BRIDGEWATER, Va. – The style of athleisure and pajamas consumed college campuses and student’s fashion choices.
Bridgewater College and James Madison University are the local colleges near or in the Bridgewater area and both schools approach casual fashion in similar ways.
Fashion Scene of Bridgewater College
Athleisure or comfier clothing can be seen amongst athletes or students representing Bridgewater College clubs or organizations.
Bridgewater College is a small liberal arts school with approximately 1,400 students.
With that, many students tend to dress comfier because they feel close to people they are familiar with.
“Wearing comfortable clothing seemed easier to do since people tend to not spend too much time outside of the peers they are comfortable with”, said Wheeler.
Bridgewater College is a residential school, and the close proximity to classes and dorms have allowed students to keep clothing styles comfortable.
There is a “lack of differentiation” between dorm and class that allows casual dress to be normalized, said Wheeler.
For JMU students, the distance between class and dorms is much greater.
JMU’s Range of Fashion Styles
The majority of JMU students live off campus, and it creates a different atmosphere on campus.
“There are a ton of students, and they all come from different backgrounds,” Ava Lownik said, a sophomore at JMU.
Lownik said that the diversity of students leads to a diversity of styles. Some people are “super cute,” while others are “super casual.”
JMU has approximately 21,000 students. This makes it harder to feel out of place and easier for students to feel more confident.
“It is hard to feel singled out based on what you are wearing when there are so many kids walking around wearing different things,” Lownik said. “Nobody is going to remember you based on what you are wearing which I think gives people a lot of confidence to wear what they want and express themselves.”
Factors of Whether to Dress Up or Down
When deciding to dress up, mood is an indicator.
“Sometimes if I am just not feeling it or if it is cold, I will just go in sweatpants or a sweatshirt,” Lownik said.
Your environment is another clear distinction on what you choose to wear.
For a college student, comfier fashion trends might correlate to what “era” of life we are in, Wheeler said.
The casual clothing styles have continued to stay as the common fashion trend for college campuses.
External Links
For more visit the NYT: Style Around the World
For more visit Forbes: America the Slovenly
