Styles Across States; Culture Shocks in College Campuses’ Fashion
Written by Madesyn Hughes
When freshmen leave their hometowns to go to college, they witness a major change in outfits. At a big institution like UW-Madison, there are many students from different parts of the world bringing in their own unique clothing styles. However, what isn’t recognized is how different a midwest schools’ fashion may be when compared to a southern, western, or eastern school, especially in women’s fashion.
“Midwest fashion” is what takes over most of UW-Madison and other Big 10 schools. There are many students at these schools that come from different parts of the country, but the majority are from the midwest. Fashion at UW-Madison features a mix of jeans, specifically low-rise baggy jeans of dark and mid-light denim, with cardigan, baggy, or cropped sweaters and sweat sets during the day on their walks to class, showing versatility. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is similar, where most students also wear sweats to class and fewer wear jeans. Gamedays at UIUC and UW-Madison also look very similar, with students in Canadian tuxedos (jean jackets with jeans), jeans, and university merch. Gamedays are a major difference point in styles across schools, as the Midwest has a more laidback style than schools in the south. For going out, most female students at UW-Madison and UIUC create some combination of low-rise jeans, black boots or sneakers, and a “going out” top. It is the top in these outfits where creativity and style really come out, as you can see peoples’ styles differ in the style of top they wear. Through UIUC and UW-Madison, it can be seen how fashion is more laidback with the ability to find creativity, as freshman Clara Adams at UIUC said, “It’s very lowkey, just in general. No one is that put together, it’s not like you have to dress up compared to some other schools.”
Thinking about the west coast, clothing styles differ majorly from Midwestern schools. Many students who enroll in west coast schools coming from the midwest or south experience what is known as “culture shock.” For gamedays at west coast schools, weather makes a major difference in what most people wear. Thinking about San Diego State University and UC schools, tailgates and football stadiums are a sea of bikini tops, crop tops, and small shorts/skirts in their schools’ colors. Day-to-day fashion is also far more developed. A freshman at SDSU, Bianca Bruno, described it as, “Day-to-day around campus, look at Pinterest and that’s my campus. People are on trend. You see more people dressed up for class than in sweats and sweatpants.” Compared to midwest and southern schools, the majority of students focus more on comfortability in fashion than being dressed up. Going out outfits are similar to the other areas of the country, but the weather is what makes the biggest difference. There are many day parties at west coast schools where bikini tops and microshorts are seen all around. When night comes, skirts are the main bottom choice, paired with bodysuits or a trendy going-out top, and boots. Many take note of the style difference along the west coast primarily because of the temperature difference and emphasis on trends.
Southern schools compared to west coast schools show the biggest differences. With “RushTok”, there is definitely an image of what SEC schools’ fashion looks like in many peoples’ heads. RushTok is a trend that began during the end of summer of 2021, during incoming college freshman’s rush experience, where they were attempting to join a sorority at their school. Southern schools like University of Alabama started to post videos of their rush experience, specifically GRWMs and Fit Checks for rush. This became a trend for the years to come for first most Southern schools, then most other schools participating in sorority rush. Now sororities post dance and collaboration videos all through rush, along with the GRWMs. Sorority rush at an SEC school is very different from other schools, with girls wearing extravagant puffy-sleeved dresses, loud floral prints, and a more traditional and conservative mindset, not showing too much skin. Looking at SEC schools' day-to-day fashion, specifically at University of Tennessee, there is more of a formality in what people wear. Many female students choose to dress themselves in athleisure from name brands such as Alo or Lululemon to go to class paired with Golden Gooses. This can be seen in the midwest as well, but is not common for west coast school styles. Considering gamedays, there is a major difference in what people wear; less edgy and more “preppy”. In this “preppy” style, it is seen as a classic and traditional style of clothing mixed with bright colors, and current trends, making the classics more modern and fun. “Preppy” outfits can include cable knit sweaters, more conservative dresses with higher necklines and puffy sleeves, and so much more. Gameday outfits show this by including luxurious sundresses and cowboy boots, tank tops and mini shorts/skirts, and the notable footwear of heels or strappy sandals. The most unique part about southern gamedays is the wearing of these elaborate dresses, cowboy boots, and pins with students' sororities' name on it, or simply a general statement to support their school. As University of Tennessee freshman, Ava Schwarz, described, “Going out is kind of the same as the Midwest. Sometimes people will just be more preppy or wear fancy dresses to the bars.” Southern schools have collaborations of different state styles similar to other schools, but have more of a general preppy formality to their outfits.
The east coast style exhibits a blend of different locational regions . What many people first think of when considering the east coast areas would typically be schools in Boston, New York, Philadelphia. Through my research, I have come to understand that the students at universities in urban areas tend to dress up more for class, especially at small liberal arts schools. Stereoptically, liberal arts schools in the Northeast have a prestigious reputation, which is a large reason for students wanting to have a “polished” look. Specifically looking at Villanova University in Philadelphia, day-to-day wear is professional and sophisticated. During the winter, students can be found wearing well-fitted jeans, leather jackets, and elegant scarves to class. As stated by Villanova freshman Allie Holton, “Everyone tries to put themselves together the most here. Even going to bed; it’s all PJ sets.” This can be seen in game day outfits as well, although they still look relatively similar to the midwest style. Many students will simply wear a pair of jeans with a top the color of their school. Typically, the weather is similar to the midwest, so jeans are most popular as a choice of bottoms. East coast school styles are also very similar to the midwest style when going to nightlife. As a conclusionary idea, the “going out style” is very similar across schools, as it is common to wear jeans and a fun tank top or sleeveless shirt. The east coast style is a general blend of midwest style with a bit of the south’s preppiness, while students still add their own city twist to outfits.
Comparing UW Madison, UIUC, SDSU, University of Tennessee, and Villanova doesn’t give all the details of what every student at every school in these areas wears. However, it gives an idea of what the general population of female students wears in each region and how that can differ between locations . Other components about differing styles have to do with the economic status of students at college, interest in fashion, and effort into outfits. The typical outfits of students at school may feel like everyone, but it is important to remember to keep true to your own authentic style and wear what makes you feel confident and satisfied.
Edited by Isabella Zapata, Polly Drebin, Claudia Rothberg and Ava Palmieri
