Besides traveling, Chloe Lipham ‘23 also takes great interest in fashion. Her travels have allowed her to “gain inspiration from styles from all over the world.” Lipham looks at styles that’s trending in Asia and Europe adding “I really like to look at, kind of, a broader view for style and then kind of make my own.” 

Specifically, Lipham’s trips to global fashion hubs, such as London, France, Korea, and New York have heavily influenced her style. She recalls her two trips to Korea, saying that, “getting to look around Seoul and seeing all the different clothes and everything is really great.” 

In terms of her own style, Lipham likes to experiment with different aesthetics, but she turns mainly to neutral or mild colors, and keeps her accessories simple. Many girls in France “[wear] the same reiteration of everything. So like a certain type of jeans, a certain type of shoes, a certain type of shirt.” Lipham, however, has chosen a different route, picking clothing that appeals to her rather than following trends as they come. “I don’t have, like, a set style or aesthetic for every day, it’s kind of just what I’m feeling. So I might look really preppy one day with, like, skirt and loafers and everythings and then look more streetwear with, like, joggers and sneakers the next day…I don’t like to limit myself,” says Lipham. 

Lipham’s travels didn’t initiate her love for fashion, but rather magnified it adding, “I think I would still be interested [in fashion without my travels], but not as aware as I am now.” Lipham continues saying, “without going to New York so many times, or London, [she] wouldn’t really have an appreciation for [fashion] as much.” Lipham’s mother’s Malaysian descent has affected how much she cares about fashion. “In Asian culture, it’s always emphasized, like, how you present yourself to others, especially in the workplace or school…so that’s always been with me since I’ve grown up,” says Lipham. Although the message originated from her family, she recognizes that, “I don’t think I would’ve gotten [that message] as much without [my travels].” 

Travel has always been important to Chloe Lipham ‘23’s parents, and after they passed  the tradition onto Lipham herself, she, too, has grown a love for travel. In addition to short-term visits to places around the world, her mother grew up in Malaysia and her father has periodically lived outside of the United States as well.

Ever since she was little, Lipham has been traveling regularly, almost every school break. She says, “I kind of just grew up with it,” adding that her parents’ existing love for travel is the main reason for her many trips. Her parents make the larger purposes of her travels evident; “they’ve always emphasized the importance of seeing new cultures.” Aside from amazing food, city life, and sightseeing, Lipham has gotten to see more specific parts of global cultures. Seeing sumo wrestling and food markets during a trip to Japan when she was younger have stuck out in her memories. Her cultural immersions haven’t been random, Lipham puts in effort to experience more of a place’s culture, saying, “I always try to do some things that are more culturally enriching [so] I can learn more about the place and the history.”

Lipham’s experiences with travel and seeing new cultures have given her more than just good memories. “[My travels have] definitely allowed me to have a greater world perspective, just recognizing that there are different perspectives and different types of normal that every person has.” Lapham’s nuanced perspective has “also just made [her] very grateful to travel because [she] knows [traveling is] something that a lot of people would want to do…it’s really meaningful for [her].”

Additionally, Lipham says that her more full perspective on the world will come in handy later in life, as she’s planning on pursuing a career in international business. “I think I’[ll be] able to incorporate a bit of that perspective that I’ve learned about into, just, how I interact with others and having an open mind for different situations.” 

For now, Lipham will continue to travel and learn more about the world, beginning with a trip back to Japan this winter break.