SEPT 12, 2024 | OPINION | By Lilly Asano
While temperatures remain in the mid-to-high 80s, students at Colorado College are anticipating summer’s end. Peak fall colors are expected to start in the next week in northern Colorado, and changing Aspen leaves and colors will appear on campus from late September through mid-October, according to 9News.
Our first cooler days of the year have offered glimpses of this fall’s style trends at CC. Some overlap with social media or mainstream trends, while others are unique to our student body. This boho-chic campus is no stranger to layering, thrifted or retro items, and casual boot-wearing, but this season has emphasized certain closet staples.
Through personal observations and intense library people-watching, here is this girl’s guide to dressing for fall 2024.
Essential #1 – Boots, Clogs and Dogs:
2024 is soooo 1994. Boho chic and layering are all the rage, and our campus feels more ‘Colorado College’ than ever. The ever-iconic Blundstone Chelsea Boots, a campus and casual-wear staple, now is competing with the returning Frye boots and ankle-high cowboy boots. Dansko professional clogs have been spotted occasionally as replacements for the classic Birkenstock Bostons, while others remain loyal to their Boston clogs. Other students have opted for flip-flops in everyday life, and are likely to kick them off at any opportunity.
Amidst trending social media overconsumption, nothing says back of the closet quite like these shoes. Timeless and crunchy, the well-worn-looking shoes appear to have been purchased by your mom in 2006 and have been waiting for this moment in trend history.
Essential #2 – The White Maxi Skirt
We all know what I’m talking about — the long, flowing white maxi skirt that seems to float on the walk across the quad. Whether paired with a small, fitted top or oversized sweatshirt, the normally three-tiered skirt looks effortless and elevates campus style with its very presence. For those missing a white skirt, any other maxi skirt will do.
Essential #3 – Overalls
Overalls are making a return (but did they ever leave?). From layering tube tops, tanks, tiny tops and even sweaters, overalls provide an option to spruce up your closet and class wear. Like Blundstones or clogs, they offer the same back of the closet, granola girl appeal and have that rugged, Colorado mountain look. However, brands like Free People have picked up on the return of overalls and are turning a profit off them, selling the We The Free Overall Smock Mini Top for $98-$128. The beloved Arc offers secondhand options, but fast fashion overalls may just be the newest micro trend and overconsumption cycle.
Essential #4 – Sambas and Gazelles
During any given hour in the library or night out, you’ll likely see a handful of different Sambas or Gazelles. They stand out by the distinct Adidas three stripes, tan rubber soles, and slimming shape. They’re cute and casual, and make the perfect shoe for walking around campus, but their suede material can make them risky to wear out or even venture onto damp grass. Sambas and Gazelles, like other formerly trending sneakers (Blazers, Air Forces, or New Balances), may be destined to become frat or bar shoes, but for now, they have our campus in a chokehold.
However, these trends tend to come with a hefty price tag. In 2017, the New York Times reported that 78% of CC students come from the top 20% of wealth, and evolving fashion trends tend to reflect our collective campus wealth. With many opting for the crunchy, timeless (aka thrifted or vintage) style, the almost careless look carries its own significance of status here.