All of the ‘aesthetics’ that exist at Berkeley

Usually, when I tell people I go to UC Berkeley, they say something along the lines of “Oooh, the hippie school?” Yes. That one.

But times change, and while some of us might retain the spirit of our Sixties predecessors, you are much more likely to encounter the “Sorry, just off to the gym” look than flowery dresses.

I made it my mission to capture the personal aesthetics around Berkeley.

This is what I found.

The English Major

Yeah, yeah, we get it. She looks spectacular. But, Hannah’s aesthetic is more than her fabulous taste in style. It’s how she carries herself. She’s outgoing, observant, and the wittiest person you’ll ever meet. You can see, her aesthetic is none other than the English Major, one of the most revered aesthetics of Berkeley.

When it comes to her clothing, she chooses things that are on a thin line between comfortable and proving a point. Flannels and black skinny jeans? She will prove her point, no matter how many re-writes it takes.

60 year-old British Journalist

A.’s aesthetic is more of a nonchalance. His approach is a systematic one. He claims that he doesn’t give his outfits much thought, but instead aims make his selection process uncomplicated. For inspiration, he looks to President Obama, who he claims has a simple set of suits to pick from.

When asked what his aesthetic is, A. replies, “I feel like I’m 60…Sort of a conservative approach.” But ultimately, A.’s goal is to not worry about his image, but rather not to worry about what to put on.

Breaking the border of gender binaries

I ran into Libby in the bathroom and awkwardly asked her if she could let me interview her. Thankfully, she is super cool and we got talking about her amazing aesthetic. Libby gave off this energetic vibe that I wanted to capture. Wearing and oversized jean trucker jacket, she immediately stood out as unique. After talking to her for a while, I found out that Libby’s inspiration is Annie Hall. She enjoys the masculinity Annie exudes with her men’s shirts and button up vests. This style empowers Libby, who shares a lot of her clothes with her brother.

The Philosopher’s dilemma + socks

As a good philosopher would respond, when asked about his aesthetic, Elliot states that he can’t answer that because there would be a discrepancy between what he’s actually projecting and what he wants to project. That being said, his particular aesthetic is not projecting a particular aesthetic.

And, in fact, if he were to project an aesthetic, he wouldn’t know what aesthetic to project. But the socks are from mom.

The minimalist

When it comes to Emily, we think effortless. She tries to be minimal when it comes to her style, but also adds a punch of hip. Her aesthetic seeps into her daily life, as she tries to live simply, healthily, and deliberately.

She admires the classiness of Audrey Hepburn, and it shows through her smile and the innate elegance in how she carries herself.

Hipster turned Confucian?

When I happened upon Leon, I got very excited. I immediately spotted his hat and his cool disposition and thought he has something to say. But my luck with philosophy students was high that day, and I found Leon pulling out Confucius‘ Analects. “Of course,” I thought. Flipping to a page, Leon nonchalantly states that his aesthetic can be characterized by the following Confucian truth: “You will be looked upon as obsequious by others if you observe every detail of the rights and in serving your lord.”

Very philosophical.

90s medley 

When asked what she thought her aesthetic is, Nichol surprised me by saying she does not have one. She does not consider herself a stylish person, even though that definitely did not come through in my opinion!

Her inspiration is just being comfortable and exploring cheap sustainable options, such as goodwill. In her choker necklace, buttoned up mini skirt, and hiker boots, Nichol comes off as a ray of sunshine with an outgoing personality.

Originality Master ft. nose ring

When I saw Mark, the first thing that came to my mind was his sprezzatura, a type of effortlessness. His stance had a little swagger, with one foot comfortably placed in front of the other, and his hands in his pockets. Wearing a tribal print sweater, beanie, and military boots, I could tell that Mark is unique.

Mark believes his aesthetic is represented by his philosophy of clean living for his health. He believes in the art of persuasion and particularly feels inspired by Aristotle’s Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. He also is gender queer, not excepting the roles designated for male and female, but thinks that he presents himself as a heterosexual man.

His aesthetic is an expression of the self, and he likes to wear really weird clothes that stand out with a sort of randomness.

The “I work out 24/7”

Probably the most common aesthetic at Berkeley is the “I work out 24/7.” One does not necessarily have to be a gym rat to enjoy this comfortable go-to look. Dianna is full of life. Her aesthetic depends on her mood. If she wants to be comfortable she wear workout pants and shoes. If she feels like she wants to dress up she’ll put on make up, do her hair, and wear cute shorts.

This totally connects to her bright personality and she hopes that the way she carries herself makes her seem approachable. She also carries positions as a leader and so she feels the need to put effort into appearing like someone who is responsible and dresses appropriately. In any case, comfort is key, and for our busy students it is a priority.

The “I’m not even trying”

Cameron’s aesthetic has a lot to do from where he comes from. He’s originally from Southern California and incorporates the SoCal easygoing and relaxed attitude into his life. As a pretty calm, happy, and outgoing person, Cameron is inspired by people who are rays of sunshine.

His outfit choice reflects this as he seems more approachable, especially since you can always find him smiling around campus.

Last words

After going around campus and finding people, I learned a few things about the concept of personal aesthetics and myself. Firstly, not everyone who seems to be put together a certain way, or have a specific image going do it intentionally. Sure, some do. But others, like a few of the people I interviewed had no clue they were even giving off an aesthetic.

This just goes to show how Berkeley students do not necessarily care about giving off a specific image as long as they carry themselves well in a way they are comfortable with. I also learned that, personally, approaching guys was a lot easier than going up to girls. I think maybe it has to do with some deeply ingrained competition girls have with each other, one I definitely was not aware of, but made the experience all the more interesting.