Myra Magdalen is a name you might not have heard, but after seeing her style once, you will never forget her. Magdalen is a fashion designer, content creator and visual artist — a fashion icon that has changed the game forever. Her innovative style has consumed the TikTok world, gaining her over 940,000 followers. 

Fashion in the queer community has had a long and storied history, much longer than that of the modern queer movement. Androgyny has also been an important part of this history — gay men frequently wear outfits seen as more effeminate and lesbians may dress in more traditionally masculine clothes. However, one important thing members of the community have in common is the need to subtly flag their queerness to each other. Being queer is something that was and is still often dangerous to be, with persecution of the LGBTQ+ community being a common occurrence across much of human history. With that in mind, flagging (signaling your queerness using some form of code) has become a vital part of both queer fashion and queer communication.

The year is 2014. You’re scrolling Tumblr, imagining how great it would be as a 20-something-year-old in New York City — to wear those American Apparel disco shorts your mother says are too revealing, to finally see the Arctic Monkeys live. But sadly, you’re stuck in the Midwest and you have a reading journal due third period. While I’m sure we all thought we were unique in having these aspirations, the FOMO teenagers and pre-teens experienced during this time was quite universal — old enough to go online, yet too young to experience the things Julian Casablancas and Karen O described in their music. Luckily enough for us, this era is coming back into vogue.

In the heart of downtown Springfield lies a wonderful little store filled with unrivaled clothing designs, funky art, and two adorable cats. Carl’s Bad Designs is a shop operated by Carlea Badolian that opened in spring 2024. This store highlights the importance of sustainability through its upcycled vintage pieces, local art, and thrifted clothing. The store is a hub of creativity, with every corner beckoning exploration. 

Music and musicians have been shaping pop culture and fashion for decades. Fall is a uniquely-aestheticized season, conjured by a variety of fashion styles that were highly  popularized by musicians. Particularly, Fleetwood Mac's boho-chic looks and the heavy, classic looks popularized by Alice in Chains have overpowered fall fashion and fueled the specific aesthetic that tends to rule the season. Pieces such as sweaters, bell bottoms, plaid, and boots work so well in the autumn weather.

Your everyday go-to handbag is most likely your best friend. It’s a bag where you carry all your essentials, from your wallet to a piece of gum you’re saving for later. It’s your going out bag as well, like to the mall or to the club. Even with every outfit you put together, you always make it work with your handbag — a handbag can basically be your ride-or-die. It’s like love at first sight when you first see your handbag at either a thrift store, a boutique, or a high end store like Coach.

The past decade has seen many revivals of retro accessories from scrunchies to statement belts, but none as timeless and classic as the bolo tie. Once reserved for Western wear and cowboy culture, bolo ties are making their way back into the accessory scene as a unique touch to any outfit. Whether you are getting ready for a night out on the town or a formal event, bolo ties are sure to lasso their way into your heart and your closet!

Suns out, thighs out. This summer brought back the once 90s-owned trend of low inseam bottoms. Particularly, “Aftersun” and “Normal People” star Paul Mescal had a hand in this resurgence coming to play. After continual paparazzi photos were released of the Irish actor wearing low inseam short shorts, the conversation around men wearing shorter bottoms has since populated the internet. 

Known for their famous casual and everyday wear, Calvin Klein is one of the most recognized fashion brands, expressing style through minimalist pieces. The brand is notable for its underwear marketing campaigns, which recently starred Jeremy Allen White from FX’s “The Bear” on Hulu.

Brands like Adidas, Nike, Converse, and New Balance all have one major aspect in common: at one point over the last 40 years, they have dominated the shoe industry in some way that made them the most talked about company. They have all created shoes that are not only timeless, but fashionable.

Have you ever been in a room where no one looked even remotely like you? Where no one has the same skin color as you, let alone the same hair texture? That is the reality of many young people of color. You grow up seeing people who don't look like you, and then you start to ask the question, “Am I different?” Why am I different?

