With a bandana tucked into his pocket and a blue baseball cap over his head, Isael Ruiz ’25 styles blue jeans with a white tank and striped shirt, tying in various other accessories. Ruiz’s evolving personal style is a reflection of what is currently trending in the fashion space on social media. Meshing a mix of streetwear, ’90s, and Y2K aesthetics, he draws from images he sees online and brings them together through his individual style. In addition to digital inspiration, Ruiz also takes elements of fashion he sees in the physical world around him. As his style has evolved over time, he has found that his friends also have a significant influence on what he wears.
“I would describe my style as fun and versatile… I get my inspiration from my friends and social media. My friends are gorgeous, and their style is just as immaculate, so I try and vibe with the group,” said Ruiz.
Leveraging these sources of inspiration, Ruiz makes an effort to curate a unique closet by sourcing clothes from a variety of places. He sees thrifting as a source of liberation because he is confined by the tastes of mainstream brands. Furthermore, shopping second-hand allows him to properly embody ’90s and early 2000s fashion by finding pieces authentic to that time period.
“My style has developed as I’ve gotten older. I strictly thrift, so with the freedom I’ve gained, I’ve been able to explore more shops. For example, in the summer, I went to Boston a few times and went to thrifting events hosted by Select Markets. I got so many signature pieces of clothing, far better than the Savers I typically shop at,” said Ruiz.
One of Ruiz’s close friends, Kamila Garcia ’25, also closely affiliates his style with a few distinct pieces. She sees these particular clothing items as intrinsic to his personal style, which has developed accordingly as he has become better at sourcing clothes. Moreover, because of the care he puts into this selection process, his external style is a manifestation of his internal self.
“He adopts many elements from different kinds of ’90s fashion. My favorite outfit of his is the bandana under the cap with a jersey and baggy jeans. It just feels very him, and it’s fun. He also can’t go without his Levi’s leather jacket with the hood on it,” said Garcia.
Garcia continued, “[His style] has totally evolved since Freshman year. It’s become more playful and intentional.”
Because Ruiz meticulously selects his clothing items, he has a solid rotation of pieces he can build an outfit around. How he pairs these pieces is centered around that day’s events and his personal mood. In addition, the specific way he pairs his clothing is central to diversifying his outfits.
“Honestly, I run through similar outfits each week and choose my clothes based on the day I’ll have. For example, if it’s a day where I have less classes and might leave campus early, I’ll wear sweatpants and a sweater, but on busier days like Friday, I will dress up more. Something I should do more often is look at the weather though… To keep my style creative throughout the week, I try to mix and match different pieces of clothing from the normal outfits I go through. I tend to switch up my shirts and sweaters or how I layer them,” said Ruiz.
While Ruiz tries to find variety in his outfits, he is a firm supporter of outfit repeating. In a society overrun with overconsumption, online shopping, and microtrends, it can be difficult to create a style that feels truly individual. His shift towards truly amortizing his clothing is a welcomed break from this pervasive messaging in the media. To keep things fresh while sticking to reliable outfits, he often plays around with his accessories.
“Repeating clothing items and outfits should be more normalized. I have a washer and dryer for a reason. I hate feeling like I can’t wear something because I already wore it, even if I love the outfit. For the most part, I wear the same pieces of clothing throughout each week, but sometimes I might accessorize more than I typically do, like wearing a hat or necklaces,” said Ruiz.
