It feels weird to say, but I’ve now been in Sydney for about three weeks. While the semester at home would be half finished, classes just began last week here. With classes starting, the campus at UNSW has finally been feeling like a place for students and I can’t help checking out the fashion. It’s hard to compare to Michigan fashion right now because the weather here is so hot while it’s snowy at home, but I have noticed some popular wardrobe items that haven’t seemed to make an appearance on UM’s campus.
- Black Shoes/Socks
I see these everywhere. Black Keds-style tennies with black laces and ankle socks paired with dresses, skirts, flowy shorts, and cute tops. Most girls wear them with something really feminine – floral prints, lacy things, or pastel colors. I can’t say I’ve gotten that into it yet, but there’s still time.
- Bags instead of Backpacks
I’m really hoping this is a reflection of the easiness of classes here (if you can only fit one notebook in your bag, classes can’t be too difficult, right?). I’ve seen very few girls wearing backpacks around campus. At Michigan, lots of girls opt for the tote bag instead of the backpack (which I did until my shoulder started to hate me for it), but there are also a lot of backpackers around. I’ve seen mainly large purses and as I lug around my backpack I feel pretty unfashionable compared to everyone else with their fancy pants bags, but maybe that’s just the Michigan Difference that I couldn’t leave at home.
- Anklets
It seems like we left all of our anklets in the dust at the end of our 6th grade summer after they finally started deteriorating from all the swimming and showering they went through (you were supposed to keep it on until they fell off). I’m not sure they’re as sacred here as they were to us back then, but they are definitely not a thing of the past. A lot of girls will wear a few on each ankle. Might have to dig out that American Girl How-To Make Friendship Bracelets kit from the basement and do the extended length anklet version.
- Straight straight hair
Although straight straight hair is certainly not a complete thing of the past in Michigan, you definitely don’t see it as much now as you did 4-5 years ago. A lot of girls have given their flat irons a break at least a few days a week for a more wavy, voluminous, curly, or natural look. There’s definitely no lack of beach hair here, being as campus is a fifteen minute walk to gorgeous Coogee Beach, but I think the Australian flat irons are getting a lot more use than their American counterparts right now.