Fashion has always been a means of personal expression. In the 1920s, young people expressed their independence through short hair and hemlines. In the 1980s, dramatic shoulder pads and teased hair symbolized individuality. In 2025, California Baptist University students reflected their personalities and daily emotions through their everyday styles.
Nya Angelique, junior international business major, strolled by CBU’s Hae and Shina Park Building with a patchwork bag hanging from her shoulder. Bangs clipped back and her hair blended maroon, dark orange and deep purple. Angelique said her personal style, from her hair to her boots, was meant to be an expression of who she was.
“I always feel like being yourself is the best way to be,” Angelique said, “It’s actually really hard to be yourself and I feel like being beautiful is about being you.”
She wore a pendant necklace, a black long-sleeve, a colorfully patterned skirt and fur-lined chunky winter boots.
“Like with my fashion, I just like to be myself, be comfy and cute, but also a little color coordination,” Angelique said, gesturing to her outfit, “but I don’t like to stress it too much. I like to just let it express who I am and hopefully it will attract the right people to me.”
Angelique emphasized that fashion was about being one’s self in a comfortable capacity. Stress should not be a factor in deciding what to wear, because selecting an outfit is intended to reflect one’s mood and personality, not perfection. It could be as simple as pulling a color from a clothing item and incorporating that color into an accessory, easy yet effective in putting a look together.
Near the Annie Gabriel Library, Daniel Houghton, freshman psychology major, stood out in the crowd of students walking to class. Wearing a camouflaged newsboys cap, Houghton’s relaxed posture matched his easygoing style.
“I feel like I’m kind of impulsive,” Houghton said, “but I also kind of just do whatever I want. So… that’s kind of how I dress, too.”
His outfit clearly reflected his described personality. He wore a fitted white T-shirt, black pants with a golden sheen and black cowboy boots. Houghton said his fashion was less about the fancy name brands and more about the look.
“And I don’t really care what others really think about how I appear,” Houghton added, “So I kind of just dress for me, and I put it on.”
For Houghton, fashion reflected confidence through simplicity and indifference to others’ opinions.
Behind the library, Clara Goetz, freshman history major, walked past the fountain, her silver chains and studded belt clinking with each step. Goetz said her fashion helped her shape how others understood her before they could decide for themselves.
“I really enjoy showing people what’s on the inside of me by showing them how I dress on the outside,” Goetz said. “I feel like people judge too fast and I love people being able to judge, ‘hey, she is a bit of a loud person’ by what I am wearing.”
Goetz’s pink hair, statement belt, brown leather boots with white knee socks, and multiple piercings emphasized her boldness.
“I like the clanky, I like the big. And the belt is very big, shiny,” Goetz laughed, gesturing to the accessory.
At CBU, students use fashion to communicate identity, mood and worldview. From confidence to creativity to quiet self-assurance, their clothing expresses what words cannot. Fashion allows students to say, without speaking, “This is who I am.”
