Junior embraces her style day to day

Gallery • 3 Photos

Gabi Nadeau

Erickson shows off most of her outfit including little things like a shoe lace for a belt.

Looking in the mirror, junior Kaitlen Erickson looks her outfit up and down admiring the different pieces of clothing she’s put together. She puts pieces together most people wouldn’t think of combining. 

Using the app CLOSET on her iPad, Erickson takes pictures of her clothes and mixes and matches them together in one place. It’s an easier process for her and she’s able to see what works together and what doesn’t in her opinion. 

She does this so she doesn’t end up changing her outfit constantly making it into a tiring process. She gives herself 10 seconds of confidence because she wants to be comfortable in the outfits she wears. If she were to change her clothes all the time, she wouldn’t be the influencer she is today with her style.  

“My dad always told me, all you need is 10 seconds of courage for the day and then you can do something great,” Erickson said. 

Erickson mixes and matches her clothes to make different and unique outfits. She likes to layer pieces of clothing including cheetah print, monochrome and pastels along with the color green and the shades black and white.

“[My style is] artsy, kind of unique and sometimes edgy,” Erickson said. 

Erickson’s friend, Madigan Lautzenheiser, says she’s a very caring person and is very clear about what she believes in. Lautzenheiser says she loves that about Erickson because that’s exactly how she feels. 

“She definitely influences me to have a style I want to have and makes me feel good,” Lautzenheiser said. “I don’t see her style everywhere and I think it’s unique.”

Lautzenheiser appreciates how different her style is from other people’s styles. She says it can be edgy one minute and then the next it can be very feminine. Lautzenheiser loves how Erickson adds accessories to her outfits because she thinks it adds a lot to Erickson’s outfits.

Erikson’s friend, James Spero, says her style is innovative and very different from others.

“I really appreciate that she tries different things and isn’t afraid to wear something that no one else is wearing,” Spero said. 

He thinks Erickson has great style simply because it reflects her personality and showcases who she is. To him, it’s refreshing to see her wear her own sense of style and isn’t following in others’ footsteps. 

“I feel that a lot of people try to improve their style by finding the first post on their Instagram feed when looking for something new to wear,” Spero said. 

He likes seeing Erickson follow her own path that’s the complete opposite of what others tend to follow along with. 

“I love thrifting,” Erickson said. “I love when you buy things you can cut into crop tops and hem so it looks nice.”

Erickson’s accepting, caring and open personality allows her to express herself through her clothes. Her confidence is able to grow because of what her dad has told her. Taking what he’s said allowed Erickson to be more confident with what she wears.

“It’s not what you see on anybody else, which I think is cool,” Spero said. “Her outfits match her personality very well.”

Erickson’s passion for fashion can take her places in the future. She can see herself continuing to be an influencer to others in the future by being a fashion designer or model, but she doesn’t have an exact plan yet. 

“Personally, I think she should be a model,” Lautzenheiser said. “She definitely has an influence over people.”

Whether it’s working for a designer clothing brand or starting her own company, Spero says he can see Erickson in a career involved with fashion.

“I always had the hidden style, but I never had the self-confidence to show it,” Erickson said.