TRENDS: Faran Reflects on the Section She Started

There's a girl at this school who owns marvelous clothes. Burberry trenches, Miu Miu heels and more designer denim than the TRL dressing room. Every time I see her clothes, I want to cry. What stops me is something strange: She's got great stuff, sure, but she can't quite wear it. The trench coat buries her body. She teeters in her stilettos and sits frozen in her jeans. She's not comfortable in her own skin, and her unease seeps through the fabulous layers of famous plaid and bootcut basics. As she wobbles by with a Fendi tote and a furrowed brow, my friend frowns. "I don't get it," she says, staring. "Those clothes are unbelievable. They look amazing in magazine spreads. And that girl is very pretty. Why can't she pull off that outfit?"

The answer is easy: attitude. For the past three years, the Trends crew has combed campus looking for something, anything, that restored our faith in the fashion spirit. We weren't looking for brand names, Birkin bags or even beauty. We were searching for the little things - a belt, a homemade T-shirt, a tote bag from a faraway place - that shared a little piece of you.

Trends was born at the height of Britney - bare bellies and baby tees, bitch pants and all things leather, and Steven Sprouse slapping graffiti on our pochettes. Trends sailed through the spring of ribbon belts and the fall of flower child fashion. It spilled into this year, where white, stripes and the White Stripes ruled. But through all the shifting trends, one Trends message was constant: If you're not having fun in the clothes, you're not in style. And for all of Whitney's Chloe cravings, Sarah's Kate Spade sonatas and my rhapsodies in blue jeans, one thing remained clear: The best stylist you've got isn't your magazine, it's your mirror, and the best accessory you could ever have is a true and lasting smile. Seriously.

When people find out about my Duke life, they often ask, "Is your school really fashionable?" I tell them yes. Our campus is a moving magazine, showcasing the latest trends and the chicest of classic looks. But it's also a trap. Too many people are dressing in fear. "What will people think?" "I don't want to be different." "My body isn't perfect, so I can't wear that." Too many Dukies are hiding behind their clothes. Wouldn't it be cool if instead, they used them to express their identity, their imagination and their inspiration?

At its best, fashion is like an Instant Message to the rest of your world - this is how I like myself, and how you should see me. Every time you pull on a pair of jeans, zip up a hoodie or slide on some heels, you're creating a dialogue. And come on - is it really that fun to say the same thing as everyone else?

The Trends team has never seen fashion as what you look like. Instead, it's what you want to feel. Sexy, sassy, smart; '60s or '70s or back from the future, it's all about the way you want to see the world.

Trends will be back next year. It'll still have bargain hunting tips, infamous Top 10 lists, in-jokes for the cooler-than-you crowd, references to alternative rocker bands and even a coveted designer handbag or two (or 10). In the meantime, remember that if you feel good, you look good. So go on and love yourself, and remember to forget what everyone else looks like. When it comes to the truly trendy, there's only so much a magazine or movie can do. The rest comes when you wake up in the morning, walk into your closet and ask, "What do I want to be today?"