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Editor in Chief: Cynthia Medina

How to Get Your Style Back in the Age of Algorithms👖

Last week, we examined our current fashion landscape as a nonstop trend cycle reinforced by a powerful algorithm. Although we’ve only had the Internet for around 33 years, the dark side effects of its impact will haunt us for centuries, making a moral dilemma out of clothing ourselves.

Personal style is how someone expresses themselves through their presentation. Often, it is influenced by culture, values, lifestyle, and personality. However, in an Internet-forward world, we’re often sold the same aesthetics over and over, especially as algorithms increasingly develop into feedback loops. This means that we’re seeing a lot of similar stuff, and it’s defining how we see beauty, taste, and self-expression.

So, how can we break out of this vicious cycle?

Aside from more obvious advice like shopping secondhand and responsibly getting rid of items, you can use trends as a discovery to identify what you like. If you see a trend that you like, pause and ask yourself why and what you like about it. Is it the color, material, silhouette, or something else? Track the things that you find draw you more towards certain pieces – this will help you catalog and find similar things to what you like, no algorithm required.

Who’s Your Favorite OG It Girl?💅

For my girls who grew up during the “golden age” of Disney Channel, your answer is probably the iconic Raven-Symoné. From That’s So Raven to The Cheetah Girls, Raven’s larger-than-life personality intertwined perfectly with her larger-than-life outfits. According to Teen Vogue, many young viewers had their exploration of fashion and penchant for personal style ignited from watching her. Whether on the red carpet or from her TV show, Raven Symoné did NOT play about her fashion!

With many of her iconic looks resurfacing on platforms like Twitter and Instagram, we’ve all been wondering: who styled her and came up with the iconic looks we still admire today? The answer is Nancy Butts Martin.

During this era, she managed to create a space for fashion lovers everywhere to “rejoice in colorful, explorative fashion that wasn’t solely on a size-zero body.”

Martin recalls her experience by saying, “But I usually would change the pieces that I purchase. I'll change a collar, I'll actually put three items together to make it into one. Like if I liked the sleeves of this, I like the body of this or I want to put a piece of another item there I’ll do it. That's the fun thing that we get to do.”

No matter what she wore, Raven Symoné’s style screams OG it girl and classic, with her looks still being referenced constantly to this day.

DOES ANYONE ELSE FEEL LIKE FALL?☕

Leaves are falling, temperatures are dropping – and everyone’s wishlists call for holiday shopping!

With fall heavy at hand and winter not far away, the chilly fashion this year is on top. Gap’s famous plaid blanket scarf is perfect for the cold! While you warm up, curl up with Eli Rallo’s newly released self-help book for the harder parts of the winter - Does Anyone Else Feel Like This?

For the fashion girlies wondering how to balance style and layering, a cream puffer is the perfect neutral as well as just cozy! While you’re at it, grab some blue-light aviators for a photoshoot and stay stylish!

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The Scarf Revival.🧣

The scarf has been a staple in modern fashion since the 1930s. The beauty of scarves is that they come in all different colors,  patterns, and fabrics perfectly adaptable to your individual style. They have remained in our wardrobes because of their adaptability and versatility. Unsurprisingly, the scarf has morphed from a hair piece, into a bag accessory, and even into a shirt. Yet, my favorite iteration of it is the belt. 

This interpretation is for those outfits that feel incomplete or dull. A wool scarf on your waist might be the missing layer in your winter outfit, and a sheer one with tassels will introduce personality to white shirt and pants. Personally, I have officially moved on from the old conventional brown belt and instead onto a new wave. Every once in a while, I’ll see a girl on the street wearing a scarf around her waist over her business casual attire and I know we understand each other. 

The scarf is an easily thriftable accessory. My favorite ones have come from flea/antique markets, or my mother’s closet. 

But if you're looking for a sweet, handcrafted option Charlie Beads has created The Sash. 

FROM TAYLOR TO TAILORED: A DEEPER LOOK AT THE FASHION BEHIND “EMBARRASSING” BOYFRIENDS AND BLAZERS.

Are boyfriends…embarassing? British Vogue’s new article Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now? by Chanté Joseph has been trending all over social media, leaving the entire internet in upheaval. 

But @databutmakeitfashion on Instagram takes it a step further, highlighting how it reflects recent fashion trends, like suiting and corporate fashion. “Office siren” became the pinnacle of search engine marketing (SEM), with last year's fashion trend popularizing button up shirts, blazers, and loafers…and a trip to HR with Tiktok’s version of “corporate fashion”. Ralph Lauren, Loro Piana, and Hermès rose to fame with their “quiet luxury” style that met chic tailoring, which paired synchronously with returns to in-office work. 

While @databutmakeitfashion acknowledges many of these trends are in fact recession indicators, it's also the inverse of the tradwife trend: women’s aspirations to have a successful career, with or without a boyfriend. Searches for “corporate fashion inspiration” quickly translates into aspiration, and for many, motivation to pursue it. As of 2024, women across every racial and ethnic group exceed men for college completion rate among those ages 25-34. 

So whether boyfriends are embarrassing or not—that’s up to you. Just make sure the outfit suits you first.

Vulnerability as a Roadmap🛣️

Steven Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO is more than a series of founder interviews, it’s a study in ambition, self-doubt, and the performance of vulnerability. CEOs confess, stories unravel, and we’re invited to listen not just to their successes, but to the moments they question everything. It brings a sense of reliability and honesty, showing what it really takes to reach a position of that scale while giving listeners the space to pick and pull advice that resonates with their own journey of growth.

The podcast resonates and reflects a truth many of us feel. Bartlett frames these confessions in a way that makes reflection feel like a roadmap. Very inspiring and many times, even unnervingly honest. It reminds us that growth isn’t linear, and no one’s path is perfect. Success comes with doubt, missteps, and constant recalibration. The best takeaway isn’t imitation, but interpretation with your own life and journey 

Controlled Crash(out)😡

You’ve been working all week, running around, and you just can’t take it anymore. You’re well overdue for a crashout. It happens to us all, and personally, I think it’s necessary to staying sane. 

My personal favorite is a weekend out, and I mean a real weekend out. Make it an event. Do your hair, makeup, blast music as loud as you can, and dance as hard as you can, and most importantly - put school/work/whatever’s bothering you out of your mind. It can wait till tomorrow. 

Another personal favorite is a silent dance party. I go to my room, lock the door, put in my Airpods, and dance for as long as I want. Or, I’ll drive my car and rant about whatever I need to.

Honorable mentions include: pillow screaming, eating an entire pint of icecream, and going on the world's longest run. 

Guys remember, life can’t be serious all the time. You have to work and play. So go ahead, take the weekend off. Monday’s for locking in. <3

Danielle Mckinney

Welcome back to The Interlude–otherwise known as Quiet Parts, the Column–with art and poetry pairings for the busy patron. 

Recently, I published an interview with artist Danielle Mckinney in the Boston Art Review anticipating her residency at the Rose Art Museum in Waltham, MA. If you are local to the northeast, I highly recommend you check out her work in person, and if you’re not, I would still recommend reading the interview to get a sense for her practice: 

“I can only paint what I feel and hope people resonate and see that we are feeling something together.” - Danielle Mckinney