Square Spotlight: Hannah Sloan
Square Spotlight: Hannah Sloan
By: Elena Ossoski
Hannah Sloan is a junior Integrated Marketing Communications major with a fashion specialization here at the University of Mississippi. Sloan is from Cincinnati, Ohio, but splits her time between her hometown in the midwest and Seagrove Beach down in Florida.
How would you describe yourself and your sense of style to others?
“Kristen Ritchie is a stylist and blogger that I love that goes by @highendhippie on Instagram, and my mom would always say that my style could be described as a high-end hippie. I love to thrift to find unique pieces and shop sustainably as possible, but I enjoy searching for cooler pieces from designer brands. I wish I could just become Kristen Ritchie when I grow up.”
Do you value personal style in yourself as well as in others?
"I look for people who utilize the power of personal style and fashion because it is a great way to show off your personality; it’s a form of expression. When my friends and I were freshmen, we wore many of the popular trends and styles among the majority of the girls here at Ole Miss so that we could fit in.
As time went on, though, I became more confident in myself, and I realized that I didn’t need to wear something to please someone else or fit in. I express my style by wearing whatever I consider to be cool and makes me feel confident. When someone wears what they want, I think that kind of confidence is unmatched. I am always looking for friends that are confident in who they are, no matter how much or how little they are interested in fashion.”
How have you grown in regards to your style/how has your style changed as you’ve grown up?
“In college, being in a new place, you have to find out who you are. I moved far away from home, so I was nervous that I wouldn’t fit in. I quickly realized that I just needed to do whatever would make me feel happy, so I stopped thinking about what other people may or may not have thought about me and what I wore. I am a completely different person than I was during my freshman year of college. Feeling comfortable with who I am and the things that I love is how I’ve grown into my style and who I am as a person.”
Do you have any experiences or memories that have made a lasting impact on the way you dress?
“My mom has always been into fashion; her style is so funky, and she still has the coolest stuff. Her best friend, Monique, is from France, and we used to all go shopping together and explore the markets. Monique and my mom would dress me up in Monique’s fur coats and sunglasses, and it was always so much fun being around them. The memories I have with them and the pieces that my mom passed down to me are so special. They’ve enriched my love for fashion.”
Where do you draw your inspiration?
“I love the 70s, and I’m obsessed with hippie culture. I also love the grunge-rocker style that Miley Cyrus and Paris Jackson sport. They always have such unique accessories. "
Macy Eleni - @blazedandglazed on Tik Tok - has cool styling videos that I like to watch for inspiration.
Emily Ratajkowski’s retro--yet modern--Western-hippie vibe is amazing, too.
I like to have a lot going on when it comes to my outfits, so I tend to gravitate towards patterns, and I will typically clash prints to create new and unique combinations.
I also love to incorporate my love for design into all aspects of my life, so I will map out color and style trends that I think will be popular for the month and create outfits based on that. I just find so much inspiration in the joy I experience from all forms of design.”
Do you buy any of your pieces from social media accounts?
“Not really, but I do buy pieces from people I follow on Instagram through Depop, and I like to find designer items from smaller, up-and-coming brands through social media as well.”
Where and how do you shop?
“I do my best not to buy from large companies, but now and then I’ll find something great at Urban Outfitters or Free People. Although, buying from enormous companies doesn’t sit well with me. If I could afford to buy from only sustainable, fair-trade brands all the time, I would. But, it can get costly. I wish I could shop brands like House of Sunny and Paloma Wool more often because I love their vibes and artsy, pattern-based collections. With Jéan - an Australian brand - carries cool things too.
For my basics, I tend to thrift my denim and gravitate towards Storets’ website to look for simple pieces as well as trendier items like kitten heels and baguette bags. I love that those early 2000s trends are back right now.
I like going on my Pinterest boards to go back to inspiration while I’m shopping so I know what I’m looking for. Pinterest is great because so many different styles inspire me, and it helps me organize all of my ideas.
I always splurge on outlandish pieces that are completely out of the box since always have basics in my closet. Splurging on one super cool thing that I can wear all of the time is the way to go.”
Do you have a favorite piece in your closet right now?
“Either my new green and blue checkered set or my yin yang mules by Paloma Wool that I got from Continuum in Over The Rhine for my 21st birthday.”
Do any of your clothes have sentimental value?
“Not necessarily, but they’re special to me because of the people that have passed them down to me. I have a short vintage Louis Vuitton purse from my mom that she passed down to me and some cool shoes as well as a fur coat from my grandma that I love. My Paloma Wool shoes have sentimental value because they were a gift for my 21st birthday, and I will keep them for the rest of my life. I hope that one day I can pass them down to my daughter if I have one.”
Is there anything that you don’t have right now but that you have your eye on?
“If I could buy anything right now - if I had the money - it would be the black, pleather dad sandals from Chanel’s spring collection last year...they’re so tricky to find, though. Tamara Mellon sells a fantastic pair of black, mid-calf boots that I would not mind having in my wardrobe either.”
Have you ever had any buyer's remorse?
“Yes, I’m super impatient, so if I want something, I will do whatever is necessary to make the purchase right then and there, even if it doesn’t come in my size. I wish I would slow down and take my time when it comes to shopping to stop buying things that don’t fit correctly. It’s the same with decorating a room: sometimes it takes time and you have to practice patience for your vision to fall into place.”
Any style choice regrets?
“Everything I wore during my freshman year of college… I was trying too hard to fit into the mold of the person I felt pressured to be.”
What do you think makes your style stand out?
“The bright and colorful patterns that I wear tend to stand out. The bold colors and patterns are not very common in the styles that you see around Oxford. I will try on anything to see what it looks like and how it makes me feel, so sometimes, my style choices are very out of the ordinary.”
To see the latest from Hannah, follow her on Instagram @sloanhannah_. For more stories like this, continue to check out www.umsquaremagazine.com and follow us on Instagram @um.squaremagazine for more content!
Photos by Caroline Kuyrkendall.