Well, we are officially in the home stretch for broke college kids. We are attempting to ration the remaining money we have left in our bank accounts in order to make it through the rest of the year. I know that for me, Spring Break was really the killer. It is almost as if the countless shifts I spent running around a loud, sweaty restaurant this summer and Winter Break meant nothing. I mean, how do I stretch what little money I have left all the way until move-out? Well, one solution is that I could quit buying clothes. Maybe I will start by deleting Depop. Crazy idea. This isn’t as easy as it may sound though, even with the limited funds I have. To me, going to a largely affluent university has really opened my eyes to the overconsumption that some students are able to take part in. I’m even a part of this problem sometimes.
As spring formal season is just around the corner, I’ve found myself browsing online at shops like Lulu’s and Francesca’s. The irony is that I’ll do this at my desk, which is directly next to my closet which contains more than a few perfectly good options. There is the senior year homecoming dress that I just had to buy because “It’s senior year and it should be special,” right next to the satin slip dress I purchased over break because it was half-off and “Such a good staple to have.” This is me admitting that I’m a part of the problem so that no one accuses me of pretending to be holier than thou.
Now that I’ve gotten this out of the way, the question is: why do we all feel the need to buy a new dress for every formal? Why do we feel like every season, we need to “update our wardrobes?” Well, part of this could be attributed to the toxic cycle that is social media, and the microtrends that come along with it. Going to a school at which many students come from more well-off backgrounds, it may be easier for certain high-end, short lived trends to catch on. But even aside from this, it’s easy for any college campus to be plagued with overconsumption.
It’s important to actually define what a microtrend is. According to Trend Bible, a microtrend is “A niche or industry specific consumer behavioural trend which is mass market ready and actionable.” Specifically on Villanova’s campus, examples of microtrends are things like ballet flats with jeans, the Love Shack Fancy Stanley and especially whatever style of formal dress is popular. None of these things are bad or ugly, but what makes them microtrends is that they weren’t popular until relatively recently, and they probably won’t be around for long due to the emergence of new trends.
Online shopping is truly the Achilles heel for most college students, including me, because it makes the temptation to buy something even greater because of its ease. Especially with fashion influencers becoming popular in recent decades, trends have spread faster, as well. But how is one supposed to find their personal style in a world like this? It definitely isn’t the most pressing question in the modern world, but many people still stress about it. Do you want to be old money or cottagecore or rockstar girlfriend or whimsi-goth or office siren or twee?
Well, one thing that I’ve found helpful is trying my best to reduce my online shopping and buy my clothing primarily in person. It makes the experience more meaningful and fulfilling. Fashion can also be a sensory experience. If one wants to branch out with their hobbies, maybe even take up sewing or crochet.
Senior environmental science major and Mullen center costume shop employee Ally Szabo was asked about her thoughts on the importance of sustainable consumption.
“Starting in high school, I learned about the impacts of fast fashion and it quickly became something that I’m very passionate about,” Szabo said. “I started thrifting more than buying new clothes and I love to upcycle my finds. I think that sewing is an extremely valuable and sustainable skill.”
Thrifting and upcycling are not only great ways to save the Earth, but also fantastic ways to make sure that all of your clothing is uniquely you.
Most importantly, keep in mind that no one is truly paying attention to what you’re wearing. Chances are, if you liked a dress enough to splurge on it for one formal, then you’ll probably like it enough to wear it again– and you’ll probably get the same amount of compliments.
At the end of the day, we are all broke college students in some capacity, no matter how many Edikted packages with which we are seen leaving the mailroom. Do not be afraid to rewear, recycle and reinvent.
