What Goes Into a Whitsons Outfit?
Band and audience members talk about personal style, sentiment, and identity.
By Natalia German
On Sept. 24, the “Oldstar and Friends” show at Whitsons featured different bands: Marek, cowTools, Prairie Princess, Fortress, and Oldstar. The night moved from slow indie melodies to punk and post-rock.
Among the crowd, several personal styles stood out. Performers and audience members spoke about their looks, what influences their style, and why they chose their outfits for the show.
Emerson Borakove is the lead singer of the Brooklyn-based pop band Prairie Princess. She also performs with Untitled Noise Night and Small Women. A SUNY Purchase Studio Composition alum, Borakove returned to campus with Prairie Princess to perform several folk-inspired songs, ending with a cover of “Random Rules” by Silver Jews.
How would you describe your style in one sentence?
“Twee Guidette. I just think Snooki’s so great.”
Why did you choose to wear this tonight?
Borakove smiled, “Through my sense of intuition,” she said.
What do you think about when you dress up in the morning?
“I think of where I’m gonna be that day and how to get the most out of that situation, wherever I’m gonna be, and how my clothes would lead me one place or another.”
What in life influences your style?
“I think I just see people on the street and then I have some emotion about what they’re wearing.”
What pieces are special to you?
“My friend Arrow gave me this coat, and I like this coat, so I think it’s special just because it’s very comfortable and a friend gave it to me for free.”
Marek Francis Martine Usiatynski, a sophomore Studio Composition major at Purchase, performed at Whitsons with his self-titled band and accompanied cowTools.
How would you describe your style in one sentence?
“Classic.”
Why did you choose to wear this tonight?
“I chose to wear this because I’m wearing a pair of brown Chelsea boots that kind of zip up a little bit. I have these jeans that look nice on my legs, and this striped shirt. I’m very inspired by 60s-style clothing. I just like segmentation: shoes, pants, shirt; each part has its own thing. I also just like simplicity.”
What do you think about when dressing up in the morning?
“If it’s a day that I’m feeling energized, then I’ll take a little time to find a pair of pants and match up some shoes. I think my mood is the biggest thing I think about.”
What in life influences your style?
“Nature. I really like Patagonia or old National Geographic magazines from the 60s or 70s. They’re outside, they’re dirty, they’re moving, they’re hiking, but they still look good. It’s still very clean and classic, kind of timely, simple.”
The performers weren’t the only ones using clothing to express their identities. Before the show, several audience members stood out through their personal style.
Orly Lovett, a freshman film major at Purchase, attended Whitsons to photograph the show.
How would you describe your style in one sentence?
“I like mixing high and low, like sneakers with a suit.”
What do you think about when dressing up in the morning?
“I run a tight ship; I run a serious business. I’ll Google the weather so that I know how hot or cold it’s going to be. Then I go on my Pinterest board of random outfits, and I try to pick something and just take some inspiration from it.”
What in life influences your style?
“Punk, old movies, a classic Hollywood style, a mix of those two things. Also, I just really don’t like to follow trends; I really just want to wear what I want to wear.”
What pieces are special to you?
“My aunt got this shirt for me from a yard sale on Long Island, and I don’t know what it is, but I think it’s cute, and the scarf I got for my 18th birthday.”
Throughout the show, grey and red flannels and black band T-shirts were common among the crowd. During an intermission, Purchase Jazz Studies sophomore Desmond Keller stood out in an electric blue kaftan.
How would you describe your style in one sentence?
“Unique. I would like to stand out amongst the crowd.”
What do you think about when you dress up in the morning?
“Some days I want to be a little inconspicuous when I’m tired. This kind of outfit attracts conversation, and I enjoy that; sometimes I’m in the mood for that.”
What in life influences your style?
“Hippies, definitely. My grandma was a huge hippie, and I really respect her as a person. She definitely trickled down to me. And my art as well, because I create a lot of music and also stories with the music; within the stories, there are characters that I like to dress as.”
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