Tony Olivares ’21 pairs a simple striped t-shirt with an oversized denim jacket and white sneakers, exuding the casual vibes of a skater boy.
Although he sports a t-shirt, Olivares considers hoodies his favorite article of clothing due to their versatility and comfort. His fashion is influenced by mainstream styles in Los Angeles, his hometown, where he finds inspiration on the street and through social media.
“I try to go more for a skater boy, Tumblr aesthetic, mainly because I’m from L.A., and it’s common for people to be wearing that and skateboarding around. I’m just fitting into the L.A. culture,” said Olivares.
With six years of skateboarding experience, Olivares describes the skate culture in California as one of his main fashion influences, especially when it comes to sneakers and skate shoes. One of his favorite brands in particular is Vans, a popular sneaker company that sponsors many skateboarders, surfers, and snowboarders. At Andover, Olivares has continued to maintain his skateboarding skills.
“On campus, I have two or three skateboards. One is the Boosted board; the other two are regular skateboards. [Skateboarding] definitely, is the main reason why I wear Vans and ripped jeans and such — kind of going for that skater look,” said Olivares.
According to Olivares, however, his wardrobe undergone some recent changes. Since coming to Andover, his style is moving he donned a lot of graphic tees, but now likes patterns such as plaid and stripes, which are generally more muted styles. The New England weather has also been a factor in developing his everyday style.
“Coming from LA, I’m used to not layering up. Now that I’ve come here, I’ve had to figure out exactly how to layer up, how many layers I have to put on. And, it can mess up the outfit, but I think layering can look good if you put the right clothes together,” said Olivares.
Andover has introduced new ways of looking at fashion to Olivares. As a board member of the Andover Edition, a club that considers itself Andover’s virtual lookbook, Olivares is always scouting out new styles on the paths. The Andover Edition features outfits that the board members find striking, usually spontaneously as they spot them during the school day.
“I see a few outfits come in and out, and some of them are actually really unique, and they do something I wouldn’t have thought of. Being on the board of Andover Edition — not only does it make me connect with more people, but it gives me inspiration for future outfits, what to look for,” said Olivares.
Bianca Rodriguez Pagano ’21, another board member of the Andover Edition and Olivares’ friend, added, “I think now that he’s on the board, he pays attention to [his style] more. And I think that now, people notice him way more as a fashion icon than they did last year because he was so lowkey. So, he definitely cares, but even when he wakes up in the morning and just throws stuff on, he looks good.”
Olivares cites Luka Sabbat, a famous designer and model, as a stylistic inspiration. Olivares considers him a pioneer of fashion due to his experimental take on streetwear.
“I tend to look at his Instagram page a lot and see what he’s up to because he’s such a fashion icon. He does have a really unique style which encourages me to try out new things, try out different things,” said Olivares.
When putting together his ensembles, he tries to see what new combinations he can create with the available items in his closet. Olivares says that what really completes an outfit for him is paying attention to the little details. His everyday outfits allow him to make small but bold statements in his everyday life.
“There are some days when I just try out something new, and it might not look good to some people, but some people find it… interesting. I think that’s a small statement I like to make with my [fashion]— like yeah, I can wear whatever I want, and you can’t really say anything,” said Olivares.