Students Showcase Unique Styles on New TikTok Account ‘VU Fashion’

In December 2023, freshman and Marketing major Charlotte White started a page on TikTok called VU Fashion (@vu.fashion) where she showcases the style of Vanguard students, including herself. “I’ve been meeting with different students, I just go up to everyone whose outfits look good and interview them, and it’s been really fun to see how everyone dresses!” Charlotte explained.

The account’s biography summarizes its purpose by saying ‘showcasing all of Vanguard University’s best fits.’ It features videos titled ‘What I wore to class this week’ ‘What Vanguard gals are wearing for Valentine’s’ and more. One video even featured Professor Cathy Yi, who showcased her amazing outfit.

Charlotte explained what sparked the idea for this account, “I was in one of Professor Kang’s classes, and one of the icebreaker questions was, if you were to have a podcast or do interviews, what would your idea be? So I wrote it down, and then the next class she came up to me and said, ‘Hey, I really like your idea, how can we make this happen? And that’s kind of where it all started, she gave me the mics and everything.” Since Charlotte’s first post, the account has amassed a total of 100 followers with more than 1,000 views on many videos.

Charlotte told me about the fashion trends that have stuck out to her through the process of making these videos: “I feel like because we live in Orange County, I see a lot of the ‘coastal style’ being worn, so I see a lot of overalls and flatbill hats. I think that that’s super popular, people implement the ‘beach life’ into their outfits… I say that there’s definitely a mix of both [fashionable and laid-back outfits] there are a lot of people who have amazing outfits but then everyone’s just going to class and some people have early classes, but I’d say overall, people here really know how to dress.” In one of VU Fashion’s video series, Charlotte asks students whether or not they dress ‘fitted’ or casual for their 8 a.m. classes.

She listed the names of three students who she’s noticed always have great outfits: “Katie Greer, Mary Docusen, and Josh Hernandez all have unique styles and get a lot of their items thrifting, which makes their outfits stand out because they have a lot of one-of-a-kind pieces.” Thrift shopping has grown in popularity over the past couple of years with the rise of concerns over the ethics of the clothing industry, as well as the influence of fashion stars such as YouTuber Emma Chamberlain who encourage viewers to express their individuality through second-hand clothes instead of engaging in ‘copy-paste’ fast fashion trends.