Gallery • 10 Photos

Teresa Knecht

"I like chokers and I wear my rings. I like big necklaces,” said Natalie Roetlin ’18.

Athletes Natalie Roetlin ’18 and Evan Flitz ’18 let their passion for sports define who they are and what they wear. The athletic look of their outfits make them feel comfortable and confident both in and out of competition.

An interest in fashion had started very early for Roetlin, blossoming when she started dancing at the age of two.

“I started dance when I was really young, and I would have my mom fix my costume because I didn’t like the way it looked,” she said.

Since then, her style has further evolved as she has grown older and gotten more and more enthusiastic about dance.

“I dress more mature and I wear more neutral colors [than my freshman self]. My shoe choice has changed a lot,” she said. “I used to wear like Toms and comfy shoes and everything. Now I wear tennis shoes. I feel like my look is more sporty. I wear a lot of Lululemon.”

Compared to Roetlin, Flitz developed his sense of style only recently in high school, where he started to explore fashion more.

“Starting freshman year I didn’t have a taste in fashion. I wasn’t very interested in it,” said Evan Flitz. “Recently I’ve just been broadening my horizons and finding my interests [in fashion].”

Despite becoming more fashionable, Flitz still retains many of the comfortable and carefree aspects of what he had worn before.

“I think that there are kind of like two ways you can look at it. You can either really try to be in fashion or just don’t care, and I try to like walk both roads a little bit,” he said. “[My style is] probably comfy, with a shade of athletic[ism]. But always kinda just chill and easy to relax in.”

The two also differ in where they like to shop. Roetlin frequents big department stores for the latest fashions, while Flitz prefers the convenience of shopping online.

“I shop at an international shop and it has a lot of Adidas stuff. It’s called ASOS and it’s online out of Great Britain, they have a lot of good stuff,” Flitz said. “If you’re also looking for cool shops, I would recommend Man Outfitters. You can get an app on your phone, it’s super convenient. Just open it up, find some good stuff and you’re good.”

“[I like to shop in] Nordstrom, Von Maur and sometimes Pacsun,” Roetlin added in. “[I go to] Chicago for Nordstrom, though not a lot.”

Roetlin’s enthusiasm for fashion is not confined to clothes; she also applies variety of accessories such as necklaces and chokers to complement her image. Her favorites, though, are the two diamond rings she received for her 14th and 15th birthdays from her mother.

“[They’re] like promise rings, I think [they represent] a coming of age and [remind you to] stay true to your family,” she said. “I wear them every day, I don’t ever take them off.”

In the end, the couple believes that branching out and trying new things had helped them find their own personal styles, and both encouraged others to do the same.

“I feel like just wear whatever looks good on you, just try a lot of things and whatever looks good, just stick to it,” Roetlin said.

Flitz agrees, and also advises others to wear the clothes that make them feel good, regardless of the opinions of others.
“My piece of advice I would just be you know, ‘do you.’ Wear what you want to wear and be happy with yourself,” he said.