Comm Ave Runway: October Edition
Comm Ave Runway: October Edition
Our new fashion series finds stylish students and asks them how they achieve their look
A decade ago, GQ ranked Boston as the worst dressed city in America. All of the “worst fashion ideas from across the country” coagulate here, GQ said, partially because of our large college population, with students beholden to hoodies and leggings.
So, how are we looking today?
Inspired by Boston Fashion Week—which began September 30 and runs through October 7—BU Today is launching a new monthly fashion series. We are sending our BU Today interns out across campus to find students with a unique sense of style and flair, and thrifty fashion tips, and we’ll highlight some of the best.
Want to be featured or know of someone who should be? Email us at today@bu.edu.
David Fils-Aime (CAS’26)
Tell us about your outfit. Where did you get each piece?
I got this leather jacket last year from Buffalo Exchange. I got this button-up shirt from ASOS. These rings, my sisters actually gave me. One has a Capricorn symbol on it and the other has dice on it. One is just like a fidget ring. The tie I got on Shein and the jeans are from American Eagle. My shoes are Air Forces and I think I got them from Foot Locker.
How would you describe your fashion sense in a few words?
I’m trying to be more experimental with what I wear. So like streetwear, kind of, but also breaking gender norms as well.
Your favorite places to shop?
For right now I’m restyling all the clothes I already wear. Sometimes Goodwill has good stuff and Garment District, too.
What are your fashion influences?
I really enjoy watching people in the streets and seeing what they wear and how they style it. I go on Pinterest a lot. There’s also this influencer named Ethan Diaz who I follow.
Your advice for students who want to look great on a budget?
I say play around with the clothes you already have and wear them with confidence.
Riva Sun (CAS’24)
Tell us about your outfit. Where did you get each piece?
I got my robe from China on a [Chinese shopping online platform] called Taobao. The sweater is from AliExpress. The boots are from Dr. Martens. I bought them about two years ago.
How would you describe your fashion sense in a few words?
Weird and cool and elegant.
Your favorite places to shop?
I do online shopping because I have so many classes and I don’t prefer [in-person] shopping. There used to be a shopping mall called Aritzia, but now they’re closed for maintenance. So now, I just grab anything from my mother’s closet.
What are your fashion influences?
Most of the time, I just walk around the street and see some people doing cool stuff and just follow their style.
Your advice for students who want to look great on a budget?
Shop online. It’s pretty cheap for this sweater…$26. If you shop offline, it’s like $200.
Rosa Chen (COM’25)
Tell us about your outfit. Where did you get each piece?
The shirt is a birthday gift from my friend, and the skirt is from China. I got the shoes online from xVESSEL and the legwarmers are from Brandy Melville. The bag is from Marc Jacobs and the stuffed toy attached is from a gift shop in China.
How would you describe your fashion sense in a few words?
Simple and cozy.
Your favorite places to shop?
For everyday clothes I like to go to Zara, Brandy Melville, and Urban Outfitters. For special occasions I like Reformation dresses. Online, I would choose Oh Polly.
What are your fashion influences?
Maybe influencers from TikTok? I don’t have specific people.
Your advice for students who want to look great on a budget?
Don’t be afraid to try a new style of clothing, and be confident.
Jameson Vanbelkum (CAS’26)
Tell us about your outfit. Where did you get each piece?
I thrifted these pants from a flea market back home in Indiana. This is actually my roommate Nathan Arteaga’s [see below] shirt. We have the same sense of style, so we just kind of swap clothes. I think it’s a child’s Old Navy shirt, actually. The belt is also my friend’s, so I’m not sure where it’s from. And then my Adidas Sambas are my go-to, I wear these probably every day. This keychain is from Amazon, I wear this with everything, too. I think I got the chain at a jewelry store in Harvard.
How would you describe your fashion sense in a few words?
I like monochromatic pieces, I don’t usually go all out. I like graphic tees here and there, so I’d say maybe edgy a little bit.
Your favorite places to shop?
I don’t thrift as much here, but when I do, I go to Garment District. It’s really hit or miss there sometimes, but my favorite Carhartt jacket that I wear all winter I got there for like $25. If I’ve got money, I’ll go to Vivant Vintage. They have some good stuff over there, it’s just really, really pricey. And then I stayed in Roxbury Crossing over the summer and they have a massive Goodwill there.
What are your fashion influences?
I really just use Pinterest boards to find new ideas. My roommate really is one of my big fashion inspirations. They’re the head of styling on [BU’s] Fabrio magazine, so they have their style together. I take a lot of inspo from them and take a lot of their clothes also.
Your advice for students who want to look great on a budget?
Some of my favorite things I’ve found are when I stayed at a thrift shop for like three hours and just kept looking. Also [the thrifting website] Depop. I know that’s really overpopularized now, but I’ve found so much cheap stuff there. You just have to look really hard.
Winnie Jia (COM’24, CAS’24)
Tell us about your outfit. Where did you get each piece?
My shoes are Balenciaga. My jacket is from a Chinese website and my T-shirt, I don’t know for sure, but probably thrifted in China. My pants are from Sorry Baby, my choker is from Vivienne Westwood, and the other necklace is from Shein. I actually got the choker in London, so it’s limited edition and I really love it.
How would you describe your fashion sense in a few words?
I really like punk and grunge and also probably a little bit of Y2K. I’m obsessed with Japan in the 2000s, and I really like using colors to match and point out other colors in my outfit. I’m kind of a maximalist, so I like a lot of things, like necklaces, rings, and everything all in one outfit.
