With nearly a month left of the spring semester, students have begun adapting their wardrobes to the summer weather. Whether students are attending class, planning a summer trip or hanging out on campus, the rising temperatures create the perfect time to experiment with a couple of fashion trends this summer.
Some students struggle with not having the time to style an outfit or simply feel unsure about which articles of clothing go well together when it comes to putting together an outfit for the day. However, looking at clothing in the athleisure department offers a simple solution.
According to Jake Henry Smith, who published an article in Glamour about 10 key fashion trends for spring, elevated athleisure was one of this spring’s key popular fashion trends. With this trend, basic athletic wear such as black leggings or a hoodie can be turned into a fashion statement by spending “a moment considering color, texture, and layering.”
This trend can be expected to continue into the summer as popularity swarms around athleisure dresses and sets.
“I like athleisure dresses, like the ones from Lulu Lemon or Alo,” said Cheryl Njuguna, a freshman majoring in chemistry. “They are really cute and good for college students because you can just put one on and your outfit is already styled.”
Popular brands have recently dropped new athleisure products, including lululemon, Aerie and Free People Movement.
“There are some new lululemon sets. I thought the polka dot one that came out was cute,” said Ava McGeough, a sophomore majoring in apparel and textiles with a concentration in fashion.
Outside of the athletic look, there are simple tips to throw together a stylish outfit.
“I definitely do a sandwich kind of thing. You match the color of your shoes to your shirt, or you could match an accessory to your bottom half to something on your top half,” McGeough said.
One of the upcoming fashion trends posted by Marie Claire is wearing bold stripes. Accompanying a simple pair of shorts with a striped shirt offers students a clear opportunity to experiment with this new trend.
“I am so into stripes recently, and so many of my T-shirts are striped. I love Brandy Melville. They have a lot of basic shirts with stripes,” said Katie Maxwell, a freshman majoring in business.
Another example of a trend that is relatively easy to style is maxi skirts.
“I love a good linen maxi skirt. I feel like it is so easy to style up or down. I wear mine with some sambas and a cute little graphic tee,” McGeough said.
Students can engage with these summer fashion trends without stepping too far out of their comfort zone by accessorizing a simple outfit.
“I am excited to wear sunglasses again,” Maxwell said. “I get most of mine from Amazon because they are cheap.”
Smith points out in one of his articles that Amazon has a large variety of high-quality oval sunglasses.
“I’m not above a dupe, especially when it comes to sunglasses. Amazon is overflowing with designer-inspired frames, which all seem to be oval right now,” Smith said.
The shift to summer is also accompanied by the search for swimwear.
“I am excited to wear bathing suits this summer because I like to swim, and they are always fun to wear. I get mine from all over, but I feel like my favorite place is Triangl because they have lasted longer than the rest of my swimsuits,” Maxwell said.
However, a swimsuit can become more than just a swimsuit when the look is accompanied by jewelry and cover-ups.
“I really like belly chains and the knit cover-ups. There are little skirt ones you can get or shorts. The ruffle shorts from Edikted are really cute,” Njuguna said.
Whether students take simple steps to elevate their summer wardrobe, such as incorporating sunglasses or jewelry into an outfit, or decide to take more significant steps by investing in a new athleisure set or skirt, summer is the perfect time to experiment with current fashion trends.
“I just wear whatever I’m comfortable with, and I don’t really care if people think that it’s weird. I feel like I am the most comfortable when I am confident with my clothes,” McGeough said.
