Unveiling student, faculty and staff expression THROUGH FASHION THROUGH FASHION

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Students and faculty silently communicate through their carefully selected, sometimes peculiar styles. Warrior Life surveyed El Camino College students and faculty about their favorite articles of apparel and here are five responses about their most beloved items.

Emily San Vicente , film major, 21 Instagram: @izthatemily

“I really gravitate towards [jackets] because it can make a big statement piece,” San Vicente says. “It is a piece of clothing that can be mixed and matched with other pieces of clothing and will still stand out.”

In her time exploring her personal style, she finds it easy to pair jackets with just about everything. She sports many variations of an outfit with jackets as a staple because it empowers her.

“When I wear a leather jacket I always feel a boost of confidence,” San Vicente says. “It makes me feel as if I am in charge.”

“What I like to express through fashion is that I am put together but without having to be super sophisticated,” San Vicente says. “You could still look good by wearing streetwear fashion.”

Piper Takenaka, neuroscience major, 20, Instagram: @piper.takenaka

“[A gray hoodie] was something that a friend of mine thrifted and is something we share to keep us connected,” Takenaka says. “It makes me feel happy and at home because of how big and comfy it is.”

The hoodie was found in 2021 a thrift store called Shimokitazawa in Tokyo, Japan, and travels often because it’s a shared piece. It is passed along from Takenaka to her friend, and to her friend’s siblings. She and her friend take extreme care of the hoodie so whether it’s shipped from or to Japan it looks its best.

While at ECC, she spends the duration of her time studying which gives her ample time to wear hoodies.

“I enjoy buying hoodies with interesting patterns so that I can look more put together than I am feeling,” Takenaka says.

A chic and simple item catches Takenaka’s eye–a cardigan set.

“My personal favorite is the M-Idori top” from futuristic, feminine, and edgy Italian retail clothing company Diesel, Takenaka says. “It seems basic, but it’s elevated with layering and silver zipper detailing.”

Her personal fashion taste changes depending on her mood. It’s one style one day, another style the next.

It fluctuates from super girly, dressing in bows and lace to feeling “edgy and choosing my cargo pants and combat boots,” Takenaka says.

Jenny Hoang, art major, 19 Instagram: @hennyjams

“I take clothes from my dad pretty often because he keeps everything for decades so his clothes are durable and worn in,”

Hoang says.

When Hoang puts on an old pair of oversized Levi blue jeans, one of her dad’s hand-me-downs, it was the perfect fit for her.

“I actually stole them from my dad because I’m almost his height, so his clothes fit just a little baggy on me,” Hoang says. Various factors have influenced her style choices.

“I wear a lot of basics and I choose my clothes very intentionally to fit my body type and work throughout different seasons,” Hoang says.

Currently, Hoang’s favorite item is a white lace crop top from Garage because it has a flattering cut and is versatile.

“I can dress it up or down with different items and accessories,” she says. “Wearing it makes me feel confident and beautiful.”

Maintaining a wardrobe with minimal pieces is always her goal.

“I have a relatively small wardrobe, it’s important to me that all my pieces can be used for a long time in a variety of ways,” Hoang says.

Patrick Schulz, Music Theory Professor, 48

One of Schulz’s favorite pieces is a Columbia windbreaker.

The jacket isn’t “overly warm but it does keep the wind off of you” which makes it useful in the South Bay, Schulz says.

The Columbia brand is known for its many community outreach programs set in Portland, Oregon, including The National Park Foundation’s Open OutDoors for Kids program where they connect the youth to nature.

“It seems like they have a strong program to give back to the community, in the form of volunteering,” Schulz says. “They pay their employees a regular wage to do that.”

Wearing the windbreaker “makes me feel a little more connected to nature,” Schulz says. “It makes me think about being outside.”

A friend invited him to Portland to see the city for the first time in 2015 and they decided to go hiking.

“I was cold and wet, and miserable, and [my friend] gave me a [Columbia] jacket,” Schulz says.

His friend told him he should get one next time he returns. Two years later, in 2017, he bought his first Columbia product, a windbreaker before another planned trip with his friend.

Even now, about six years later, he continues to own the jacket, which is now accompanied by a second one and an array of Columbia clothing, including T-shirts, collared shirts, and shorts.

Catherine Bueno, Part-time Faculty Librarian, 42

Bueno would describe her style as quick and classic, and associates that with her nerves to try new things and her reserved nature. An upside to this style is how it helps her be professional as a Librarian at El Camino. “There’s a fine line between being professional and a business professional” where she looks approachable to students and able to relate to them, Bueno says.

Heels and boots caused her foot pain during high school and pregnancy. This led her to a brand called Vionic, a brand for stylish orthopedic shoes where she acquired two pairs — one high-heeled pair of suede boots adorned with a buckle, and the other — black sneakers.

The Vionic boots she now owns with arch support give her freedom to roam around the library to each student with renewed prowess.

Amid societal pressure to suppress her culture and appearance as someone of Native and Hispanic descent and a tanner complexion for most of her life, a family member served as a positive role model.

“My aunt had really tan and long legs and she always wore really short shorts,” Bueno says. “Now, I’m proud of showing people how tan I get and wear short shorts” in the summer.

Another piece reminds Bueno to stay connected with her family. The piece is sterling silver earrings that hold three crystals.

“I have three kids so whenever I try and find jewelry it always has to be something with three jewels or three gems,” Bueno says.