Trend Watch: Michigan Edition

Oct 27

11:50 AM. I slowly make my way down the stairs of Mason Hall after my first class and head towards the CCCB for my next one. Performative wired earbuds in (I actually like them better), I hit play and my Spotify starts blaring. The sidewalks are full as everyone shuffles from one class to another, trying to make it on time. I pass Hatcher and continue through the tunnel between the Physics and Informatics buildings. The entire time, I can’t help but people watch and see how different people style themselves for class. I mean, what else would I do? During the time I spend walking around campus, I find myself noticing common trends and variety in how people approach personal style. I decided to ask around about some of these trends to get a feel for why or how people interact with fashion trends on the University of Michigan campus.

The trend that I immediately think of when talking about fashion on campus is the Le Pliage Longchamp bag. You know the one, brown leather strap, nylon body. Doesn’t matter where you go on campus, the Le Pliage will be there. Even I admit I have fallen victim to this trend. But why? What makes this bag such a staple for the Michigan student body? Junior Elena Shaheen says that she usually “sticks to personal style, but was influenced by others on campus to start carrying this bag.” She feels that this bag is worth it, despite being an influenced purchase, because “it has been pretty great for carrying all that I need to classes at Ross, recruiting events, and even for small trips!” One freshman felt a little differently and said that she was “shocked to see that the Le Pliage is so popular on campus because it is associated with grandmas where I’m from” and while she doesn’t use a Longchamp, she does use another kind of tote instead of a backpack. Mimi Vu, a senior, said that she used to carry a Longchamp, but has since switched to a backpack. Differing opinions surrounding this bag beg the question, will the Le Pliage stand the test of time or will another bag make this style a thing of the past?

Another popular trend I see on campus are Adidas sneakers. Obviously, I’m talking about the Samba, but also the Spezial, Gazelle, and other models. A couple of years ago, I never really saw Adidas - the sidewalks were filled with Nike swooshes instead - but now they are all over the place. I’m guilty of this too. I own a pair of Sambas and have worn them almost to the point of no return. The response to this trend has some interesting variety. A couple of people said that they bought the Sambas because they saw their friends and family start to wear them, but the Adidas brand itself was not what pulled them towards the style. At the same time, someone else indicated that they were a long time fan of Adidas and the brand is what drew them to purchase multiple pairs of the same style (along with the price!). It’s hard to draw a concrete conclusion about the longevity and durability of the Adidas brand and its trending styles, but I can definitely say that, at least right now, these sneakers are everywhere.

Another popular shoe is the “Dad Sneaker”. The chunky Asics, Nikes, and New Balances that have seen a resurgence in recent trend cycles. When I asked senior Madeline Wright about her New Balance sneakers, she said she “wears them both for comfort and for style,” and as her roommate, I can attest to the fact that she wears them everyday. Pretty much everyone else I talked to agreed with Madeline, mentioning that these shoes were perfect for both being comfortable and staying on-trend. The practicality, comfort, and ease in styling was what led a lot of people to hop on the Dad Sneaker trend and what will ensure that this trend stays around for a while.

One last shoe staple of the Michigan campus are the Boston Birkenstocks. These camel colored clogs are on the feet of pretty much everyone (myself included). The opinions on these Birks were surprisingly varied. One person mentioned that they only wear these shoes with sweats, while others said that these shoes can go with anything, including casual dresses and jeans. Something interesting that came up when looking at this trend was how these shoes can have nostalgic value or familial significance to some. Clare Batzer, a junior, said that she remembers her older sister and her friends wearing Bostons all the time when she was younger, making her have a sense of nostalgia surrounding these particular shoes. At the same time, a senior on campus said that her older sister gifted her the Boston which she now wears all the time. I guess older sisters might be the ones setting this trend.

As for accessories, something I see a lot are the AirPods Max. I personally like the way that these headphones look and that they come in a bunch of different colors. I haven’t had the chance to try these headphones on, so I had to ask around to get the inside scoop on this trend. A sophomore agreed with me that she likes that these headphones “come in different colors and can be customized fashion-wise” but she mostly wears them for their function and not their style. Avery, a junior, said that she wears her Airpods for both fashion and function; however, she would not recommend them to someone else and says “they’re practical for walking to class, but working out is a no. They always slip off my head and after a while give me a headache.” Most people seem undecided about whether the Airpods Max are a yes or no, and the Michigan campus is no exception.

Now, in the realm of clothing trends, two popular sweatshirts I have been seeing around a lot are the Travis Scott UMich hoodie and Dairy Boy sweatshirts. These two designs seem to have popped up out of nowhere and now they are everywhere. It might just be me, but I had never heard of Dairy Boy before the pop-up on campus at the end of last March. About half the people I asked had never heard of Dairy Boy before, and the other half heard of the brand but didn’t consider themselves to be fans. Something I was curious about was if people felt like this trend/brand had longevity. One junior felt like Dairy Boy wasn’t really going to be popular for that long, saying “nothing from Dairy Boy sticks out to me. Their products look like a recycling of trends that are already on their way out.” On the other hand, some people indicated that the country style of Dairy Boy might be a stylish trend, but only when modernized. I was shocked to find that no one I talked to was a fan of the Travis Scott hoodie and not a single person said that they would be interested in buying one. To me, this is a sign that this trend will not be sticking around and definitely does not have the same pull for everyone on campus. I am curious to see if the people that I talked to are right in predicting that these trends won’t be sticking around.

I guess all my people watching has paid off in some way, allowing me to think about what Michigan students are wearing and what is trending. I expect that if I were to write this same article in one year, the trends I would see would be very different and I am excited to continue to observe and see what changes. Stay tuned for an update!

Emma Blair

Trend Watch: Michigan Edition

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