When every teenager in Allen goes to the same school, it can be difficult to stand out. Students sometimes find unique ways to express themselves, and one of the most common is in what they wear.

“I feel like if you’re walking around the school trying to see, ‘oh, what’s really the main theme here?’, I don’t think you’d be able to find one,” sophomore Krystell Peña said.

It’s no secret that AHS has a diverse student body, and as a result it can be argued that mainstream trends, though prevalent, are harder to follow with such a vast spectrum of style.

“I do think that they follow a lot of mainstream, as well as smaller fashion trends just because of how many kids there are,” Peña said. 

The possibilities are endless, with students dressing after particular aesthetics, influencers or even time periods. Peña sports her own unique style, which is something of a blast from the past.

“I would describe it as more like the 2000s, kind of Y2K inspired,” Peña said. 

And in a school of nearly 6000, there are likely at least a few who dress similarly. But given all the other trends floating around, it’s not necessarily mainstream.

“I don’t really think it’s very broad; the school is just basically like social media,” sophomore Rachel Hirsch said. “You never know because it’s just everywhere.” 

Students also use fashion to express their interests, so that anyone seeing them in the halls already knows something about them. Some common themes are TV shows, movies, celebrity merchandise, and of course, music.

“I like rock music. And most of my outfits or ideas come from things that I’ve seen,” Hirsch said. “Like my favorite band—like Kurt Cobain, he is my favorite, and I like the way he dresses, so I kinda like to look at him and also other rockers from the past.” 

Although the school’s size makes it likely that every fashion statement possible, there are still some who turn a few heads. Standing out might not always be the goal, but those who follow more niche fashion styles certainly do, in the best way.

“I really just like to add as much color to an outfit as possible,” sophomore Phoenix Bollinger said. “I want it to not look like everyone else’s, I want someone to be like ‘hey, that person’s wearing a bright pink shirt, that’s really cool’.”

Inspiration strikes from a variety of places, the main source being social media. Platforms like Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok are just a few ways these fashion trailblazers find new ways to express themselves through clothing.

“Modern-day influencers who also have that kind of style– I don’t think there’s like, one single person,” Peña said. “It’s more just like a collective of people that I’m like ‘oh my god, I like their fashion.’ So I’m gonna copy it.”

Self-expression through fashion also requires a certain bravery, but those who do get to be authentically themselves, on the inside and out.

“I really just like to add as much color to an outfit as possible,” Bollinger said. 

And other times, wearing unique clothing is simply what makes some people more comfortable–whether it’s a whole style, or a particular color scheme.

“I like expressing myself with dark clothing, because I just feel like I look better wearing dark clothes,” Hirsch said. “I mean sometimes I wear light clothes, but honestly just like black and grey and white too — but those bland colors are the ones I like to express myself because I just feel like they suit me.” 

At such a large school, individuality can sometimes be a challenge. But for those who proudly dress to their personality no matter what’s “trending” or “mainstream,” making a statement can be done without a single word.