hile high fashion is influenced by the runways, over the past 10 years, with the rise of social media and “influencer culture”, its fair to say that everyday fashion is now heavily influenced by high school and college students.
One example of how heavily the students play a role in mainstream fashion is the #BamaRush hashtag that went viral last year and blew up on TikTok. Tote bags were selling out everywhere because the sorority girls were sharing them all day, every day in their videos. They even made a documentary about it on HBO.
That's why I’m going to be highlighting six college fashion trends that everyone should be paying attention to even if you aren’t a part of Gen Z. These are quickly going mainstream and anyone and everyone will want to be wearing them, so allow me to give you the cheat sheet you’ll need to stay up-to-date.
Matching Sets
Matching Sets have been by far the most popular fashion trend among the younger generations for a couple of years now and are still going strong. The basic colors (like black, grey, white, navy, beige) are very popular with Sororities and Fraternities, because the embellishment possibilities are endless, and graphics really pop on neutral canvases.
The Look
A matching set is really anything that matches, specifically in fabrication and color! Wearing it slightly oversized is key. So, make sure to size up or go for a unisex style that naturally is a little roomier.
Crewnecks have become extremely popular among students and are now outpacing the hoodie, so make sure to always have a crew option available and included in your pitches. Pairing matching sets with a fun bucket cap gives you a casual outfit that is not only comfortable, but also very much on trend. Don’t forget the ever so popular crew socks to round out the look – students love a sandal and sock moment.
Decoration Tip
We aren’t just seeing your typical Greek letters anymore on the garments. It’s all about making a statement for the younger generations in everything they do, so the sets are being decorated with fun sayings, positive quotes, and illustrations alongside their cherished letters.
Varsity
This preppy, retro style stems from historic Ivy League Universities, but it’s made its way into every campus across the country, as well as into streetwear collections.
The classic letterman jacket has transcended its status as an American school staple, and now, casual versions of the letterman jacket are being adopted by popular brands, with more of a bomber-style iteration of the trend.
The Look
The classic varsity look starts with the jacket. What makes the product stand out is the collegiate color blocking and retro stripes on the sleeves and waistband.
Pair it over a garment-dyed heavyweight long sleeve tee, jeans or joggers and a backwards dad cap. The cap has to have a brass buckle on it, though, to really complete the preppy ensemble. Even if you don’t have a school that you’re repping, you can still be an Ivy League inspired trend-setter.
Decoration Tip
The decoration on these iconic varsity pieces, should also match the retro vibe of the garment. Think chenille puff patches, classic typography and vintage/faded decoration techniques.
Eco-Friendly Athleisure
Athleisure has been the most popular trend among the masses for a while now. As the world has gone more casual in dress, the athleisure look has become the dominant everyday uniform across all age ranges.
Because Gen Z puts their wallets where their values lie, they’re becoming more eco-conscious in all of their purchases, especially clothing. Now, we’re seeing more and more athleisure being made with recycled materials, which caters directly to this demographic and to the environment.
The Look
The matching set trend is also being seen all across athleisure as well, just with more athletic, poly-based fabrications. We are seeing more and more short and sweatshirt athleisure sets being worn together.
This particular collection is buttery soft and features Eco Revive™, a new sustainable fabric technology made from recycled plastic bottles. Again as I mentioned earlier, make sure you offer up some tall crew socks to go with slides or sneakers – a common combo you’ll see with this look.
Oversized
What’s more comfortable than wearing an oversized sweatshirt while attending class or hanging out with friends? It seems like everywhere we look, sweatshirts, sweatpants and jackets have gotten progressively bigger and baggier.
But let’s not get it twisted: Oversized clothing doesn’t equal a sloppy appearance. You can still look put-together while looking effortlessly cool in your oversized garments.
The key to oversized fashion is selecting unisex pieces and going up one to two sizes. This achieves the look by making the item appear like it’s supposed to be oversized, while still being able to easily scrunch up the arms, legs and tuck in the hemline to help style and complete the vibe.
The Look
Stealing from the 90’s and early 2000’s eras, which are trending in fashion right now, this look is heavily influenced from those days. By taking an inexpensive, unisex crewneck sweatshirt you can complete this outfit by going two sizes up from your normal size. An additional detail to note here is that this crew has a large ribbed collar that helps create the look that it’s meant to be oversized.
Pairing the sweatshirt with biker shorts is perfect, since the longer hem of the sweatshirt will cover most of the short which is the point with this outfit.
To complete the 90’s/00’s ensemble, pair it with your favorite retro socks and high-tops. This outfit is the perfect summer to fall transition look and it’s great for all shapes and sizes.
Layering
Fall is all about layering, which is perfect for students who are always on the go. It gives them the opportunity to choose one look in the morning and add additional pieces for use after class to create a whole new outfit.
Mixing different silhouettes together and pairing them with different patterned or textured tops, is what it’s all about. This gives you the ability to play around with pieces that can be worn together or separate and also opens up new ways to wear one item.
If people want a style that’s comfortable both indoors and outdoors, this is it. Make sure to check out my article on decorating layers here:
"Why Using a Fall Layering Design Strategy Could Bring in More Sales."
The Look
A neutral cropped hoodie is a perfect centerpiece for this style, because it can be worn alone or as your base layer. Because it’s lightweight and adds a patterned element to your look, a flannel is the perfect secondary piece.
The last and final layer of this outfit, is the oversized denim jacket. This jacket has a subtle crystal tie dye pattern that is super popular right now. Match the layers with jeans and you have a look that can be worn from day to night.
Loungewear
If you thought flannel pants were just worn for sleeping, think again! The quintessential “PJ pant” is being worn just like any other athleisure piece and are better known as “lounge pants” by Gen Zer’s.
Students love them because they are comfortable and take minimal styling effort when heading straight to class. These comfortable favorites are being worn from the campus, to the gym, to out with friends. They’re also a popular spiritwear item to add to any collection because they will be worn time and time again.
The Look
The younger generation is making the extremely casual look a lot less sloppy and a lot more elevated by adding stylish pieces to accompany the pants. It starts with the flannel bottoms, this particular set is a jogger rendition which adds a trendy element right off the bat.
Pair your pants with a quarter zip sweatshirt and layer it with a bigger baffling puffer vest. To complete the outfit add a sporty bucket cap and you have an effortlessly cool ensemble that you can literally “roll out of the bed” and head out the door with.
Decoration Tip
Decorate them with Greek letters, school logo or even a fun graphic.
Baby Tees
Think back to the 90’s-early 2000’s when Clueless and Britney Spears were on repeat and the tiny tee was found in every girl’s closet – well they are back and more popular than ever. The 90’s and Y2K revival is still going strong and baby tees are the most recent trend to be back on the scene.
Essentially, baby tees are cropped t-shirts but are more fitted than the typical boxy crop. Back in the early 2000’s baby tees often showcased playful graphics, and vibrant colors.
The Look
The baby tee is mostly being paired with a wider or baggier pant – either denim or a cargo – or with sweat shorts, for a more refined athleisure look.
The raglan sleeve on this particular tee really brings a sporty element to the shirt so it looks great with a trucker cap. (It even pulls that varsity look in as well.) This is a excellent addition to any spiritwear collection but also consider featuring these in band merch or streetwear capsules.
Decoration Tip
Today, they’re decorated with a similar vibe, being seen with Greek letters and fun sayings.
Keep Your Finger On the Pulse
It pays to keep a close eye on what students today are wearing, because they’re often in tune with social media influencers and trends, that inspire their wardrobe. Understanding what’s trending among this age group, will help you put together pitches and collections that they can’t resist, so have fun and give some of these trends a try.