Fashion is a lot like the opinion pages of a newspaper. It’s a way to express oneself, it’s a commentary on the times, and eventually, it becomes a historical record of people’s preferences. When you look at a stranger’s outfits, you understand more about them — their priority of practical vs. pretty, their favorite colors and styles. You might feel connected with them if you have a similar taste or admire them if their style sense is more rebellious. Either way, fashion is a way to communicate more about oneself to the world around them.

We’re all about communication here at the Trinitonian, so this week, we’re celebrating fashion, as an outlet for self-expression, as a way to find community and as a method of self-discovery.

As Trinity costume designer Jodi Karjala said in her column this week, “Whether you know it or not, and whether they intend it or not, you are receiving a message.” Style is about perception.

It’s also a form of rebellion. First-year James Davis rebels every day by choosing to dress, colorfully, comfortably. James’s style defies the norm, intentionally.

Style is community. Take, for example, senior Alexandra Parris, who’s been cosplaying since 2014. Cosplay introduces a new world to Alexandra, including two of her closest friends.

Style is self-actualization. Our Pulse reporter Logan first truly saw himself when his 14-year-old self looked in the mirror after stuffing his long hair into a DC cap. As a transgender man, Logan finds affirmation in that early memory, and now, he’s reclaiming his self-expression.

If you aren’t inspired to reinvent or rediscover yourself after reading these stories of our fashion section, maybe you’ll be inspired by the tools we’ve given you to do so. Go cut your bangs, go dig through your friend’s makeup bag, go buy a spooky turtleneck. Go be yourself.

Style is ever-changing because we are ever-changing. We experience things that alter our preferences, and we find ways to be better, more accurate versions of ourselves.