I had a chance to sit down with Trina Moreno, a freshman looking to major in environmental studies and sustainability at the U, to talk about her unique style. Her ensemble for the day featured an eclectic array of colors consisting of black Chelsea boots, washed denim from American Apparel, a tucked in dress from Forever 21 underneath a burnt orange shawl cardigan from Target and topped off with a tie-dyed headband she acquired at a farmer’s market.
SHOPPING PREFERENCES
Moreno described her reasoning for mixing and matching so many different retailers“I really like American Apparel and Urban Outfitters but I also like to refer to Target a lot, [I live on a] college budget,” she said. She also underlined American Apparel in particular as being an entity which always has a “fresh look” while still working in the realm of wardrobe essentials.
STYLE OUTLOOK
What became very apparent was Moreno’s tendency to look inward for fashion inspiration, preferring not to base her style on any fashion icon or celebrity. She seemed more interested in wearing whatever pleased her at the time, avoiding restricting herself to a single look: “I don’t really have an icon, I don’t even know if I have a specific style. I kind of just go with it.”
She also related this answer to her personality and how she defines herself as an individual. “I’d like to think that it represents that that’s how I am as a person too. I don’t look to anyone else to see how I should act,” she said.
FASHION ESSENTIALS
When discussing essentials in her wardrobe, building an outfit from the bottom up emerged right from the get go. Moreno was adamant about the importance of shoes and denim as the foundation of any outfit and something which warrants an investment. “I definitely think boots are really important, and shoes because they always complete any type of outfit you have. I think having unique jeans, not just plain ones, also helps to complete any outfit too,” she said. Moreno added to the importance of denim by pointing out their durability. “I think that jeans are a good investment because I find myself wearing the same pair year after year because I don’t grow a lot. You can really wear them continuously.”
CURRENT TRENDS
Moreno tends to stay away from any current trends, relying instead on purely personal taste, but she had no issue criticizing one in particular. She went into detail about her disdain for Australian brand, Uggs’, signature product. “Uggs [the boots], I don’t like them. I guess they’ve been around for a long time and I’m not really sure how they’re still around. They’re atrocious and they always make their way back and it really upsets me.”
PIERCINGS
Piercings have also always been a core component of Moreno’s look, as she has had several of them for quite a while now. “I’ve actually had my gauges since I was a freshman in high school. I’ve had them in the same size as they are now I started stretching them pretty early and then I stopped and kept this size for a long time,” she said. Even her septum piercing — known for being a recent trend — has been around since high school. “I got my septum piercing when I was a sophomore, and then I just got this one not super long ago, probably about a year and a half ago [pointing to an additional stud on the right side of her nose].”
FASHION AND ATHLETICS
Hailing from Urbandale, Iowa, Moreno came to the U on an athletics scholarship as part of the cross country team. Consequently, a large portion of her day is spent training, which means merging athletic wear with fashion pieces is an invaluable skill.
“I think being a student-athlete and having or getting to wear athletic gear while also repping my team is a great way to switch things up. I definitely take the opportunity to try and make athletic trendy at times,” she said. “Usually it works out really well.”
d.theriault@dailyutahchronicle.com
@daanielsonn