What do Students Wear on College Campuses

College is an educational step that everyone should experience at some point in their lifetime. This is the basic idea that has driven many American and foreign students to work hard and get accepted into the school they dreamt of. However, no matter where one may go, there is something that comes into sight at the very first moment after entering the college campus. When you say college, many usually think of white walls, marble staircases and huge, dusty libraries. Not today, not anymore! Fashion sense is quite appreciated nowadays, and this is what many of the students have gained up on.

When entering the campus of a college, you will be struck at the site of countless dressing styles, depending on the personality, fashion wave or entourage of each student. You do not need much time to see that there is a clear distinction between some students and others. Clothes are the items that help these dissimilarities to be more obvious. Although it is said that one should not judge another by his or her appearance, sometimes in college, appearance is what makes the difference. For instance, when presenting to an interview or an exam, wearing the correct outfit is vital to the first impression you make on the employee or examiner. This is why certain fashion styles were created and others were left for dead.

One of the most “in vogue” styles of the moment is the hipster look. The hipsters are those persons who have an effortless sense of fashion, dress casually and comfortably and make it seem like it was not their intention to do so. If you go around a campus, you will surely find several groups of hipsters laying on the grass or having laid-back conversations. You can easily recognize their style due to the oversized yet classy glasses with transparent lenses, the cool-looking hats that have an original look and the vintage, V-neck T-shits. What is more, they wear tight-fitting pants and deck shoes or slip-ons. Another important feature of the hipster look is the colors. Hipsters are not afraid to wear vivid colors, and to combine them as casually as possible, making their outfit look cool without effort.

Another very popular style that many students adopt is the hippie style. This sense of style dates back in the mid-1960s. Definitely the vital piece of clothing that you will spot on every hippie’s head is the headband or headwrap. Made out of materials such as leather, cotton and silk, the headband is meant to create a playful yet reserved look, and it clearly looks better on girls. However, you will probably see one or two guys with long hair wearing such an item. What is also known about hippies is that they always wear hand-made objects. From hats and accessories to bags and boots, hippies like everything that is original and one of a kind. Oversized glasses, floral designs and braided hair are other features that will help you make the difference between a hippie and those adopting other fashion styles.

Much like in high-school, there is a group of people whom you might find strange or even frightening. They are the goths, the ones that prefer wearing clothes in dark shades such as black, brown and navy, and have multiple piercings or tattoos. In addition, they wear a lot of makeup, also based on dark colors, and they prefer to stay isolated from other people. Although they are pretty rare, because most of them have left this dark side of them back in college, most of the former goths will adopt a look similar to that of a rock star: untidiness will be their law and wearing messy clothes will be their characteristic.

What is more, there are several fraternities or sororities that impose a certain type of dress-code. Therefore, many pledges try their best to impress the members of the fraternities or sororities they would like to be accepted in by wearing whatever they ask them to. Many of the outfits that they are supposed to wear are more of a test, so that the houses can determine if the pledges have what it takes to be part of their group. This is why you might see people dressed ridiculously around campus, maybe even trying to hide themselves from sight.

A large sense of style can be observed in those who call themselves the fashionistas. They are groups of girls who are very self-aware of what they are wearing, as well as what others that surround them wear. You will never see one hair on their heads sit array, as they promote an image of perfection and wittiness. Their style is casual as well as conservatory, including blazers, V-neck cashmere blouses, knee-length skirts and headbands to match the outfit. They most usually wear pastel colors, as they do not need to draw attention on themselves with vivid colors. Their makeup is meant to match their style, and it is simple and perfect for school.

Certain fashion styles are easily spotted around campus, but original or unconventional clothes are the ones that shock most. When you wake up late and you have classes in a few minutes, you almost never have time to plan your wardrobe for the day. This is why you may see many students that come to school in their pajamas. It is definitely informal and quite unpleasant to have to teach a lesson to a bunch of students in their PJs, but this is something that has happened constantly in the American colleges.

All these styles considered, one must think of those who do not like to adopt a style, but rather to combine elements from each one and obtain a unique, comfortable style, which matches their personalities. These hybrid styles have a larger percentage amongst college students than the self-standing styles, probably because they are easier to accept and they do not imply one to have only one type of outfits in their wardrobe. Therefore, when walking around campus, you will most definitely see girls with short pants and oversized T-shirts that casually drop on one shoulder, girls wearing vaporous dresses combined with comfortable boots and even girls with leather jackets, funky T-shits and low-waist flare jeans. As for male fashion, not all college boys like to adhere to a certain fashion style. Most of them wear baggy jeans with large, originally printed T-shirts, comfy cargos with casual shirts and blazers or even suits, if the occasion dictates it.

The fashion style is most definitely the main factor that determines whether you are cool or not. Although this may seem as a notion that is usually encountered during high-school, there are certain colleges where a good fashion sense can get you very far. However, college is more of a time to form a thorough education and learn more in the domain you want to pursue in life. Therefore, one may think that they would not have problems if they dress casually or without style. Most of the time, they are tragically wrong. On one side, what someone wears could reflect on the way they act. This is the case of hipsters, jocks, and goths. On the other side, one’s fashion sense is a very plausible reason for others to judge them.

All in all, although it should be kept in mind that clothes are not what makes a person special, integrating in a certain group of people may require several sessions of wardrobe make-over. It may seem superficial, but people with similar personalities tend to spend more time together, and this can have effect on the way they dress as well. Therefore, when walking around campus, one will always see different styles, according to different personalities. As an outsider, some of their preferences may be bizarre or eccentric, but each style has its beauty and it should be taken into consideration.