Angel Cleare ’19 started using fashion as a form of expression in high school. Some of her clothes, such as her shirt pictured above, express her political beliefs.
Etched in white against a bright pink t-shirt, the words “Why be racist, sexist, homophobic, or transphobic when you can just be quiet?” were printed on the shirt of Angel Cleare ’19. She paired the top with peach-toned Converse and a navy blue jean skirt. Accessorizing her outfit were a golden chain bracelet, a golden “Angel” necklace, and golden hair beads. She finished her look with a rosy bandana.
According to Cleare, her favorite items in her closet are her bomber jackets, denim, sneakers, canvas belts, and over-the-knee boots.
“[My style is] very colorful and youthful, because I like wearing a lot of bright colors. I wouldn’t consider myself very mature, but very teenager-like,” said Cleare
Cleare’s style reflects her artistic talent, according to her friend Sydney Mercado ’19.
Mercado wrote in an email to The Phillipian, “[Through her outfits], she has the ability to express her moods and…interest in the arts. She’s great at combining colors, textures, [and] prints that almost make her look like an art student.”
Cleare did not always express herself through clothing. When she was younger, she had always worn darker colors to blend in and avoid standing out. However, Cleare began experimenting with this form of expression in her second year of high school.
“In middle school, I just dressed the way everyone else dressed because I was a really shy kid. I feel like Lower year was the year when I really started branching out with my clothing because I started feeling more comfortable with the people I was around, so I was able to express myself,” said Cleare.
Mercado said that Cleare is not afraid to experiment with new fashion concepts that may not be necessarily well-known or popular. According to Mercado, this helped Cleare’s style appear more authentic and striking.
“She’s gotten more confident with her style over the past few years. She wears pieces that cater to a specific style and aren’t always mainstream, so it feels bold and original,” Mercado added.
Cleare gets most of her fashion inspiration from the internet.
Cleare said, “A lot of my style inspiration comes from YouTubers and Instagram. My favorite Instagrammers are people like “maurijuice,” and “bronnniee” from YouTube. I really like their styles because I think they’re very creative in the clothes that they wear.”
Cleare’s father also inspired her clothing preferences. Her father often wears t-shirts from bands or singers, so Cleare believes his style choice is the reason why she enjoys wearing merchandise from artists as well.
“I wear a lot of rapper t-shirts, like Tupac and Biggie. I have a Bob Marley T-shirt,” said Cleare. “My dad [has] influenced the clothing I wear… just because I wear a lot of my dad’s clothes. I really like going into closets and thinking ‘How can I wear this to make it look cool?'”
