It’s time to talk about the stylish San Diego State University.
In many ways, the campus is a runway. A place for students to show off a style sense that is acquired from everything San Diego has to offer. It’s a place that allows students to express themselves with a simple walk to class. Fashion can be reflecting choice or exploring creativity and ambition, while pushing comfort zones. Students at SDSU have the opportunity to break the status quo with clothing.
SDSU’s very own fashion club opens students to a whole new world of creative endeavors. They connect the student body through fashion. The club often posts fit checks on their instagram of students around campus and conducts polls where their followers can vote on which of the spring summer predictions will be trending, making the fashion stratosphere easier to navigate.
Shira de Jong, a fourth-year interdisciplinary studies major in three departments and fashion club member, said it is all very interactive with the students of SDSU, allowing for people to gauge what the university as a whole is either into or excited to wear.
Will spring be a season of sheer chiffon clothing and pieces with 3D rosettes? The SDSU Fashion Club invites those kinds of conversations and motivates students to experiment with whatever style they are comfortable with.
The club’s mission states that, “fashion is culture, storytelling, language, self expression and identity” and de Jong embodies this philosophy. Originally from Seattle, Washington with a niche for sustainable fashion, she quickly found her place within the club after vending at one of their clothing sales.
“Before coming to SDSU I absolutely did not know anything about fashion,” de Jong said. “My style has 100 percent evolved since coming here because I was really able to experiment my fashion sense as I was exploring who I am as an individual after leaving home. Seeing more people my age all over campus, seeing what they are wearing and where they are from, has inspired me to dress up in different ways.”
De Jong calls SDSU a safe place to express oneself with clothing. The relaxed, Southern California vibes of San Diego, in de Jong’s words, creates a sort of “bubble” that you don’t realize you are in until you leave it. It’s all about fueling uniqueness at both ends of the spectrum.
“SoCal really has its own culture,” Julia Warren, a third-year business management major said. “San Diego is so diverse with so many demographics and people from everywhere.”
One day it can be dressing to the nines in a vibrant sundress or a gothic outfit with chainmail. Then, it can be Birkenstocks and your favorite hoodie. SDSU has a way of eliminating judgment within fashion. Students really are just wearing what makes them happy.
“It’s so normalized to wear crazy stuff here, but anywhere else you don’t see this. I would not be caught dead wearing this in Washington,” de Jong said, showing off her blue sparkly tank top, capri camo cargos and cowboy boots. “There are also just so many scenes around campus, so it’s fun to change your fashion to each. I’m lucky that I go to SDSU where the environment is motivating. No one cares what I’m wearing here, so I’m going to wear what I want.”
Social media trends can be credited for this endless amount of style exploration, as well. Especially on a college campus, what’s “in” appears to go by faster than ever before. With the rise of Tik Tok, anyone can be an influencer, which results in fashion trends catapulting off each other. These fashion movements tend to be more micro trends. While traditional fashion trends typically last a few years, micro trends at SDSU are lasting less than one semester.
“I’ll be around campus and hear ‘oh my god that’s the Tik Tok skirt or that’s the Amazon corset,’” de Jong said. “It would be so interesting to see how students would be dressing without Instagram or Tik Tok.”
Clothing trends often carry a bad reputation for promoting unoriginality. However, because these trends are rising to popularity quicker and then leave the cycle faster, it’s as if students here at SDSU get to choose which trends to participate in.
De Jong is, however, very excited and passionate to see certain clothing from the past come back into style around San Diego.
“I really want juxtaposition to come back in style, wearing something super grunge with girly elements or lots of layering with skirts over pants,” de Jong said. “Honestly, what I want to come back is having fun with your style. This makes me happy, this feels good, this sparks joy and I just feel super confident.”
The SDSU look is difficult to label. To categorize an entire university into a genre feels like a near impossible task, yet de Jong seemed to tackle the impossible.
“Eclectic,” de Jong answered almost immediately. “Everyone here is eclectic and confident. Dressing with confidence is what we do here at SDSU.”