Your favorite places to shop?
I love to shop at thrift stores and I also do online shopping.
What are your fashion influences?
I usually look at YouTube videos about Japan or street interviews with fashionable people. I feel you can see a range of people with different styles. I also like looking at magazines through social media posts. I just follow a few like Vogue and get inspiration from [what they post].
Your advice for students who want to look great on a budget?
Definitely go thrift shopping. Vintage is absolutely a great way to save you money. Also, try to find some small websites. There are a lot of small brands that are affordable, as well as influencers that open their own brands, and that is kind of the way to go.
Nathan Arteaga (CFA’25)
Tell us about your outfit. Where did you get each piece?
The Samba sneakers I got from Adidas. The shorts are actually my roommate’s [Jameson Vanbelkum, see above]. I got the T-shirt I’m wearing from the big Goodwill bins in Warren Towers during move-out time. The other shirt is from A Tribe Called Quest. My bag is a Chrome bag, because I’m a Midwest native.
How would you describe your fashion sense in a few words?
During the week I’d say it’s pretty casual. I like to do a baby tee and baggy pants. But on the weekends when I have to dress up…actually, I don’t know how I would describe it. I don’t like to think about what I wear in terms of describing it. I kind of get up, put something on, and feel funky.
Your favorite places to shop?
I love the Goodwill on Commonwealth Avenue and my friends’ closets. I love sharing closets because I don’t have to go out and source things.
What are your fashion influences?
I have a Pinterest board, but I love the early 2000s. I know that sounds cliché, but early Dior pieces are some of my favorites. I’ve been really liking 1990s Miu Miu. Also, people in Fabrio.
Your advice for students who want to look great on a budget?
Don’t follow trends, be original, stop overconsuming.
Tami Gordon (CAS’25)
Tell us about your outfit. Where did you get each piece?
Everything I have on is thrifted except for the shoes; they are from the Sketchers outlet. Guys, get into the orthopedic shoes. Foot support and foot protection is the new thing in 2023. The pants I got from a friend of mine—they’re like the work pants that you see all the guys have on. I have this black turtleneck from Goodwill Comm Ave, and I also got the suit vest from there. The earrings are fish and they’re made by a friend of mine. The jacket is from my dad—thank you to my dad—and the bag is also from Goodwill Comm Ave.
How would you describe your fashion sense in a few words?
Day-by-day is the best way I can describe it. It really changes on the day. But I would say it’s just me. Just something I feel comfortable in. Whatever makes me feel good.
Your favorite places to shop?
I love to thrift. I feel like thrift stores have a lot of character and personality, and I have a lot of character and personality, so I like to pick pieces that reflect that. Finding a little statement piece that has a pop just shows my individuality.
What are your fashion influences?
Anyone and everyone. Whenever I’m walking on the street I’m taking notes, for sure. I also really like Pinterest a lot. If you look good and you look like you’re comfortable with yourself, I’m going to take note of that.
Your advice for students who want to look great on a budget?
Go thrifting. It doesn’t always have to be in a super rich neighborhood, like people always say. Honestly, if you have time and you’re patient and you’re willing to look around, you could find something really good.
Sophia Sorcigli (CAS’26)
Tell us about your outfit. Where did you get each piece?
My grandfather got me my jacket, it’s Levi’s. This scarf is my mom’s Moschino. I stole it from her closet. This sweater was my friend’s that I also took from her…pretty sure it’s from Brandy [Melville]. This dress I got from Motel Rocks. I thrifted this belt. Shoes are my mom’s—they’re an old Italian designer. I have this choker that I started wearing; this is a ribbon that I took off my uncle’s birthday cake, turned into a necklace, [and] this pendant is from an earring that broke. I wear my dorm key as a piece of jewelry. I can never lose my dorm key. I have a bunch of rings on, they are all just things that I’ve collected over the years.
How would you describe your fashion sense in a few words?
Classy, but a little bit on edge.
Your favorite places to shop?
I will say the obvious: Garment District. It’s in Cambridge…I’m from New York, so I did a lot of shopping there. And I love Goodwill, just because they always will have one or two new things… I usually get small things there that I can wear. Also, just buying clothes from people who are selling at BU.
What are your fashion influences?
I’ve always been obsessed with Chanel and anything Chanel ever. Chanel and Dior have always been my, Oh my God, living in my Parisian Dream. One day, when I’m walking the streets of Paris, I’ll be in head-to-toe Dior. But I’ve loved Chanel. I used to watch their runway shows all the time. I think my mom has been a really big influence on me and what I wear. Let’s say she got this scarf two, three years ago, I’d probably be like, “What is this? I would never wear that!” but I love scarves. Scarves now are my thing. Cléo from 5 to 7. I’m really much into the ‘50s; the ‘50s, ‘60s era is coming back. The big glasses, the big scarves, that femme fatale look.
Your advice for students who want to look great on a budget?
There’s always still more to an [outfit]. You can do so much with one piece of clothing. You have to really think about it. I try to recycle my own clothes as often as possible. Also, clothing trades. I’ll trade things with my friends if I feel like I’m getting bored with my closet. Look at old movie stars and what they would wear. Restructure your old clothes. Sometimes I will cut my pieces that I have or bedazzle things or go crazy with my stuff.
Comments & Discussion
Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (EST) and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation.