Inspired by Korean fashion, Wang likes to add bright pops of pink, green, and blue to her outfits
Wang often bases her outfits off her mood and wears her favorite colors to cheer her up on a rainy day.
Inspired by Korean fashion and buoyant colors, Anny Wang ’26 pairs a lively pink cardigan with cozy leg warmers and a thrifted brown skirt. She finalizes the look with bold accessories and a matching hairstyle. Wang traces her love for clothing self-expression to her mom and the culture shock she experienced when first arriving in the United States of America four years ago.
“Coming from a Chinese public school where minimalized fashion is the norm, I actually tried to avoid wearing [fashionable] clothes because I felt like that’s against the norm, and I didn’t really want to be different from other people… But after coming to America, I felt like I really wanted to be special because I feel like people here have more freedom wearing clothes… So, I felt more safe wearing different clothes and I felt like clothes became more and more a part of me,” said Wang.
In addition to taking fashion inspiration from Chinese blogs and Korean clothing, Wang enjoys shopping for clothes with her mother, who encourages her to try out this new and more liberating style. One of her favorite articles of clothing is a pink cardigan from the Korean brand Chuu. Wang discussed why she likes cardigans in particular, and her liking for the bright colors of Korean fashion.
“I love to wear these Korean, sort of K-fashion clothes because [of] the colors pink, green, and blue. They’re very energetic, and they bring a lot of energy to myself. It fits my personality. I really like to wear cardigans and things to put on top because I personally don’t really like to wear a hoodie. Cardigans are easy to take off if you’re hot, or if it’s cold, you can just put it on. It’s easier to remove or add on. That’s my preference [for] a piece of clothing.” said Wang.
Additionally, Wang emphasized how fashion affects her mood, confidence, and freedom of expression. She described it as a way to enliven herself and those around her, diversifying her wardrobe on special holidays and experimenting with color combinations.
“Sometimes I would wear bright colors on a rainy day just to cheer myself up… Sometimes I would wear something unique when there’s a Chinese festival because I want to celebrate it on my own, even though it’s not really celebrated in the U.S.. I feel great when I feel pretty…and sometimes I try to try new color schemes and mix colors. It’s like mixing a palette. It’s like drawing… Fashion is sort of a tool to bring energy to myself and to the people around me,” said Wang.
One of Wang’s friends, Bellina Zhou ’26, highlighted her ability to adapt outfits to specific circumstances while staying true to her style. She feels that Wang’s cheery, energetic vibe is palpable through any outfit of hers, whether formal or informal.
“I think what makes her fashion unique is her ability to put together outfits that look good from head to toe, that always fit whatever situation she’s in. For example, I remember seeing her at tennis one day and she was in a tennis outfit that was very much her, but still could definitely still do sports in it and be very active. Or when she has concerts, it’s definitely a very formal outfit, but it definitely still reflects her personality very well,” said Zhou.
While she may not want to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a fashion designer anymore, Wang still hopes to continue exploring fashion and ways to break drab-style stereotypes in the larger society.
“I want to keep on incorporating fashion in my daily life, and trying to bring energy with fashion to the people around me more. I look at the adult society and a lot of people wear really boring clothes, and I want to try and stay away from that even though it might go against some social norms,” said Wang.
