“I’ve always had a fashion sense of my own.”

Senior Sumeya Jeilani describes her personal aesthetic as a “hip grandma,” because she “takes pieces a grandma would wear and then styles them in a hipper, younger way.” This is evident in the funky patterns and pieces she wears, and her flowing dresses. Though she sometimes dresses like she’s old, her main inspiration is herself as a child. She related a story about rebelling as a child:

“When I was younger, my mom would buy stuff for me, but at a certain point I’d be like, ‘I don’t like that!’ and I would pick stuff out. The things that I would pick were things that she hated, and we’d have to compromise. I remember this shirt; it was a t-shirt, and it had a hood, and it had black and grey stripes and laces and a hoodie pocket, and I thought it was so cool, and she hated it. My mom liked to buy a lot of flowery and girly things, and I wasn’t into it.”

As a result, she’s always on the edge of fashion. She doesn’t ascribe to popular style, instead wearing what she wants, regardless of what others think. She’s often seen in unique items, such as a blue corduroy dress or a denim jacket with dolphins painted on the back, her two favorite outfits. Regarding the denim jacket, Sumeya said that she wears it almost every day because it makes her feel safe, as well as her religion, an “ever-present” aspect of her style.

“I don’t like to feel vulnerable. I’ve always worn the hijab and long sleeves, and I don’t like skinny jeans,” she said, and then, “I match my hijabs to my outfit every day, and I feel very safe.” She wears a number of different patterned hijabs, including one that’s pink and has blue bicycles on it, with her outfits each day.

Sumeya loves items that are completely unique. She decides how to pair things simply by trying them out. “I go to thrift stores, and I find things that are cool pieces and then take them home and figure out what looks good with them.” Many of her items come from thrift stores, and she then incorporates them into her existing wardrobe. Thrift shopping is an easy way to build a repertoire of both basic and individual items.

Be on the lookout for Sumeya’s independent style throughout the year!