In a state as big as Texas it is no surprise that when it comes to fashion, the influence and differences are endless.
This is true when it comes to college fashion. With about 170 colleges in the Lone Star state— Texas serves as an oversized canvas with different colors, angles and themes to the overall masterpiece that is fashion.
El Paso is a melting pot of different college fashions, with Mexican influences from the border, surrounding sister states and trickles from the West Coast and the South.
Owner of Fetch Clothing in El Paso, Jeannie Stringfield, describes UTEP college fashion as different from other universities in Texas because of its location.
“I would say the fashion choices there are very relaxed. High-waisted shorts are very popular, paired with crop tops and Chuck Taylor tennies, oversized tops and leggings, as well as skinny jeans with basically any comfortable top,” Stringfield said. “These styles are very popular in Los Angeles and throughout California. I would have to also say that the culture of each university is what drives its trends.”
Stringfield also highlighted the fashions of college towns in Texas.
“Other colleges throughout Texas have a college-town feel and their social environments are very Greek oriented,” she said. “That being said, these schools have many strong influences in Southern culture, and the kids who attend these schools will wear lots of Southern comfort tees, paired with Nike running shorts and open-toed sandals for class and everyday wear.”
Callie Slavik, a student at Texas Tech University, said that the fashion is very laid back with the Greek life look infused throughout campus.
“Very casual and comfortable, some call it sorority and frat like a lot of leggings and big shirts for girls and khaki pants and collared shirts for guys,” Slavik said. “However, there is also, like everywhere else, a different group of people who have their own style, more hipster like—going into more indie coffee shops, if you can picture that. It ranges from more retro with combat boots, and anything you can picture from the song ‘Sweater Weather,” Slavik said.
Slavik’s hometown is in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, so the Lubbock style influenced how she dressed when she moved there for school.
“In high school, I basically only wore jeans. My sister and I despised the whole leggings and big shirts look. But after one semester here at Tech, it was all I seemed to wear,” she said. “Now having been here for over five years, I’ve limited the sorority look to when I go study at the library and occasionally to class or for a quick trip to the store. Jeans have happily made it back into my everyday outfits.”
Giselle Garcia, a student at The University of North Texas and a native of El Paso, said that although the style at UNT differs from El Paso fashion, it is very similar to other universities in Texas like Texas Tech.
“Denton is very much a small college town and it is off to the side of Dallas. Even though there are fraternity boys dressed like frat boys and sorority girls dressed like sorority girls and the different organizations dressing like the culture of their organization, the overall culture of Denton is very hipster, like man buns and Urban Outfitters.” she said.
Garcia said that her style has changed while attending UNT.
“I remember actually trying in high school, but now I am more dressed down. I mean I really like the whole hipster look, I like it on people, but it is just not me,” Garcia said. “I usually just go to Forever 21, Target or wherever I can get a good deal. I have even taken up thrift shopping.”
The question of why fashion differs so much in El Paso is easily answered when you look at its culture and location.
Stringfield said that when it comes to college fashion in El Paso, the style is definitely more put together because UTEP is a commuter campus.
“Kids dress a little nicer here, but most of them also have part-time jobs and do other things besides just being a college student,” she said. “They need to be prepared to go to wherever they are heading after class. Since the kids at UTEP dress a bit nicer, it motivates peers to dress nicer–it’s a Doppler effect.”
Stringfield also said that there are benefits to not having consistent trends in the El Paso college scene.
“There are no true heavy trends in the El Paso college scene because we all have the trends in one school since there is no direct community influences,” she said. “We are truly a unique style market and our name fits exactly what we are, El Paso, the passage: in which all fashion trends pass through,” she said.
Amanda Guillen may be reached at [email protected].