For a long time, Latinx women have had a large impact on beauty standards and trends, both in their communities and globally. Particularly in south Florida, we see that the beauty standard consists of Latinx women who appear White, light-eyed, and wealthy. Other Latinx women have been and continue to redefine beauty standards and trends in this area with their range of golden brown skin tones, high cheekbones, almond-shaped eyes, and long, dark hair. Their influence is seen in their vibrant, creative approaches to makeup and beauty, as well as the products and techniques they bring to the beauty industry and makeup community. 

Every year, approximately 500,000 animals die due to cosmetic animal testing. Sadly, too many companies are still unnecessarily using cruel animal testing practices instead of cosmetic recipes that have already been tested. It’s hard to truly feel beautiful when your beauty is coming at the suffering of innocent animals. Luckily there are many brands across all price points that don’t test on animals. Makeup should be a fun way to express yourself, not something that inflicts pain on animals.

Consistently styling your hair with heat can lead to hair damage. To protect your hair, try using heatless curling methods.  Heatless curls are timeless and have been a thing since the 1920s.  With the significant rise of heatless curls in the 2020s, the benefits speak for themselves: the curls last longer than heat curls, save your hair from heat damage, are very convenient since the curls form overnight, and give good results most of the time. Here is how to curl your hair without heat to see the best results!

What do you find beautiful about painting and drawing? Is it the delicate sketches, the vibrant colors? Is it the intricate details, the realism? While all these characteristics represent the beauty and dedication that goes hand in hand with art, it can still be something that anyone can pursue. Whether you are doing it for fun, trying to learn a new skill or just simply using it as an escape, these circumstances do not denounce the value of the art process.

The continuous cycle of hair trends comes and goes; however, some manage to capture and redefine their audience by leaving a powerful impact. Micro bangs, or “baby bangs,” are a unique and daring hair trend that dates back to the 50s. This hairstyle consists of bangs that sit above the eyebrow or even on the middle of the forehead. This hairstyle reinvents the famous bang and adds a new layer of edginess to the cut.

To some, there is nothing more humbling than comparing your looks to the flawless social media models that appear on our screens every day. With 9 in 10 children and adolescents being exposed to toxic beauty standards for an average of four hours daily, it can feel impossible to accept yourself for who you truly are when your body does not always match what you see on social media.

What does your hair say about you? When you do your hair in the morning, are you making a statement? Within the punk movement, that is exactly the point. The punk movement started in the 1970s with the intent to go against societal norms. From 70s rock to fashion to challenging government authority, the punk movement was about rejecting the rules imposed by society. 

Get out of here clean girl aesthetic! It is time to make room for the unconventional. I am talking colored mascara, geometric eyeliner, asymmetric haircuts, and thin eyebrows. “Ugly” is starting to become the new pretty. Gen-Z is completely redefining the idea of beauty- we see makeup being used more freely instead of adhering to traditional styles.

The French bob haircut creates a beautiful silhouette and adds an element of elegance to any look. This style is a short bob, typically falling around the jawline. Many people have been shortening their bobs and leaning into the French hairstyle. Vouge UK states that this haircut is particularly easy to style and maintain. They also claim the French bob suits any face shape, hair texture, and age.

Music has a profound impact on the human brain and our emotional responses. This belief is rooted in the ways music interacts with our neurological and psychological  processes. I wanted to explore how music affects the brain and our emotions in detail. The first thing I found was that music engages multiple areas of the brain simultaneously. 

In an era of overconsumption, cheap labor, and cheaper products, finding trendy yet ethical accessories can be incredibly difficult. Discovering a small business with products that are both incredibly well-made and absolutely adorable feels like striking gold.

“If you have ever lived with multiple people you'll know the feelings of chaos, unsettledness, packed schedules, and the fun stage of life called “college.” As a fourth year student closing out one more chapter in life, I have recently spent so much time reminiscing on the memories I have made. The good, the bad, the ones we will not talk about… College is truly one of the most unique experiences that life has to offer, especially the college lifestyle. I live with three roommates, or four and a half if you count the dog and the lizard... Maybe even five and a half if we count the curious mouse that sometimes wanders in. We have a full house!”

