Arts Look of the Week

Look of the Week: Claire Jungmann ’18 Finds Confidence through Thrifty Statement Pieces

Claire Jungmann ’18 said that she is not afraid to follow trends, including retro styling from the ’80s and ’90s.

Pairing blue overalls with a white turtleneck, Claire Jungmann ’18 tops off her look with red, spherical earrings and vibrant red boots. According to Jungmann, she has enough turtlenecks to wear a different one every day of the week, allowing her to create a variety of styles. 

Jungmann said, “If I’m having a bad day, I’ll spend a lot of time doing my makeup nice and then picking an outfit and that just makes me feel more like myself. Even when I don’t see people I probably have more makeup on and dress crazier than usual because it’s not about people seeing me, it’s about me feeling good.”

Since entering high school, Jungmann has refined her style by collecting statement pieces and thrifting. Thrifting allows Jungmann to take risks with her style, especially when she finds cheap, distinctive pieces at the Andover Thrift Store for prices as inexpensive as a dollar.

“They have great dress pants, like wool pants, so I can buy an eight dollar pair of pants. It’s kind of different. It’s not like your normal leggings or jeans — I call them my confidence pants. They fit me so well, and it was just such a treat to find them,” said Jungmann.

Jungmann often searches for deals in the one-dollar section of the Andover Thrift Store.

“There I feel like I can buy crazier pieces because if they don’t work out it was only one dollar lost. Some unique things I’ve found are a pair of flare jeans, a sweater vest that I wear on its own in the summer, and a ’80s pink windbreaker,” continued Jungmann in an email to The Phillipian.

According to Jungmann, nearly every outfit she wears contains a piece that was thrifted.

“I didn’t realize how much of my favorite clothes are thrifted. It’s a great way to save money and create a very specific look. It’s a big thing… if I get something for one dollar, everyone will know. I’ll brag about it,” said Jungmann.

Besides going to local stores, her friends have also taken her to places such as Goodwill, Savers, and the Salvation Army. According to Jungmann, her friends Nell Fitts ’18 and Flynn Bryan ’18 were the ones who originally encouraged her to start thrifting.

Bryan said, “I’ve known Claire since she was three or four, and as a child she was very quiet, comically quiet, and shy. When I came to this school we started our friendship. In that small amount of time, I’ve seen her come out of her shell a lot more. When she carries herself and dresses in a way where she knows who she is and people can see that she knows who she is, she has more power and agency to do things that she wants.”

Jungmann’s best pieces from thrifting often come unexpectedly.

“Some of my favorite finds from the thrift shop are from the suit pants section actually. I found out that they actually fit me really well. They are super soft and comfortable, and if I dress them up with my red boots and a turtleneck, they add something a little different to the outfit,” said Jungmann.