As a liberal arts school with a somewhat artsy vibe, I’ve noticed how varied Skidmore students’ fashion is, especially compared to other schools I’ve visited, like Williams College and Binghamton University. Over my four years here, certain patterns stood out: student-athletes usually stick to athletic wear, artistic students mix fashionable and thrifty pieces, science majors often wear the basics like jeans, sweaters, and sweatshirts, and everyone else just wears whatever they feel like that day. This got me thinking: how much does a student’s major influence their style? I decided to ask friends, classmates and roommates what people wear based on their major, and whether their fashion style is shaped by it. For me, as a Dance major, I wear in my non-dance classes: sweatpants, hoodies, and sneakers. In dance classes, my outfits depend on the dance style I’m doing and sometimes the weather. Since I walk to the dance center, practical choices are super important like on rainy days, I swap shorts for Lululemon dance pants. Lately, I’ve been into biker shorts because I like the aesthetic and they feel less tight than other dance shorts which allows me more freedom of movement.
Looking back to high school, fashion felt so influenced by social expectations. Almost everyone followed the same look with Lululemon leggings, Ugg slippers, college sweatshirts, and North Face backpacks. Those who didn’t follow this look were seen as “weird.” I fell into it too mostly for comfort (minus the Ugg slippers), but now I laugh at how strange it all looked, even if it was popular at the time. Sports team culture shaped the fashion style nearly everyone was on a team, and that kind of dictated what you wore from girls in Uggs to guys in athletic shorts, even in the snow. Coming to Skidmore was a big change as people really do wear whatever they want which is so awesome.Â
When it comes to Economics and Business majors, their style seem to combine a mixture of comfort and looking put-together. Econ students are pretty versatile with a mix of athletic shirts, casual wear, and outfits that are easy to move in, but still neat enough for class. Business students lean a little more polished, often sticking to neutral colors, basics, and outfits that feel presentable without being too fussy. As Esme, a sophomore Business major, puts it, “I like to dress presentable and neutral because I want to make a good impression on my professors.” Lily, a junior double majoring in Econ and Business, adds that students in these majors “dress pretty but together,” describing their style as “business casual on the very casual end.” Even Davin, a junior double major in Dance and Business, notices how “Business girls wear looser tops and jeans regularly or they have a tight top with a sweater.” Kamran, a senior Econ major, sums it up simply: “There are a lot of people who wear athletic shirts and casual wear.”
Sociology majors definitely leans into comfort. My roommate, Dennise, a senior Sociology major, says, “I dress for comfortability and depending on the weather and being able to move around freely since we move around the classroom to talk to each other.” You’ll often see them in sweatsuits, hoodies, and Adidas sneakers.Â
Studio Art majors are impossible to miss because they use their outfits to express themselves. They mix colors, textures, and patterns in creative ways that make their style feel like an extension of their personality. My other roommate, Juliedi Arias Rodriguez, says she loves to “express [her] personality and look presentable” through her clothing. Walking past a Studio Art student is like walking past a little art exhibit, bright, unique, and totally their own.
Dance majors have a very specific style similar to what athletes on sports teams wear except it’s designed for dancers. Whatever movement style a dancer defines themselves as, it affects the way they style. Davin describes his look as a dancer as “comfortably monochromatic — lots of neutrals, blacks, and the occasional pop of color.” Most dancers stick to athletic wear for convenience, and Davin admits, “I’ve grown to be quite similar. I think my peers heavily influence my sense of style and color — I so often notice the baggy pants or shorts dancers wear in class.” I totally agree with Davin as well in terms of how I was heavily influenced by what my peers wore when I first joined the dance department. For example, I didn’t start wearing the lululemon dance pants until I came to Skidmore and haven’t stopped wearing them since, just because of how comfortable they are to move in.
Sophie Keating, a sophomore Neuroscience major, says she draws inspiration from the 80s and 90s for her personal style. However, she finds that many STEM majors are less artsy or creative with their clothing, often dressing more for functionality than for aesthetic impact. “I would say a lot of STEM majors dress more for functionality and put less general thought into their stylistic choices, but obviously that’s a huge generalization,” she says. Sophie finds it especially interesting to see how different people dress in her art class for example where the contrast between her classmates’ expressive outfits and the practical looks of STEM students is “pretty jarring.”
For majors like International Affairs and Political Science, the focus is on a polished and intentional look. Djeneba Sanogo, a senior double majoring in International Affairs and Political Science, describes the style in her majors as clean, feminine, and put-together. She says students “play around with colors, often sticking to monotones that look nice together,” and accessorize with boots, jewelry, or headbands. Even in casual clothes like sweatpants or sweatshirts, nothing feels lazy, students come to class polished with a thoughtful appearance.
If your major wasn’t mentioned here, think about how it shapes your style, or just reflect for yourself: does your major influence your wardrobe more than you realize? Even if it doesn’t define every outfit, it might guide the choices you make. So next time you get dressed, ask yourself: is this just comfort, or is my closet sending a little message about my major?