Throughout The Collegian’s history, many reporters have said that Hillsdale fashion is, well, maybe not the best.
For instance, on April 1, 1993, The Collegian ran an article entitled “Hillsdale Named Worst Dressed.”
However, on Sept. 18, 1986, these sentiments changed.
Collegian staff reporter Libby Clifton made the bold claim, “Hillsdale Fashion Capital of World?”
Move over Milan — this could be huge news.
Clifton said, “Every Hillsdale student has basic necessities of dress which are needed to survive the rigorous schedule of college life. Two, which are the most characteristic of women at Hillsdale, are seen regularly.”
According to Clifton, these are the jean jacket and the oversized men’s oxford shirt.
I can’t argue with either of those, but I wouldn’t say they are exactly groundbreaking in the fashion game.Throughout the article it became clear that while some wear Versace, others Prada, the fashion elite of Hillsdale College sport sweatshirts.
Clifton wrote, “On any given day, a casual stroll through the Union can present enough letters to fill a can of GREEK alphabet soup.”
She continued, “Sororities and fraternities have created color schemes that even the human eye cannot perceive. The once symbolic colors representative of each house, have evolved into every color combination possible, including white on white.”
Sleek, innovative, dazzling: all words I am expecting Vogue to use with regards to the Hillsdale fashion trend.
Clifton also talked to the fashion icons themselves, the students, for their input on these styles.
She wrote, “Senior Trey Dolle commented, ‘Untied shoelaces are a sign of physical and mental frustration among Hillsdale males.”
Footwear as a metaphor for deeper struggles is truly a superior way to dress.
Before we book a permanent room at the Dow Hotel for Anna Wintour, let’s take a look at how fashion evolved in the following years.
On Sept. 21, 1989, Jennifer Lyon, MB Haliburda, and Amy Phillips wrote, “Reverently we interviewed an array of Hillsdale students to uncover their ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ of the fashion scene on Hillsdale’s campus.”
They continued, “The biggest faux pas for men seems to be sporting black socks with athletic shoes, and for women, oversized jumpers are out. Other don’ts include jean jackets worn with jeans, white socks worn with loafers, ribbed tank tops, and black Reeboks.”
In addition, the reports wrote, “The guys expressed a dislike for bright make-up, especially blue eyeshadow. They prefer girls to wear clothes that ‘fit’ rather than over-sized or tight clothes.”
That is great fashion advice, buy clothes in your size. It is a really easy one to forget when you go shopping.
With regards to male fashion, the reporters wrote, “Many girls prefer to see guys with the Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein look.”
It’s no surprise that girls wanted boys who could afford designer fashion. I don’t know if that was necessarily breaking fashion news.
At the end of the day, Hillsdale has always offered an array of styles ranging from horrifying to majestic and I predict this trend will continue for years to come.