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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at VCU chapter.

Knee-high socks, riding boots and layered tops all flood the campus along with the decaying yellow leaves. As the weather transitions, students are mirroring the 2010’s look with an increase of the media’s influence and iconic fall television. While these past trends have been modernized, I have noticed many of student’s fall fashion has been molded from past trends crafted from the nostalgic decade of the 2010’s. 

Much of the fashion content appearing on social media has been style inspiration crafted from the characters created in the 2010s— Elena Gilbert from the series The Vampire Diaries, Aria Montgomery from the television show Pretty Little Liars, and Bella Swan from the iconic movie series Twilight. These classic, cozy fall episodes have sparked fashion trends from this decade to resurge, inspiring the style of many around campus. 

Elena Gilbert, played by Nina Dobrev from the hit television series The Vampire Diaries, coined the iconic layered long sleeve, low rise boot-cut, sneaker combination. As the highschooler entangled her normal teenage reality with the two vampire brothers, she maintains her simple yet fashionable look. Adhering to the autumn tone the show possesses, many of her stylistic choices involve muted, dark colors paired with minimal makeup and jewelry. Her style has inspired many fall looks on campus, as it is achievable, stylish, and comfortable, perfect for any lecture. 

The four highschool girls carrying the weight of the investigation of their missing friend, Allison, have recently restored their fashionable style choices from the 2010s to our current decade. The television show, Pretty Little Liars, has surged in popularity through social media due to the character’s relatable yet stylish fall wardrobes. One character out of the four main girls that has influenced the media recently is Aria Montgomery, played by Lucy Hale. Her outfits throughout the series consist of layered, muffled, dark tones often paired with a pair of sheer tights. Aria often overlays a short cardigan or cropped jacket atop a long, fitted top to match her skater dress, skirt, or skinny jeans. Paring these combinations, she always includes a chunky necklace, thick belts and suede or leather boots completing her iconic look. 

The Lalaboots And Leaves
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Bella Swan, while juggling a complex romance with a mysterious vampire, has spiked the most popularity through my social media when it comes to 2010 fall fashion. Her style, similar to Elena Gilberts, includes lots of long fitted tops paired with a pair of low rise boot cut jeans and converse. She also includes many knitted fitted sweaters with a lace tank peeking through the top and zip up hoodies throughout the series. 

Although these style choices have been modernized— mainly replacing skinny jeans with baggy or boot-cut jeans— much of the fall fashion content on my social media seems to be constructed by these past fashion trends. These looks are fashionable yet easy to achieve as many of these pieces either swarm your older siblings’ closet or local thrift store’s inventory. As someone part of generation Z, it’s very fascinating to observe fashion trends from when I was younger resurface, similarly to how our parents discuss how their old clothes are in trend. Being old enough to finally dress as these characters while still mixing in my personal style creates a level of nostalgia and creativity, growing my love for fashion.

Kara Haas is an aspiring fashion journalist studying mass communications with a foundation of journalism at Virginia Commonwealth University for her bachelors. She is a member of the editorial team at Her Campus and enjoys to write about lifestyle, entertainment and fashion.