Walking around Seattle University’s campus, students make their way from place to place in outfits that scream individuality to the highest degree. Some people strut in Demonia heels that clack on the pavement. Some are decked out in silver rings and necklaces that reflect the sun (if it’s ever out). But does the music that people listen to align with what they are wearing?

Zoe Golden, a first-year political science major, was strutting the campus walkway when I stopped her in the quad to ask what she was listening to. Her striped black-and-white long-sleeve paired with a long black leather-fabric skirt screamed out like the Seattle bands around town. Topping off her look with a fierce red lip and pink acrylic nails gave it the pop of color that drew onlookers from miles away.

“Music can put me in the mindset for a specific outfit; if I want to feel like a diva, I’ll listen to Beyonce or Megan The Stallion,” Golden said.

Juxtaposing her grunge-esque outfit, Golden finds solitude in indie rock and indie pop. That sort of more granola-indie, baking and hanging out with her cat on a Sunday vibe. One of her favorite songs to listen to is “Maple Syrup” by The Backseat Lovers, along with anything by the all-powerful Phoebe Bridgers. Her music and fashion tastes don’t collide; instead, they create a hydra of personalities ready to take on any task or anyone in front of her.

Davonn Abaga, a first-year business major, had a different vibe when asked about his favorite album.

“I know it’s very controversial, but I’m not going to lie to ya’ll: ‘Certified Lover Boy’ by Drake, it’s going to hit every single time, guys,” Abaga said.

The afternoon I chatted with Abaga on the lower mall, he was headed to the library to get some studying done. The outfit he was wearing? Tough. It radiated casual to the max. Sporting a red-and-black puffer jacket, the collar popped up, and half-zipped to reveal his necklaces adorned with silver pendants and some of the text on his T-shirt, showing he had business to attend to. Paired with casual black pants, Abaga looked perfectly dressed for a study session while emulating cool. Finishing the look with the iconic Apple wired headphones, he had everyone guessing what he could be jamming to.

With RnB in his ear, he knows there’s nothing that could stop the flow of sonic sounds traveling through his phone up the wires and finally into the chamber of his ears. Abaga likes artists like Nino Paid, a rapper who writes songs with personal lyrics.

Nicolas Gonzalez, a first-year theater major, was walking through the quad wearing a multicolored, patterned sweater tucked into expensive-looking black slacks held up by a brown belt. Two silver necklaces were draped around his neck, with a leather shoulder bag likely carrying his playscripts and tragedy masks.

“There are some good lyrics that could be a good graphic tee, or maybe a song says something about a specific accessory, or some type of outfit piece, and I’m like, ‘that would be cool,’” Gonzalez said.

For Gonzalez, a graphic tee with lyrics from the song “Kid Krow” by Conan Gray, a sorrowful pop album, could pair well with his dark academia aesthetic. 

Never stop wearing the best outfit to a class that’s at nine in the morning, never stop listening to an artist just because the public labeled them as “basic” or “bad,” because the most important thing in life is being the version of yourself that you love with everything in your body.