Womenswear Wednesdays: Student Brittany Gonzales on her metal fashion

College students often experiment with fashion because they are constantly being exposed to new ideas. This immersion translates to their physical appearance, as they transform their look to stay current with trends. This week we spotted Metropolitan State University of Denver student Brittany Gonzalez channeling 1990s style with punk and...

By Mauricio Rocha

November 20, 2013

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College students often experiment with fashion because they are constantly being exposed to new ideas. This immersion translates to their physical appearance, as they transform their look to stay current with trends. This week we spotted Metropolitan State University of Denver student Brittany Gonzalez channeling 1990s style with punk and metal undertones. Keep reading to learn where she shops, who inspires her style, and what she chooses for her 2013 jam.

Name: Brittany Gonzales.

Spotted at: Ninth Street Historic Park on the Auraria Campus.

Profession: I'm a peer-counselor for the office of financial aid. I'm also an English literature major at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

2013 jam: I've been listening to a lot of NOFX lately and a lot of Black Dahlia Murder. I guess I don't really have a favorite song, but more so favorite genres: punk and metal.

Favorite film: The Crow starring Brandon Lee. It's one of my favorites.

Style inspirations/icons: A lot of the people downtown. I look at everyone else's fashion and I compile my style in a way and take little pieces of everyone's look and make it my own. I'm digging the 1990s style right now. The '90s style uses velvet and plaids, leggings and tights, flats and Converse, so it's fun to dress in.

Favorite accessory: My turtle choker necklace. I got it in Los Cabos last year and I have not taken it off yet.

Favorite color: Red.

Style mantra: Damn, I make this look good. If I'm having a good day, I'll say, "I look great in that top."

Shops at: I shop at thrift stores. Online: Zumiez and Tillys to buy shoes and hoodies. I bought my shades at Twist and Shout on East Colfax.

"Follow your own style. Your style is a reflection of your personality. I wear my personality on my sleeve. Lots of black, with a little bit of metal and punk," says Gonzales. Here she shows off a tattoo that features the tree of knowledge with a scroll that reads, "Taste the Forbidden Fruit." "The ARC is my place to be," she explains. "The one on South Broadway has some great stuff in there." Gonzales found this skirt at a thrift store. It's a vintage treasure that cost three dollars and mixes yellow flannel with gray pleats and rhinestone detailing.

Style analysis: Even though Gonzales is wearing plenty of black -- black long-sleeve shirt, black leggings and black flats -- she pulls it off with a vintage skirt that reminds us of the costumes in 1995's Clueless. She mixes her love of playful '90s clothes with heavier tastes in metal and The Crow, which are evoked through her black gauges, biblical tattoo and black sunnies with chrome arrow detail. Gonzales balances the whimsicality of retro fashion with harder edges.

Always strive for balance with your fashion, Denver.

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Mauricio Octavio Rocha graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in English writing and a minor in cinema studies; He has been writing about fashion and style for Westword since 2012. Rocha also writes songs for his music and art project, VULGAR FEVER.

Contact: Mauricio Rocha

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Twitter: @mauriciooctavio