Our clocks have turned back, our midterms are nearing an end, and we’ve repeated our back-to-school clothes enough times now for us to notice which kinds of apparel have been trending on campus. From shoes to outerwear, here is my list of the quintessential items that comprise the SFU girl’s style:
1. Boyfriend jeans
Despite the cooling weather, us girls are just not quite ready to trade in our ripped baggy jeans for a pair of classic black tights. As Canadians, we believe that real “cold” doesn’t count until the temperature dips below five degrees. So, other than the old-school grandmothers who choose to believe that our torn clothing is an indicator of student poverty and the disapproving boyfriends who adamantly deny that their jeans actually look like that, there is nothing stopping SFU girls from donning a pair of pants that makes late night studying in the Mezz comfortable and that stealthily covers the food babies that result from repeated trips to the dangerously close Central City food court.
2. Long-line knit sweaters
Despite what many think, the raison d’être for us girls who adore fall is not pumpkin spice everything, but sweater weather. It’s easy to see, then, why last year’s collection of numerous red plaid shirts have been enthusiastically pushed aside in the SFU girl’s closet to make room for this fall’s crop of long-line knits. Other than the typical SFU hoodie we wear on midterm days, long sweaters have become a favourite pick, since they can be dressed up or down to fit our mood or desired level of nonchalance. For the girl who doesn’t want to look like she’s trying too hard but who still wants to be chic, knits are a perfect in between that allow you to easily transition from devoted student attending class at Harbour Centre to part-time sales associate at H&M.
3. Hunter boots
Yup, it’s that time of year again, where the fall leaves have gone from crunchy to soggy and Instagram posts have gone from #beautifulbc to #raincouver. Since it pours three seasons out of four in our province, SFU girls always have to be prepared for impromptu showers—especially up on the Burnaby campus, where the mountain appears to have a climate of its own that differs deceptively from the rest of Metro Vancouver.
So, when it gets too wet outside for our UGGs, Hunter boots undoubtedly become the go-to. Not only are they practical for keeping our over-priced matching Hunter socks dry, but they can also double as trendy footwear with their varying lengths, colours, and finishes for when we get off at the upper bus loop and the shining sun makes it clear that the rains decided to draw the line at Production Way.
4. The blanket scarf
The style piece that’s been spreading like wildfire through the halls of SFU lately has been the deceptive wrap with the ambiguous—albeit appropriate—name, “the blanket scarf.” Is it a blanket? Is it a scarf? Is it a poncho that has been cut open? (Wouldn’t that make it a cardigan, then?). It doesn’t matter to us what it is, because all we care about is the ability to wrap ourselves up with layers of cloth in the name of fashion and warmth. If you’re hesitant to admit it, just think about how coiling infinity scarves three times around ourselves made our necks virtually non-existent but nonetheless toasty in previous falls. In spite of the fact that the blanket scarf sometimes appears to be devouring our bodies, its versatility makes it practical: whether we need something to sit on for a picnic next to the koi pond in the AQ or we need to cover up the spilled beer on our shirt from that ill-choice study break at Steamworks, the blanket scarf has got our backs covered—and our fronts as well.
5. The green jacket
Nothing is easier to spot in the sea of bustling students on mission to secure the best seats in their respective classes than a speckling of green jackets. To be specific, I’m talking about the quintessential olive green furless parka that three quarters of our female population own. I mean, I, myself, possess two of them.
This coat has made it virtually impossible to maintain originality and not to be viewed as a walking cliché. Furthermore, it’s made it practically impossible to pick your friends out in that sea of sleep-deprived, caffeine-high students. But I think we’ve accepted that being trendy means one’s style is probably not unique. Especially when we overuse and wear out the green parka. We throw it on with anything and everything. Casual Fridays in skinnies and a dark tee? The green jacket. Scrubbed in a TNA sweater and your brother’s sweatpants for that dreaded Monday morning class? The green jacket. Forget orange; at SFU, green is clearly the new black.