Although there are so many advantages of going to a private Christian school, one of the vices is a limited wardrobe. Uniforms symbolize unity within the school and within the students, our outfits don’t clash and are based on a set color palette that was decided by admin. They make our mornings simpler, having a familiar outfit put on every single day and eliminating indecisiveness and doubts about whether or not your shirt doesn’t go with your pants. All these pros to uniforms, but what about the one thing that outweighs them all? When limiting choice of clothes, you also limit personal expression.

While personal style and fashion is limited at Heritage Christian, the way that students dress doesn’t have to be totally cookie-cutter identical. Our handbook states that students must have a Heritage issued polo, but what about the rest of the uniform? The handbook says vaguely “solid navy blue, khaki, or black shorts, pants, or skirts”. It doesn’t specifically name a brand, lucky for us. We have the freedom to choose our pants, our shoes, our jewelry, our backpacks, etc. So what choices are the most popular?

The one thing that must be consistent with uniforms is our polo. There aren’t many loopholes to this, unless you’re in a sport or extracurricular and it’s a Friday. “I normally wear a compression shirt under it, wear it halfway, like have one sleeve in and one sleeve out (of the polo).” Interviewee Esteban Montealegre said when I asked him how he makes his outfits feel more like him. 

“I think the girls always lean towards the Lululemon pants, and dudes lean towards the sweatpants style cargo pants.” A freshman named Charli Steelman said when questioned about the currently trending pants at our school.

Another way students love to customize their look is by wearing a long sleeve under their polos, either a thin long sleeve shirt or even a crewneck or hoodie for some extra warmth, giving a cozy look and even cozier feel especially as it gets colder out. The only rule when wearing something underneath is that it must be solid black, white, or navy blue. “I think it’s so cute when the girls will wear their little crew necks, and the collars will pop out a little bit giving it a preppy look, that’s cute,” said Ms. Cedano.

“I think my big black cross probably,” responded Sammy Forgione when asked if she thought she had a signature accessory. A signature accessory doesn’t have to be a piece of jewelry (even though most of the time it is), it could be anything from a water bottle to a hairstyle, or even a signature scent. “A lot of people have blue light glasses”, said Naiya Padilla. A very popular accessory at Heritage seems to be glasses, about a handful of students claiming that their signature accessory was their glasses. Any student can join in on the trend without needing a prescription by purchasing blue light glasses. Another popular accessory, more common with upperclassmen, is keychains and lanyards. After you get your drivers license, those who pass the test deserve bragging rights for all their hard work by showing off your new car keys.

Heritage students tend to favor Nike and Adidas shoes over any others. “My go-to pair of shoes are my Air Forces,” said sophomore Isabella Newman, and countless others. The majority of interviewees I talked to gave almost all the same answers, Nike Air Forces and Adidas Sambas. “I think they just go with everything I wear,” Kira O’dea, a freshman, said when asked why she said her go-to shoes were a pair of Sambas. Sambas have a sleek look that’s basic and cute while still not looking completely boring. Air Forces have a plain but adaptable style, trendy enough to wear with a nice outfit and mellow enough to wear with your everyday uniform.

Any current Heritage student is familiar with that checkered pattern and mouth on every other backpack on campus. Sprayground has proven to be just as popular as what feels like the default backpack—Jansports. But what are our seniors wearing? They’re styling children’s backpacks?! The seniors are enjoying their last memories of childhood before becoming an adult with Barbie, Dora, and Mickey Mouse on their backs. Senior year is the last year where it’s acceptable to rock a childish accessory, the last year of reminiscing your childhood, the perfect time to relive the highlights of life before turning 18.

Now, when you think of eccentric style, who comes to mind? For a lot of students, I’m sure that it would be Ms. V. Even if you don’t know her by name, everybody recognizes her by her unorthodox style that’s become her trademark. Ms. V is well known for pairing up crazy patterns and colors that shouldn’t work together, but do. “Honestly, there’s a lot of TikTokers I follow and I really like their style so I kind of just copy them then find my own rhythm to it,” said Ms. V when I asked her what inspired her sense of fashion. “Especially in your guys’ generation, you guys are on TikTok, so I think you guys follow a lot of different styles and trends.”

In the midst of multiple influences and restrictions on style, Heritage students still find a way to look and feel like themselves in a fashionable way. Whether those influences are through social media, friends, or just convenience, they shape our community and how we look. Uniforms simplify student life, but don’t have to be perfectly identical and boring.