The hobby of collecting is often misinterpreted as tacky, outdated, or materialistic. However, collecting can serve a multitude of functions, whether it be representative of a larger journey, or simply, one of life’s small joys.

Photo booths have always been popular and I like to think that they always will be. The charm of a photo booth lies in the instantaneous aspect of capturing a cute moment and the production of a wholesome collection of pictures. With there being a multitude of hidden gems around NYC, my friend Caroline and I recently sought to find the perfect photo-booth photo-op.

Balletcore has swept through the internet, quickly becoming a highly influential fashion and lifestyle trend pioneered by apps like TikTok and Instagram. Ballerinas are known for thriving in a dainty, regimented, and uber-feminine atmosphere, albeit not the easiest circumstances to live under. Regardless, this lifestyle has been romanticized.

Suburban America doesn't exactly scream goth subculture to most people. But the closer you look into suburbia, in empty lots and gas stations, there is the birth of the modern Gibson girl. The mother of that girl is Ethel Cain.

The pieces that I cherish most in my closet are those that have been passed down by my mother and lived through a variety of trends. One of my favorite articles of clothing is a white Ralph Lauren turtleneck my mother gave me while sorting through her closet. The sweater managed to follow me from my home in Germany to New York for college, and now I wear it almost daily.

One of the most important things we can do as up-and-coming twenty-somethings is to take risks and force ourselves into a variety of opportunities. The “fake it ‘til you make it” attitude is gaining traction amongst the Generation Z community–for good reason.