Profile on Style is a weekly post that explores the motivations behind GW’s fashion trends. We’ll show you the most interesting aspects of GW style, and then try to make some sense of it all. Keep your eyes open for a reporter and photographer walking around because you might become the latest trendsetter…or trendkiller.

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Emily Brown

As many GW students know, the weekend doesn’t start Friday. After a long week of classes, there’s nothing like leaving those sweatshirts behind and putting on a sassy little dress for a Thursday night.

But going out doesn’t mean being bejeweled from head to toe? Morgan, from Charleston, S.C. proves that blending her down-to-earth style with a couple edgier items still makes a statement.

In a crocheted top from Forever 21, this sophomore majoring in international business tells us that she’s come a long way from the fashion norms of Charleston.

“Back home,” she says, “I’d be wearing a Lily Pulitzer dress with pearls.” She wears her feminine top with a high-waist mini and midnight-black nail polish. Morgan loves her wedges because whether heading off to Josephine’s or Thirds, they offer a “middle-ground” between glamour and laid-back chic.

“I love this because it’s simple, yet fun, and it’s also a great throw-back,” Marissa, a freshman from Ohio, says about her 80s-inspired frock.

She prefers choosing pieces that speak for themselves, like this dress with its minimalist black bodice and fun, ruffled skirt. Marissa’s bold, strappy heels, borrowed from her friend’s closet, balance out the simple dress and she says she’s wearing them because “they’re actually comfortable.”

While you may expect to see hip-hugging sheaths as GW girls head out on the town, Jenny’s super-femme style was a breath of fresh air.

A sophomore from a small town in New York, she says that style was never really top priority.

“It was always more about fitting in with the norm, rather than expressing yourself,” she says.

Now, this public health major cites her fellow city-dwellers as her greatest style inspiration. With her printed dress from Target and her gold belt, bag, and ballerina flats, Jenny achieves an effortless style. For a relaxing girls night with some of her best friends, Jenny is headed to Tonic.