Khaki shorts, T-shirts with the Texas A&M logo, a pair of gray New Balance shoes and a cap – fashion on A&M’s campus is not one of dramatic proportions. But then again, students are not here to walk a catwalk.
Many students do not have time to dress to the nines for class. They either wear what they wore to sleep or grab something out of the closet or off the floor and make sure it is clean.
Sometimes, one sees the same outfit on campus for several days. For some, it is nice to get dressed up on campus every once in awhile. For others, it does not matter what they wear when they sit in class for an hour to learn about polypeptide bonds. Essentially though, how people dress can be a form of self expression.
“Well, I think the clothes you wear defines your personality in some sense, and it shows your taste,” said Elaine Sarmiento, a sophomore international studies major. “It gives people a first impression on what kind of person you are.”
Sarmiento said the way most people dress can be stereotyped. If one dresses nice, prim and proper in a pair of khakis and a button-down oxford everyday, many would say he or she is “preppy.”
Since many students are running from class to class and juggling several errands, most of them aim for comfort in their clothes. As a result, some students try to combine the best of both worlds: comfort and fashion.
“I think some people try to dress to impress,” Sarmiento said. “But personally, I try to be comfortable and cute at the same time.”
Fashion trends throughout time can be both flattering and scary. From the days of platform shoes to M.C. Hammer pants to tech vests to side ponytails, people learn and laugh from the mistakes they make.
Many designers are merging late 1970s fashions with early 1980s fashions to breed new styles.
What Aggies will be seeing a lot of this fall is denim. Denim has slowly been coming back in the past two years, and now, it has exploded onto the fashion scene. Dark denim, bleached denim, studded denim and dirty denim are all seen on many celebrities and students.
“I think it is cool that denim is coming back,” said Shara Boquiren, a freshman chemical engineering major. “I like the whole ‘not-so-tacky’ ’80s motif that is coming back into style. With dark denim, you can be casual and classy at the same time.”
Accessories are also becoming more stylish. Rhinestones and studded fabric are the latest craze. This is seen with many of the jewel-studded bandanas, belt buckles and jeans, yet another trend bought back from the 1980s.
Big lenses and frames on sunglasses like the aviator style are also in fashion. Sunglasses with tinted, colored lenses were very big in the late 1970s and now are being reincarnated in 2001.
Belts are also growing in popularity. Those childhood canvas belts are now found at popular clothing stores in the mall. The “Old West” influence on fashion shines with the popularity of large belt buckles. With “iced-out” bracelets, leather wristbands, hoop earrings and elaborate necklaces, it is no question that accessories are the latest craze.
“I know when I dress up, I like to accessorize as much as I can,” said Jennifer Lina, A&M Class of 1998. “It seems that the more you accessorize these days, no matter how tacky it is, the better; and I have no problem with that.”
Certain genres in fashion are also gaining popularity. The punk style is back with studded belts and bracelets, plaid pants and vintage T-shirts. The “urban cowboy” is apparent with dirty denim, big-buckled belts, cowboy hats and vintage Wrangler shirts. Being “ghetto fabulous” is also popular. Retro 1980s hip-hop gear and the “supa fly,” pimp-daddy look is another craze.
Fashion trends come and go, but students should incorporate the current fashion trends with their own taste to create their own personal style.