Mar 5th, 2019, 10:51 AM

What are Students in Paris Actually Wearing? Vol. II

By Alizée Chaudey
Students interviewed. Image Credit: Alizée Chaudey
Students mix and match pieces of different provenance for this week's street styles.

Snow is falling, the breeze is getting colder by the day, and the sun hasn't been seen in weeks: It's official, winter is here. 

This season, the trend around campus is to mix thrift and designer pieces. Sound contradictory? Not so fast! Contemporary designers draw heavily from the past and thrift stores are a treasure chest of original pieces. Instead of clashing with each other, thrift finds can compliment and add originality to outfits, especially those including higher-end pieces. 

Here’s a look at how students on campus are mixing and matching their pieces.

Johnny Alfonso

Johnny Alfonso's street style. Image Credit: Alizée Chaudey

Alfonso's black leather oxford shoes are from a local Parisian boutique. His black pants are from  Comme des Garçons. His green tee-shirt is from Gosha Rubchinskiy and black blazer is a thrift store find, which he wears under a deep grey Yohji Yamamoto coat.

"I've been loving Japanese fashion a lot—especially Comme des Garçons and Yamamoto," says Alfonso "I like the fit and cut, which is generally a bit lose." While Alfonso's style is usually more streetwear-inspired, he admitted that living in Paris made him feel like he had to dress up a bit. But this doesn't mean spending thousands on high-fashion & couture pieces, "There are some really cool thrifted pieces out there; you can look better in thrift shop finds than in a full designer outfit." Indeed, people tend to "wear high-end more for the name and the hype around it" than for their actual love for the pieces they are wearing or their personal style. Alfonso added that, as Yves Saint Laurent once said: "Fashion fades, style is eternal."

Nolan Mcnearney

Nolan Mcnearney's street style. Image credit: Alizée Chaudey

Mcnearney's white & black sneakers are from a collaboration line between  Fear of God x Nike. The Black sweat pants are also from Fear of God. His Looney Tunes graphic orange sweater is a thrift store find.

"I love the pop of color from the orange sweatshirt, contrasting with the black and white of the rest of my outfit," explained Mcnearney. "It's also really comfy." 

For Mcnearney, being comfortable in his clothes is the number one requirement. And a mix of high fashion and thrift finds are his go-to combination, for multiple reasons.

"I can’t afford to buy all the high fashion pieces out there, so I’ll get a few pieces that I really like and mix it up with thrift store finds or lower-end brands. I also believe it makes your style more original—you get items that no one else cops."

Enzo Fanchini

Enzo Fanchini's street style. Image credit: Alizée Chaudey

Fianchi's sneakers are Raf Simons. His black zipped & tied pants are from Dantegoetia. The belt is Gucci. His brown sheepskin coat is a thrift store find worn over an M+RC Noir jacket and a red and white sailor shirt from Asos

Enzo Fianchi is also a firm believer that mixing high fashion with thrift is an absolute yes, allowing him to express his style. "I like how the pants, jacket, and rings have more of a 'goth' look to them, and I think that mixing them with streetwear pieces and more high-end brands works really well."

Inspired by diverse artists such as Offset and Raf Simons, Fianchi wears only pieces he 100 percent loves, "however it may look."

Yasmine Smadi

Yasmine Smadi's Street Style. Image credit: Alizée Chaudey

Smadi's black & white sneakers are from Off-White. Her denim jeans are from Zara. The shirt is thrifted, worn under a black Topshop coat.  

"I don’t think high fashion has to be worn only with high fashion," said Smadi "I love to put a high fashion piece in contrast with lower-end pieces, and they allow me to let my style grow as I grow."

For Smadi, the label of the clothes you buy shouldn't matter: it's all about how you feel. "I find the pieces that make me look and feel my best aren't necessarily those I broke the bank on."