Judgment is seemingly unavoidable in high school. Students judge each other all the time, whether it be how others act, who they hang out with, or even their GPA. Ultimately, students are constantly being put into boxes by their peers. One of the biggest sources of these snap judgments comes from something quite universal: clothes.

While it might be slightly acceptable to judge someone if they came to school completely lacking clothes, judging students based on the type of clothing they wear seems a little bit ridiculous. Yet there is a division of opinion at CHS about what clothing styles are best. This is evident from the diverse range of outfits that can be seen in the hallways on a daily basis.

Around campus, there are a few very distinct styles, including, but not limited to: the thrifted mom jeans look, the Champion and Supreme hoodie look, and the “I rolled-out-of-bed-10-minutes-ago” look. One committed member of the Champion and Supreme hoodie club is CHS sophomore Beau Rufner.

“I like wearing mainly supreme. This is partly due to the fact that they print limited copies,” Rufner said.

Sophomore Jack Magallanes has other reasons to like name brands. He points out that what students wear makes a statement about them; he believes the right brands helps make a positive impression at school.

“I look for name, brand, and style in my clothes. Because I believe what you wear says a lot about you,” Magallanes said.

Other students believe that the most important thing to look for in clothes is quality and durability regardless of brand name. To them, it does not matter what the clothes say, just how they feel.

“I look for something that lasts long, that’s worth the money,” CHS sophomore and cross-country runner Tiffany Chang said. “I want something that is not too expensive for what it is.”

Sophomore Bella Sanvictores, a CHS pole vaulter, and lover of thrift stores, concurs with Chang’s statement, explaining that durability is extremely important.

“I look for quality in my clothes, I want a shirt that’s not going to rip or shrink after I wash it,” Sanvictores said, “I don’t want a shirt with a brand on it and then the letters fall off as soon as you get it.”

However, even those loyal to brands are concerned about the quality of their clothes. That is why brands often advertise their clothes as good quality. Some students agree, pointing out that often when looking for the best-quality clothes a name brand is an indicator of a higher quality.

“If I had the choice between a cool brand or quality I would most likely choose quality,” Rufner said. “That is, if the cool brand was low quality.”

This begs the question of what it means to have quality clothing. If it is believed that the brand is high quality, then maybe the Champion hoodie kid is the same as the mom jeans girl. And if quality clothes are the most comfortable, then the rolled-out-of-bed-ten-minutes-ago kid might also be thinking about quality. Maybe the bigger question, though, is why this is even important — perhaps we all give too much thought to clothes in the first place.