There is style in every country, but what that means exactly can vary widely across cultures. And when you’ve grown up accustomed to something, anything else can seem a little jarring. But these two international students, Communication freshman Katarina Kosmina and McCormick sophomore Thomas Moreno weren’t scared away by American style. Instead of relying solely on their home countries for their fashion inspiration, the two see their styles as a mix between where they came from and where they are now. From surprise at sweatpants to a fascination with the hipster phenomenon, these two students discuss their thoughts on how style in America compares to style at home.
KATARINA KOSMINA
BELGRADE, SERBIA
Where do you shop in Serbia?
I shop at Mango. It’s a Spanish brand that is popular in Serbia. It is very classic, but at the same time, there is a lot of space to improvise with it. I also kind of like going through my mom’s and my grandma’s closet because they have awesome stuff. The bag I’m wearing is my grandma’s. Her friend made it. The sweater is my mom’s also.
What do you think is the difference between American and Serbian fashion?
In Serbia, there are girls who pay a lot of attention to what they wear a lot more than they do here. Hoodies and sweatpants are what people usually wear in classes here, but in Serbia if you are going to school, girls wear high heels and skirts and never, ever sweatpants or hoodies. They are really, really rare. Once in a month, you will go to school like that.
Do you prefer Serbian fashion or American fashion?
I do a mix. I don’t have the feeling that I could go to class in sweatpants. I would like to wear high heels more often here but I feel that people would look at me strangely because they’d be like, “Are you going to a party?”
THOMAS MORENO
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
How would you describe your style?
That is difficult. Well, I lived four years in Paris for high school, so I would describe my style as being more European because that is where I spent my four crucial years where you actually develop a sense of style.
Where do you shop in Paris? Colombia?
I like a lot of different places. I like this place Massimo Dutti. I don’t really shop in Colombia. I only go back once a year normally for spring break, so it’s not to go shopping — just to visit.
What do you think is different about American fashion?
Well, of course, there are a lot of fashionable people here in the U.S., normally in the cities of course. If you go to Chicago, New York [there are] a lot of very well-dressed people. The thing that I have noticed the most is the hipster movement. That is what kind of shocks me the most. Which in a way it’s interesting. I like it.