Campus Runway: One last piece of advice

All good things must come to an end, but that doesn’t make the goodbye any easier. While I wish I could hold onto some things forever, I know it’s time to start a new chapter. 

A few months ago, I was given the opportunity to write for Campus Runway — a column that has challenged, enlightened and inspired many students on and off campus. Campus Runway was a new idea when Jessi Green, the former creator and feature editor, pitched it. There hadn’t been a fashion column in the past, but now, we have hopefully paved the way to create a new sphere of fashion for students.

Writing for this column has changed my life in so many ways. Through this process, I have learned many unexpected things. For the last issue, I wanted to leave the readers with a few notes that I feel are important and tips I want us all to take into our next chapters of life. 

Wear What You Want

Throughout the years, I have worried about what  other people think about me and what my style says about me. In the grand scheme of things, what others think about your style is just an opinion, and you don’t have to listen to it. Styles are unique to who you are as a person. Following along with the trends can be fun, and trends become trends for a reason, but your personal style and comfort matter more. If you don’t feel like trends match your aesthetic, then don’t force yourself to wear them. Danielle Robles from Elle dove into personal styles and breaking down stereotypes. 

“Even the fashion-obsessed know that style is so much more than the season’s latest trends,” Robles said. “It’s about an attitude, a way of life, and how you share your personal story with the world.”

If you are always following everyone else’s rules, then you will never fully discover what your personal style could look like. Giving it the space to grow is what allows it to flourish. Lean into your own trends. They are just as beautiful. 

Confidence Is Key

I will just say it now: you are stunning just the way you are. Fashion is not made for one body type. Through the research that I have done this semester, I have seen this continuing trend of “fashion wellness.” This can be seen as the ethos of dressing to feel amazing and confident. This idea cultivates dressing for yourself and not for
others. 

“We are all made with unique and beautiful body types, and we are different for a reason. It would be boring if everyone in the world was ‘copy and paste.’ ” 

Austin Farmerie

Confidence is a long, rough journey, but the result is worth it. Dressing for your specific body type is one way that I have seen many people begin their journey to a more confident closet. We are all made with unique and beautiful body types, and we are different for a reason. It would be boring if everyone in the world was “copy      and paste.”

Decide what your best feature is and highlight it appropriately. You can also experiment with the colors that make you feel good and the fabrics that fit you well. It might take some trial and error, but rest assured that the process can be enjoyable. To wrap things up, I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported Campus Runway on any platform over the past few months. You have truly impacted me so positively, and I am forever grateful. 

Campus Runway will always be a piece of me, even during this next chapter of my life. In the fall, I will be moving back to Orlando, Florida, to work at Walt
Disney World. 

For those of you who are graduating this spring — congratulations, we did it! For the others who still have some time left here at Liberty, I hope that you never lose sight of what it truly looks like to love the person that God has created you to be. 

Make sure you follow me on Instagram so we can stay connected (@austinfarmerie). Thank you so much for walking through this journey with me, and remember, don’t forget to make this campus your runway.

“And so, our journey comes to an end. But yours continues on. Let your dreams guide you. All of our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” 

– Walt Disney

Farmerie is a Champion contributor.