Liberty High School, despite being in rural Fauquier County, has done a good job of keeping up with modern fashion trends. Contrary to what some people may believe, we do not dress in jeans and camo for every occasion. We at Liberty dress in a variety of ways, some more in line with general fashion trends, some in more alternative styles. This article is dedicated to those few at LHS who are willing to push beyond the boundaries of the conventional, putting in so much effort every single day to dress in a way that makes them feel uniquely seen.
Alternative fashion is any fashion beyond that which is the norm. Dressing “alternatively” does not necessarily mean dressing crazily – it very often just means wearing accessories or items of clothing that, no matter how small, are considered to be unconventional. Even then, “dressing crazily” is subjective, and what one person may consider crazy, another person may see as a way to express who they are. In the words of Logan Taylor, a Senior, dressing alternatively is as simple as “dressing not typically but making it work”.
Indeed, alternative fashion is all about expressing yourself, no matter what other people think of you. Dressing in alternative ways can make people – especially students – feel seen, unique, or liberated. This is apparent when you talk to people who dress alternatively, instead of making judgments based on how you think they look. Every person I interviewed for this article shared a story about how dressing alternatively made a positive impact on their life. Dressing in these ways is genuinely freeing and empowering because it is a very honest form of self-expression. When asked how dressing alternatively made them feel, Erin Toigo, a Senior, had this to say, echoing the thoughts of everyone I had talked to: “It makes me feel positive, I enjoy it a lot, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Because of its individualistic bend, alternative fashion encompasses a wide range of styles and general trends. Erin was kind enough to explain this to me: “There’s Gothic fashion, which is probably one of the oldest ones. There are a bunch of different subsets of it and it’s definitely my favorite. There’s Victorian Goth which is more classical, there’s stuff like Mall Goth which is the ‘quote-unquote’ crazy stuff that you see, there’s emo fashion which was really popular in the 2000’s, and there’s punk fashion which was really popular in the 70’s and 80’s.” According to Erin, alternative styles are often associated with bands; emo fashion is often associated with bands like My Chemical Romance, and punk fashion is often associated with bands like The Ramones.
As far as the actual fashion goes, those interested in dressing alternatively definitely have a lot of material to work with. After all, it is all about self-expression and being comfortable in your own skin, whatever that means. The people I interviewed were very happy to give me some style tips and tricks and to tell me about their favorite items. Taylor Shook, a Junior, had this to say when asked about her favorite articles of fashion: “I have a corset belt. I like wearing skirts, and lots of sweaters, and platform boots.” Ash Tavares-Olivio, a Senior who won the Best Dressed superlative (alongside yours truly), loves their pink jacket, gold hoop earrings, and their signature bright red lipstick. As far as tips, the general consensus was that you should just wear what makes you feel comfortable and good about yourself!
However, with that being said, not everyone is so accepting. Almost everyone I had the pleasure of talking with described times in which they were bullied just for doing what they loved. People who dress alternatively do not just have to endure getting giggled at or talked about. They have had videos and pictures taken of them without their consent, they have been loudly harassed in the halls, and some people have even been reported to the office for wearing something completely harmless. This should not be tolerated. We at Liberty High School should not be bullying or harassing other students just because they are expressing themselves in a way we might find “weird”, and in my view, the administration of this school needs to be doing a better job in making sure its students – regardless of how they look – can walk the halls without fear of getting recorded or harassed. Furthermore, as students at Liberty, we should be doing a better job of reporting incidents that we may see or hear.
With this in mind, it is certainly a good thing, then, that those with alternative fashion senses have been able to build a community here at Liberty. As Remy Peña, a Sophomore, put it: “I think to have a community at Liberty High School is very effective, because a lot of people come here from different backgrounds, and alternative fashion is very unique and can foster that community.” Even though alt fashion is all about expressing individuality, it is just as much about building a community that is welcoming and without judgment. In my interview with him, Logan said that he had never experienced serious harassment at school, because he has a supportive group of friends. Everyone at Liberty, alternative or not, should have this – a group of people that can encourage their self-expression and self-growth, no matter what direction it may take. Alternative fashion, in all its varied forms, is worth celebrating, and those who dress alternatively are just as worthy of that celebration.
