I began my career at the University of Virginia this year with a head full of the stereotypes I’d been told time and time again. It’s the “#1 Party School” Google informed me in every article result for searching “UVA”. “They’re all white and Republican there,” my New Jersey friends warned. And perhaps, more than anything else, I was told that I had to be preppy if I wanted to fit in. I was told to stock up on pink pants and Lilly dresses, to swoon over boys in Chubbies and salmon shorts, and to invest in the expensive, preppy brands that everyone else at UVa would, inevitably, be wearing.
A lot of the stereotypes rang true. When I moved in two weeks ago, I watched (and not always from afar) the frat parties that lasted all week long, not stopping for homework or Tuesdays or hangovers or sleep. And I found many like-minded and similar-looking white people, primarily from a foreign land I’d never heard of called NOVA. But when I stepped out to class on my first day wearing white pants, Jack Rogers and a loose pink t-shirt, I was hit with the realization that I’d gotten the last stereotype wrong.
Yes, I spotted more salmon shorts on my walk to class than I could count on my fingers. And yes, there were plenty of prepsters and brand names and conformity to be seen. But on that walk there were just as many students dressed in quirky getups and out-there outfits. Looking down at my own attire, I was wrongly dressed in what I believed I needed to wear to fit in. I realized that I could just be myself—and I wouldn’t be alone in having my own unique style.
Since then, I’ve still worn my Jack Rogers. I’ve still worn white jeans, or preppy dresses. But I’ve also worn my trusty Doc Martens and my favorite studded jean jacket. Two weeks in, and I’m inspired every day by the far-from-conformist community around me.
So here’s to being different, staying true to your own style, and wearing what you love. I’m excited to introduce Hoos Got Style?, a new twist on the weekly “Campus Cutie” article that will document the stand-out styles of cool people spotted on Grounds every week. Next week, check out the Campus Cutie section to see my first post.