This month, The Westword sat down with Jessie Velishka (’21), who spoke with us about the inspiration behind her comfortable outfits and swimwear.
The Westword: What do you think is most influential to your style?
Jessie Velishka: Whatever I can find that is cheap, not going to lie!
TW: Where do you normally shop for your clothes?
JV: This is going to sound so basic but I do a solid amount of thrifting and I love Urban Outfitters.
TW: What words would you use to describe your style?
JV: [I am] convenient, comfortable, and relaxed. Usually whatever I wear depends on my mood, and I am usually very tired from school, so I go for comfortable but cute fits.
TW: How would you throw together a comfortable but cute fit?
JV: Well I always start from sweatpants, and then we build from there. Start with sweatpants, then add a cute shirt and a jacket.
TW: Do you think you care more about comfort or more about appearance? Or do you take a little bit of both?
JV: Comfort one hundred percent.
TW: What is a signature part of your style? A specific color, shape, symbol, article of clothing?
JV: I wear a lot of stars.
TW: Do stars have a special meaning to you, and what is it about stars that you really like?
JV: I like their look; I think they are clean, but they are cute and they work well on a lot of different pieces. I have sweatshirts with star patches, and I have sweatpants that are covered in stars. They are on my jewelry and even my shoes have stars all over them.
TW: [Which] celebrities do you take inspiration from?
JV: I am not the biggest fan of Emma Chamberlain, but I love her style, so I definitely take inspiration from her.
TW: Are there any TV shows that you take style influence from?
JV: Outer Banks on Netflix! I love their clothes.
TW: Do you think you are going to be using a lot of their styles this summer?
JV: Maybe. In the summer I literally only wear bathing suits and swim all day.
TW: I remember you telling [me] you had a bit of a bathing suit obsession; let’s talk about the bathing suits for a second.
JV: Because I am a swimmer, I have so many bathing suits in my room, you are going to laugh at me. On my door, I have all my one-piece suits for swimming practice… Then I have this whole drawer full of suits, and I just ordered [around] four more.
TW: That is amazing. What is your favorite bathing suit that you own?
JV: Right now, my favorite one I have is this red snakeskin pattern top that I am really obsessed with.
TW: Where is that from?
JV: It is from SHEIN and it was so cheap.
TW: We love a steal! Finally, do you have any last comments about your style in general or your favorite part of fashion?
JV: What I really like about fashion now is that it is making being comfortable so easy. For example, my favorite thing to do is show up to school in a huge T-Shirt and sweatpants, and it still looks cute and still fits the trends.
Photos contributed by Jessie Velishka (’21).
