Ellie Kim ’19 and Angie Zhao ’19 run Fitting Room 208 on Instagram.
Students of Choate Rosemary Hall frequently bring life to their passions through clubs or organizations, often using COSA or faculty members for support. Their original ideas are introduced to students at events and meetings, often spreading through campus easily. Two students, however, have recently chosen to develop their concept independently, by means of social media. “Fitting Room 208” is what Angie Zhao ’19 and Ellie Kim ’19 have named their Instagram account. The new roommate pair regularly posts photos of their daily outfits, varying from shots of them alone or together, and occasionally incorporating innovative edits.
“We just share a passion for fashion,” said Kim, even before I asked a question. She continued, “We decided to make this account to document our lives. Our glamorous lives! Our plan was to take the idea of making an account as roommates from other similar roommate Instagrams on campus, but make it public instead of private.”
Zhao said, “We also agreed that we are doing this for us and not for other people. We never intended to make it a popular Instagram account, but a type of fashion journal. We’re simply doing it because this is what we love, this is what we do. We want to share it with people who will appreciate it, and not because we want to say, ‘Hey, look at us, we’re the icons.’ Although we do like the attention that comes with it, like most teenage girls do, and although having people compliment our outfits can be rewarding, it is definitely not the purpose of this account.”
As two harmonizing fashion enthusiasts, Kim and Zhao felt it necessary to comment on their room dynamic. Zhao said, “We definitely don’t have the same sense of fashion, because I think your style comes from your personality. Because both of us have very big personas, I think our clothes reflect that. I hope that’s obvious to the public eye. However, seeing how the other person is getting ready in the morning can really inspire us to get our game on!”
Laughing, Kim added, “We definitely spend way more time than average people picking out outfits. I would say that on an easy day when we have a lot of inspiration…” Angie interrupted, “…which can actually be bad sometimes because it becomes impossible to choose just one outfit.” Kim said, “It would take us ten to possibly even thirty minutes. It’s a lot of dedication.”
Fashion represents a necessary part of their lives, and with this social media account, they have the possibility to not only share it with the people around them, but also have a journal of the effort they put into what they wear everyday. And with that, I conclude with Kim and Zhao’s Instagram bio, “Ellie and Angie, roommates serving the baddest looks from Hall 208.”
