I love fashion. However, I am no super fashion-diva. I’m not going to say Keene State College students have no sense of fashion. The most important reason, in my opinion, is that what is considered “fashionable” is not a set fact. It is all about personal style and what one likes.
A few things come to mind when I think of fashion at KSC. I think of Uggs, Northface jackets, PINK yoga pants with a coordinating sweatshirt, flannels, both tie-dye and oversized wolf T-shirts, Birkenstocks and once again—flannels.
These fashions do not fall far from the college apparel tree. They are pretty popular trends, which can be found on many college campuses in New England.
In fact, according to an article on the Huffington Post, several of these fashions are on the worst college apparel list. What I will say though, is that I think more girls in college should take more fashion risks. This is the time when we can experiment and figure out who we are. Not to mention that this is the last time our bodies will ever be this “tight.” In my opinion, the safest outfit an 18 to 22-year-old female can wear is: Ugg boots (or flip flops depending on the season) with Victoria’s Secret PINK yoga pants and a matching PINK sweatshirt. I cannot say how many times I have walked down Appian Way and seen a group of girls all in this exact outfit. I know you are guilty of it. I am too on many counts.
This is not just seen here at KSC- Victoria’s Secret PINK clothing is seen everywhere. I have worked at Victoria’s Secret for the last three years, so I know firsthand how popular those items are. At my store, we are always joking around that “PINK sells itself.”
I see year after year, the yoga pants do not change and they are still being ripped off the shelf. As for the Uggs-aspect of the outfit, I think sneakers and Sperry’s do just fine. I do own a pair of Uggs myself, but I hardly wear them.
I just think they are way too overdone. Virtually everyone has some sort of Ugg boots or fuggs (fake-Uggs). They are just too expensive for how ugly they are. Yes, they are practical and go with a lot of outfits but in reality, they are ugly.
After spending a semester in Florence, Italy, I got a taste of what it is like to live in a place where fashion is taken extremely seriously. On the few days I didn’t have myself dressed acceptably, locals stared at me. I was fortunate enough to be forewarned on what not to wear in Italy, so I purposefully did not pack any of my yoga pants, sweat pants or Ugg-type boots.
I liked living in a culture where fashion was so highly praised because I got to push myself to take more risks and get into a habit of getting ready, because sooner than I would like it to be, I will have to get myself dressed nicely every day. I will not be able to spend my days in comfy sweats.
Ultimately, I think girls our age should step out of their comfort zone and see what they can really pull off.
Shannon Flynn can be contacted at sflynn@keene-equinox.com