Reilly Choo describes his style as childish and fun, but also mature at the same time. He has an extensive collection of patterned socks, including cherry, taco, doughnut and cat socks.
College is a great place to figure out your own personal style. Whether you want to make the campus your runway or stay comfortable in the newest Lululemon two-piece, everything and anything goes.
But with fashion comes trends, and it can sometimes be challenging to keep up with what is in and what is out. Nowadays, with social media and the rapid turnover of trends, what was cute one week could be considered a total disaster the next.
That is why I took it upon myself to figure out the hottest fashion trends on campus as well as some of the more classic looks that never go out of fashion. After this guide, you can blend right in with other students while also looking your best. Or you can stand out and make a statement. Like I said, anything goes.
Marin Manago, also known as Mango to her friends, puts on whatever she feels like wearing when she wakes up. But she does plan ahead and makes sure to bring a jacket to classes with AC.
Style versus fashion
Before diving into the fashion trends on campus, we need to discuss the difference between style and fashion. While the two terms seem like they could be interchangeable, they have quite different meanings.
According to UHM fashion design and merchandising professor Andy Reilly, style is more closely related to personal taste and how each individual wishes to express themselves through clothing. It is a way of expressing who you are and what you want the world to know about you.
That is how we get the term “personal style.” Everyone has their own style that is unique to them, and they get to choose what makes the cut and what doesn’t. This is different from fashion, which is more timely and pop culture-focused.
“Fashion is more of the trend of what is happening at a certain specific time among a group of people,” Reilly said. “So people think that I’m fashionable, but I tell them that I’m not fashionable, I’m stylish.”
So then how are fashion trends born? It first starts with people who are dubbed as “fashion innovators.” Their role is to try new or novel ways of wearing clothing.
This could be something as simple as turning your pant cuffs up when everyone has them down, or wearing a new style of collar or wearing brightly colored shoelaces – basically anything that is new and different from the current fashion landscape.
The second step in the birth of a fashion trend is “fashion communicators.” These are the people who see fashion innovators experimenting with new styles and adopt those new techniques into their style.
“They might be bloggers, they might be students, they might be your neighbors, they might be celebrities,” Reilly said. “They start wearing it, and then eventually other people see it and they start adopting it to where most of the population is wearing it.”
And voilà – a new fashion trend is born. It starts with just one person trying something new and suddenly, the internet is raving over the hottest new shoes or the best daytime bag. But since these are just fashion trends, they eventually lose their momentum and popularity.
There comes a point where the market is saturated and people are tired of seeing the same thing. The popularity of fashion trends declines because they are considered too outdated or overdone. And unless the trend made a big enough impact on the fashion world to become a classic piece, it dies.
But in this new age of social media, trends are significantly shorter than they used to be. With just one click, you can see what’s going on in fashion across the world. Adoption is becoming rapid, but that also means that people are losing interest just as quickly.
This doesn’t mean that fashion trends are not a bad thing. They keep fashion exciting and innovative. But every fashion trend isn’t for everyone, so the next time you want to hop on the next trend, first ask yourself if it follows your style.
While Bagaporo’s main style inspiration is coquette, they can also appreciate a more masculine look on girls. They dubbed this as “the Adam Sandler fit.”
Campus fashion trends
“Unless people are like, sacrificing their body temperature, it’s really hard to dress,” said Edelina Bagaporo, a third-year fashion design and merchandising major.
But the hot and humid weather doesn’t stop everyone from following their favorite fashion trends. One of these is crochet, which is one of Bagaporo’s favorite trends. Whether it is a crochet cardigan, tank top or bolero, this fashion trend can be seen everywhere on campus.
“Also it has holes, so it’s, like, breathable,” Bagaporo said. “Just kind of, because the yarn is still hot.”
Reilly’s favorite fashion trend on campus is palaka, or Hawai‘i’s denim. This fabric is a plaid type of print that can be used on a variety of clothing. From shorts, bags, earrings and even t-shirts, palaka is everywhere.
Another fashion trend on campus that Reilly has noticed is the prominence of shoes from the brand OluKai. These multifunctional shoes have the ability to fold down in the back and turn into a slipper. They are popular not only among students, but also the UHM faculty and staff.
With fashion comes accessories, and our campus is no exception to the multitude of new accessory trends. One of which is the unique but also conventional, over-the-ear and on-ear headphones.
“It’s like, jarring, but over-the-ear headphones are an accessory,” Bagaporo said. “But you can dress up your headphones. Like, I would put stickers on mine.”
Whether it’s stickers, ribbons or custom covers, students find different ways to spice up their technological accessories. Even just wearing them on your neck is a fashion statement.
Finally, the multitude of trendy bags that students carry to and from classes is larger than most expect. If you don’t have a backpack, it’s a tote bag. If it’s not a tote bag, it’s most likely a Uniqlo mini shoulder bag, or even a Baggu bag if you’re feeling extra fancy.
Lowell Ibe doesn’t have a specific fashion inspiration; he just wants to look nice and be comfortable while doing it.
Campus fashion classics
While following the latest trends is fun and exciting, sometimes you just want to stick to the good old classic campus looks. While some people look for innovation, others look for comfort.
“I think we’ve always seen students and young people wearing [athleisure],” Reilly said. “And so that definitely is on campus, kind of more of a, maybe a classical or tradition that we have.”
Another popular fashion choice at the UHM campus is the choice of slippers over sneakers, such as Birkenstocks, REEFs or the famous Pali Hawai‘i Classic Jandals, also known as “Jesus slippers.”
And because of the inescapable heat, a classic daily uniform is the simple tank top and shorts combo.
“Because, like, it is college,” Bagaporo said. “Our casual and low effort is the tank top and the shorts. Where it’s colder, it’s probably like, sweatpants and a hoodie. That’s just how it translates.”
If all else fails, the safest way to go is to throw on some UHM merchandise, because nothing screams “I love my school” more than a giant “H” on your shirt.
Kai Dowd describes their style as slightly edgy but also feminine. After moving to Hawaiʻi from New York, they feel like they have toned down their style from what they used to wear.
Now what?
Now that you’ve read about some of UHM campus’ fashion trends and classics, you can decide if you want to be a fashion communicator or even an innovator. Totally up to you. Just remember to follow your own personal style and express yourself in the way that you want to.
“Fashion is like, what you feel comfortable in and how you feel,” Bagaporo said. “At the end of the day, it’s not that serious. It doesn’t really matter. And it should be fun.”
