is with Rhode Island Fashion Week as one of the biggest events outpouring innovative designs directly from the hands of Rhode Island.
The presence of students, even if mostly interacting with each other, gives fashion more importance in RI. Most vendors that I spoke to at the Wooly Faire’s recent Lint Ball had named college students as the majority of their clientele. College students are far more likely to care about fashion, as their presentation in the recurring interaction of their environment builds perceptions that directly affect them and their experience in it. In a college environment, fashion is another factor beside background and personality that is used to form perceptions of people – important in a setting where you’re encouraged to come across favourably. By age, college students are already predisposed to a larger interest in fashion, as it is largely marketed towards young people and often seen as something that you lose interest in. This tells us of the dominant perception of fashion culture as reserved for young people.
But despite that portrayal, this is not the case. Emma, from vintage shop Studio Hours, treats a comfortably adult audience, ranging from 30-65, that take a particular interest in fashion. The idea that fashion is for the young is not new, if reinforced online. Online – but by no means only recently – in magazines, and on runways, leading fashion has been presented predominantly through young adults, so it’s unsurprising that they are at its epicentre. However, I’ve learned that this hasn’t obscured older adults from an interest in fashion and style. Emma and Sarah from Astral Plain’s Vintage both recognised an audience of older women that were interested in vintage clothing as it can be reminiscent of what they used to wear when they were younger. Perhaps if the youthful depiction of fashion culture can be offputting for an older audience, the comfort of familiarity, and maybe even an assurance of coolness can be re-welcome.
Conclusion
On the journey of seeking out answers to my inquiry. I was enveloped in shared memories and a collective cultural understanding of Providence and RI that one and a half, or four years of being a student could never have given me. I learned truly that fashion is not only an individual act, but a tool that constructs communities and connects generations through garments. However impactful that we think our choices are, they reverberate around our environments, influencing the way we perceive our space and the people in it. Speaking to people that I didn’t know, in parts of town I’d never been to, taught me about a creative vibrancy flying under the radar in America’s smallest state.
Keep up with Emma at @studiohours.shop, and Sarah at @astral_plains_ on social media!
This is the final part of a series. Read previous entries below: