Beyond Cuffed Jeans: A Look at Student Fashion on Campus

Anita Rao (she/her)

For some, fashion exists at the nexus of identity and expression. Individuals work political messages, sustainability causes, and creative experimentation into their style. For others, their clothes for the day depend solely on the weather app and whatever is atop the laundry pile. ​

However different people may explore their own style, fashion has long held a special significance for the LGBTQ+ community. Clothes can provide the ultimate vehicle for freedom of expression. Binders, bras, cuffed jeans, and nail polish all take on unique meaning in the world of queer attire. On the flipside, fashion norms and dress codes can be sources of dysphoria, discomfort, and shame. Clothes are certainly not the only or the most important modality for expression to everyone in the community, but they can be a vital outlet for many.

Students at the University of Michigan are no strangers to having fun with their fashion. Accounts like Instagram’s @umichfits have taken off, amassing upwards of two thousand followers by featuring photos of eye-catching outfits caught on the diag that day. With over thirty-thousand students getting dressed to impress each morning, the whole range and rainbow of the fashion spectrum come alive on campus. From high fashion to Halloween costumes (and a mix of both), here we feature a small look into the wide world of U of M style.

Photo by Story Triplett.

Name: Story Triplett        Pronouns: they/he        Personal Style: Unique

How would you describe your outfit in the photo you shared?
“Very intricate. Although it's a Halloween costume, I still love expressing femininity outside of holidays.”    

How have your style and self-expression changed overtime?
“When I was younger, I hated everything pink and glittery. I hated expressing femininity and I hated being a girl. Once I got to my senior year of high school, I learned about my transgender identity and began wearing chest binders, masculine clothes, and I shaved my head. I began expressing myself as gender neutral, never swaying to one side... until I moved to Ann Arbor. I found the style of drag, and began finally expressing my femininity, as a nonbinary person.”    

How does your personal fashion and self-expression intersect with your gender, sexuality, culture, or any other identities you hold?
“Some might notice that I'm wearing a headscarf in my costume. This was not a choice that I made purely for my costume, but a choice I made for the holiday of Halloween, or, as I call it, Samhain! I wear a headscarf as a veil, to practice my religion. It's not common to see LGBTQ+ people who are actively religious, so that's why I love wearing my veil out and having fun matching the colors to my outfits.”

Are you happy with the way you dress today?
“Yes. I love how I'm able to express myself any way I want without judgement. I had to take a look inward at myself and my identity to finally become comfortable with my self expression, but since I've done that I've been extremely happy with my sense of fashion.”

If your outfit in this photo was a song or an album, what would it be?
“‘Today I Saw The Whole World’ by Pierce The Veil.”

Photo by “Oliver Rodrigo”.

Pseudonym: Oliver Rodrigo        Pronouns: he/him        Personal Style: Adaptive

How would you describe your outfit in the photo you shared?
“Elevated casual streetwear meets New York.”

How does your personal fashion and self-expression intersect with your gender, sexuality, culture, or any other identities you hold?
“I don’t think my style is actually influenced by any of these factors-- I feel like fashion is a means to express yourself at any given moment on any day. It’s something I do exclusively for myself, and is one of the few things in life that you don’t necessarily have to categorize, label, or define, or think too much about if you choose against doing so.”

How does fashion make you feel? Why get dressed a certain way?
“Dressing up gives me motivation to start my day. It’s a daily routine that allows me to be creative for a few minutes which makes me feel more confident for the entire day as a whole; it’s like self care in a way— taking some time for yourself each day to do what you want and that makes you happy. In our constricted society focused on rules, regulations, and labels— especially pressure from others, we can find it difficult to feel a sense of freedom. Choosing the way you portray yourself to others is a beneficial tool to take control of your life.”

If your outfit in this photo was a song or an album, what would it be?
“‘Baggage’ by Breakfast Santana.”

Photo by Liam.

Name: Liam        Pronouns: he/him        Personal Style: Eclectic

How have your style and self-expression changed overtime?
“My style changed completely after moving to Ann Arbor. I used to dress with very little effort and care, but after coming to umich, I feel like my style  is now more representative of who I am.”

How does your personal fashion and self-expression intersect with your gender, sexuality, culture, or any other identities you hold?
“For a long time I was unable to express my gender if entity with my personal fashion, and now that I am able to do that, I think that not only do I like myself a lot more, but it’s easier to connect with others as well.”

Are you happy with the way you dress today?
“My issues surrounding gender dysphoria can often get in the way of my style, and I hope to work through that in the future, because clothing has no gender.”

How does fashion make you feel? Why get dressed a certain way?
“It makes me feel confident and happy in my everyday life”

If your outfit in this photo was a song or an album, what would it be?
“‘Boyish’ by Hippo Campus.”

Photo by Ciarán Conlin.

Name: Ciarán Conlin        Pronouns: he/they/any         Personal Style: 2000s-dad-art-teacher-core

How would you describe your outfit in the photo you shared?
“I'd say this is a really toned back and basic outfit for me-- a form-fitting statement tee with baggy utility jeans and platform docs is my go-to for days out, and I really like how the forms contrast! I think that accessories are the vital parts for my outfits, though: without copious necklace layering, my outfits often feel incomplete.”

How does your personal fashion and self-expression intersect with your gender, sexuality, culture, or any other identities you hold?
“Especially after coming to UMich, I think that self-expression and personal fashion has become a vital tool for expressing my queerness. In many ways, personal expression allows me to uniquely perform masculinity and femininity in a non-constricting and fun way.”

Are you happy with the way you dress today?
“I'm more than happy with my current personal style, even though I know it's not staying for very long! My style is constantly evolving, and I look forward to seeing how next week's outfits differ from the last's.”

Has anyone ever made you feel like you couldn’t dress the way you wanted to?
“Growing up in a small town and not having a lot of access to clothes, I often felt that I had to perform some type of masculinity that didn't really reflect my queerness.”

What makes a good outfit? In a school of this size, what makes you really stop and notice someone passing by?
“I truly think that the clothes aren't what make an outfit, but the confidence is. Wear some crazy stuff and own the fact you're wearing some crazy stuff, and you'll be instantly cooler than 98% of people walking on the diag.”

If your outfit in this photo was a song or an album, what would it be?
“‘Pro: Lov: Ad’ by- Sweet Trip.”

Photo by Grace Sirman.

Name: Grace Sirman        Pronouns: she/her        Personal Style: Vibrant

How would you describe your outfit in the photo you shared?
“I think my outfit is comfortable but stylish. I wanted to have something really dressy that still kept me warm, so I put on a sweatshirt underneath. I wore my colorful bracelets and my dinosaur earrings, along with my platform shoes. I wanted to add more retro elements to my outfit, so I added my yellow, vintage belt.”

How does your personal fashion and self-expression intersect with your gender, sexuality, culture, or any other identities you hold?
“One of the biggest reasons why I chose to base my style off of a retro look is because of one of my biggest inspirations, Elton John. His confidence, identifying as a gay man, really helped me come to terms with my sexuality. I wanted to try and challenge a stereotype I encountered a lot as a lesbian, which is that lesbians dress more masculine and boyish, so I try to dress in really feminine clothing like dresses, skirts, blouses with patterns, and makeup.”

Has anyone ever made you feel like you couldn’t dress the way you wanted to?
“I've gotten a lot of odd comments from people who are uncomfortable with my confidence in my fashion sense, or comments from people mentioning my size or weight. When I dress in a way that leans more masculine, I get comments too about not putting in as much effort. These used to bother me, but overtime as I discovered I am lesbian, I prioritized my happiness with my style over other people's opinions.”

Do you feel like your style is still evolving? What else might you want to explore?
“I feel like my sense of style is just getting started; I would love to explore more with the retro/70's type of fashion, since I don't have much currently. I would love to find more 70's inspired clothing that is also available for my size, since as a chubbier person it's harder for me to find what I am looking for. I definitely feel like my style is still in progress.”

If your outfit in this photo was a song or an album, what would it be?
“‘Crocodile Rock’ by Elton John.”