In 1987, the United Nations Brundtland Commissions placed a much needed definition on the concept of sustainability. Sustainability is defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Though the concept of sustainable development is abstract, this definition clears a path for understanding.

All around you, every day, there are people fighting for your rights, but you might not know who they are. Do you know what they look like or where they work? Did you know these individuals are dedicating their lives to ensure you have rights in the workplace, as a tenant, as a person of color to love who you love and be who you are?

I introduced myself to the Springfield drag community in August of 2021 on my first weekend of college. As a long-time admirer of the authentic, beautiful, and creative art form of drag, with a newfound drag community at my fingertips, it wasn’t long before I started performing within the space under the name Just Jessica. One of the most important aspects of life is finding community. Whether that community is based on location, identity, or art, everyone deserves to find a group of people that accepts them for what they do and who they are.

Polish pottery is more than just beautiful designs; it's a reflection of Polish culture, history, and artistry. Each piece, whether traditional or Unikat, carries a unique story and symbolism, making it a valuable and meaningful addition to any collection. Polish pottery dates back to around 6,000 B.C., originating in the village of Boleslawiec. Initially, farmers made pottery during the cold seasons, which eventually became a commercial activity. Significant advancements in design and glazing techniques occurred, including the production of tea and coffee pots. Johann Gottlieb Altman contributed to the industry by developing cost-effective and safer glazing methods. Today, skilled potters continue to use traditional techniques, creating beautiful and durable pottery admired worldwide. 

It’s a Wednesday evening; the streets of Springfield buzz with excitement and joy. Bright lights, loud gear changes, muddy tires, and sweat dripping from person to person. A crowd of bicycle riders gather at their mid-ride stop to chat, get some local beverages, and plan a ride for the weekend. Some come with a sleek new set-up, and others with their mom’s old hand-me-down bike with gears from the 1970s. These riders set out on their weekly sunset ride that started out as a group of 12, and grew to over 100 riders in just a few short months.

There’s no place as perfect as my porch; two outdoor cats often call it home at night. Lately, I’ve seen migratory birds playing on the strange little tree in my front yard. The entire porch shakes when you step on its wood, which I think is quite fun. My roommate is incredible with plants and keeps them inside this time of year so they don’t have to face the cold, while my dead fern still dangles in the wind. On frigid nights, I curl up in a blanket, and let my cheeks grow red under our twinkling string lights while I listen to my music.

Springfield, Missouri, is home to Missouri State University, with approximately 6% of the city’s population being MSU students (to find this calculation, I took Springfield city’s population of approximately 170,000 and divided it by MSU’s 2024 enrollment of approximately 26,000). Many look at Springfield as a college town, somewhere to come back to after spending the holidays with friends and family. That’s all I’ve ever seen it as, but I feel as though Springfield often gets a bad reputation.

Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook, once said, “Facebook was not originally created to be a company, it was built to accomplish a social mission — to make the world more open and connected.” This nearly 12-year-old quote has not aged gracefully. While an argument can be made that not only Facebook, but social media in general, has allowed more “openness” and “connectivity,” are we truly connected?

“In the summer of 2024, I signed up to take an anthropology course offered at Missouri State University. Once we got to the unit over gender and sexuality, the book “The Velvet Rage” by Alan Downs was mentioned in one of our assignments. It piqued my interest, but after the course came and went, I had forgotten about the book until late August when I was in Bookmarx, a local bookstore in Springfield.”

In a small, one-story house on Grand Street in Springfield, a group of musicians and artists came together to create a space for jazz and R&B. Samuel Wise and Apollo Harris, both juniors at Missouri State, formed Our Friends Media in an effort to bring together their community of music lovers and jazz enthusiasts.