Katie Scoville has been choosing comfort over anything else in her clothing since she could dress. More masculine styles tended to fit her wants the best, but in middle school, she rode the line between not caring about how she dressed and trying to fit in at the same time. Her closet consisted of crop tops and leggings, graphic tees with NASA logos, ringer tees and neon windbreakers. The clothes Scoville and her mom found in Target worked for her at the time, but by her freshman year, she wanted to try something new. Scoville noticed that her peers at school seemed to have a better idea of who they were and what they wanted to wear. Inspired by social media and new friends she started to branch out: she bought her first pair of jeans. Paired with a tucked-in t-shirt, belt and high-top vans, the jeans helped begin her fashion journey.
As the world entered the Covid-19 pandemic Scoville found herself scrolling through social media like Pinterest and TikTok. She saw people presenting themselves in the way she wanted to dress. Those wearing less feminine clothing and baggier cuts showed her that she could dress that way too.
“During quarantine, since everyone spent so much time consuming media, especially with TikTok, you’re constantly seeing people dressed up nice,” Scoville said. “You might be like ‘That’s how I’ve been wanting to present myself, but I didn’t know how to do it.’”
As she grew into her style, Scoville picked up some important pieces: UNC Air Jordan 1 sneakers, Carhartt double-knee pants and some oversized button-up tops.
“[I dress] like a 35-year-old construction worker,” Scoville said. “[My style is] a mix of things, mostly from online, but definitely more thrifting than usual, which I'm excited about. I had this whole perception that it was impossible to find good thrift stuff in Ann Arbor because everyone goes to that Salvation Army, everyone sorts through it and everyone takes the good stuff.”
Through research and getting her driver’s license, Scoville has found ways to get out of Ann Arbor to thrift. In these less populated stores, she found clothing already worn-in, and perfectly comfortable.
“Some things that have been used look better than if you brought them brand spanking new,” Scoville said. “The material gets more wear, and it can sometimes make different coloration which I think makes it unique. You can find stuff there that you couldn't really find online. It's like this item has had its own life.”
A white Hanes tank top is the base of her outfit today. On top, she wears a self-cropped button-up with overlapping blue and white squares in a small pattern. The blue in the shirt matches closely with her sneakers and ties in the color throughout her outfit.
“Sometimes [to crop shirts] I use a ruler but that never works,” Scoville said. “I just draw a faint line, cross my fingers and hope for the best. I always try to go longer than I think because if I go too short, then I'm just going to be upset and I can't wear the shirt anymore. So I try to go longer than I think and then just cut little by little.”
Scoville also wears cream-colored Gap jeans from the men’s section. The proportions of men’s pants are not always the most comfortable for her, but she makes them work for the outfit.
“They fit a little funky, but the color is really nice,” Scoville said.
To accessorize, Scoville wears bracelets she’s had on since this summer, her signature belt and a bright pink cowboy hat. The bracelets are all related to the sleep-away camp she attends. This year, she traveled to Alaska and brought a piece of the adventure back.
“The green rope was given to everyone in my group after we finished our trip,” Scoville said. “It’s a tradition at our camp once we finish a big trip the counselors burn the rope onto all of us.”
Scoville’s hat also came from a camp excursion. After her stay as a camper, she returned to work for the rest of the summer. On one of her days off, she found the hat at a Good Will store in Traverse City, Mich.
“I think it’s just fun, and it’s always sitting around in my room,” Scoville said. “[It] sort of brings comfort, and sometimes I just put it on because it’s funny.”
Credits:
Photography by Grace Wang