Best of Common Cents
The looks that had me thinking, “I check my look in the mirror / I want to change my clothes, my hair, my face” - Faye Webster, “Dancing in the Dark”
Common Cents, a music festival held on Centennial Common in October, brought a diverse audience of Northeastern students out for a night of indie and alternative music. Style was everywhere to be found. Audience members sported popular fall trends like dark wash denim, argyle sweaters, and oversized silhouettes, many of which were quality basics found in friends’ closets or thrift stores. Here are some of the best looks of this year’s Common Cents.
Dee - Minimalist Monochrome
Dee is the first person I spot - her sage green look stands out in a crowd of darker fall colors, and I love her belt bag. She has pulled together a distressed shacket, cropped polo, and oversized men’s dress pants for this look. Her bag is the real star of her outfit - it’s a PUMA x RANDOMEVENT belt bag with bright orange lettering.
Karen & Raanya - Thrifty Twins
Karen (right) and Raanya (left) wear outfits that are fully thrifted & gifted. They’re feeling a little chilly with this early fall weather and have certainly dressed for the occasion. Raanya has layered a pink flannel over her turtleneck (both thrifted) and worn her Doc Martens boots (a gift from her mother) for the first time this fall. She’s pulled her hair back with mini butterfly clips to pull together this indie-feminine look. Karen’s vibe is completely different - she’s suited up in a neutral-toned outfit that lets texture take the stage. She wears an oversized men’s puffer, crocheted tube top, solid midi skirt with seam details, and leather boots (all thrifted).
Rachel - Patterned Preppy
I spot Rachel a little later in the show. She’s come specifically for Faye Webster, one of her favorite musicians. Her look stands out in the crowd because it’s so different. She’s not decked out in denim or leather layers like most of the crowd; instead, she’s wearing an argyle sweater dress and a checkered felt coat in matching tan and black tones. She describes her normal style to me as an “edgy take on preppy fashion, and this outfit is a little more on the preppy side”.
Eph See - G*rlhood Glam
It would be impossible to comment on the Common Cents fashion scene without giving some love to Northeastern’s own Eph See, the iconic opener of the night. Tonight, their whole band is decked out in a Mean Girls-esque preppy pink style. Eph’s take on the style is a hot pink argyle vest, layered over a pink poplin button-down, paired with a pleated skirt, and accented with classic white knee-high socks. They’ve drawn little pink hearts around their eyes, a nod to the dreamy vibes of their latest album G*rlhood.
Corinna - Slip in Silk
Corinna, guitarist for Eph See, is keeping with the pink theme. She wears a thrifted hot pink silk dress over a solid black turtleneck and leggings, and has added layered silver necklaces and Doc Martens to add an edge to her look. Her normal style is a bit grungier than this, she tells me, but with a strawberry sheen to her hair I get the sense that she’s no stranger to hot pink. Like Eph, she stands out in tonight’s crowd of denim, black, and brown, but her edgy-cool it-factor puts her right at home at Common Cents.
