When it comes to fashion at William & Mary, the rules aren’t always obvious. With close observation, however, you’ll see that there aren’t many rules–if any at all. TWAMPS wear whatever pleases them and that’s that. There are certain instances, though, where you can find half of the campus wearing very similar pieces. To fit in, or stand out (whatever your prerogative), here are the five tenets of William & Mary fashion.
#1. Comfort is key. William & Mary students study hard, and by that, I mean really hard. When we’re writing our 10-page papers and putting the final touches on our PowerPoint presentations, we want to be anything but fidgeting around with uncomfortable clothing. This is where leggings come in, a staple for college women everywhere. Invest in a pair with a thicker fabric, so you can wear them for more than just hanging out in your dorm. Pair them with an oversized chambray shirt and you’ve got yourself a comfortable and effortless ensemble. In the winter, puffer vests are a W&M favorite. They make for an easy, warm, and cute outfit that can be put together in under five minutes.
#2. Personalization is vital. Though William & Mary ladies tend to have many items in common, we can’t walk out of our dorm without our own unique or personalized touch to our outfit. This may be a monogram necklace, or a pair of tights with cats on them. A lot of W&M girls own Lilly Pulitzer dresses, but it’s easy to differentiate between their looks through the different elements of their personal style. College is the time to find yourself; you don’t want to blend in so much that no one will be able to distinguish you from your sorority sisters. If you wear what you like, you’ll exude confidence–the most personal touch of all.
#3. Durability is essential. We’re pretty grounded in reality here at W&M. Even when we do try to dress nicely, we stay painfully aware that we live on a swamp. That’s why our fashion essentials need to be durable if they want our love. W&M students strongly favor two options for the rain and snow (and they’re both available for men and women!). Option #1 is the Hunter rain boot. These come in every color imaginable and will last you through college and longer. Though not as warm for the snow as the next option, you can purchase fleece liners for the inside of the boots for those colder days. Option #2 is the classic L.L. Bean Bean Boot. Shorter in height but subtler and warmer for the winter, this is a definite college favorite that will stand the test of time, not to mention the bricks that will try to trip you. We can’t forget, though, about the most durable and arguably most popular handbag on campus: the Longchamp Le Pliage.
#4. Practicality is important. W&M students buy items that can be used multiple times, and in many different ways. Take Jack Rogers, for example. Of all the pairs I’ve seen on campus, an astounding majority (I’m talking like, 9 out of 10, here) are in the platinum color, a highly practical gold/silver color that will match anything and everything in your wardrobe. An amazing pair of leggings or J.Crew Pixie Pants can be dressed up with an embellished blouse or dressed down with a plaid flannel shirt. Another essential for W&M women is the utility jacket, which can be thrown on over most outfits, whether you’re wearing jeans or a dress. Most of the men at W&M own a cardigan, which can basically be worn with everything from a plain white tee to a button down and a tie.
#5. Dressing for the occasion is crucial. At W&M, we put effort into the things we care about (we don’t always care too much about our 8AMs, which is why you may see one too many students in sweatpants). If it’s late at night on a weekend (or a Thursday, which we usually consider a great party night), you will undoubtedly see girls in bandage skirts and heels. As stereotypical as that might be, it just happens to be the name of the game when it comes to a lot of frat parties. If it’s Blowout, you can bet you’ll see 98% of us in customized tanks. There’s only one week of the year, though, in which you’ll find hordes of girls in sundresses crowding the brick pathways: Rush. The lesson here: we like to dress for the occasion, no matter what it is.