Trendy Differences
Trendy Differences: Girls
Some USU students think women have more room to be creative when it comes to fashion because they can get away with more.
“Women are incapable of cross dressing,” said senior in sociology Ryan Bair. “Women can dress up to be as flowery and colorful as possible where that is not acceptable for men.”
Bair used formal attire for an example. He said women can wear bold colors or wear a suit, but men can only change their attire with a bright tie.
“I think fashion for most people is just an outward expression of their personality,” said Aimee Jolley, graduate student in speech language and pathology. “I think it’s fun, it’s nice to have a difference in styles.”
She said her mom likes to wear jeans and sweatshirts and she wears slacks or skirts.
“I like to go out and get really dressed up and go to things like the theater,” Jolley said she dresses in the ’20s and ’40s style.
Even though Jolley likes fashion, she said she’s a bargain hunter. She only pays about $20 for shoes with a retail value of $80 to $100. Jolley said she just waits for the sales.
Before she was a graduate student she would go on a shopping trip every couple of weeks, not necessarily to buy something, but at least go and look.
“I think it takes a lot more to maintain girl’s fashion than it does to maintain guy’s fashion,” Jolley said.
Stevi Young, sophomore in social work, said women’s fashion is different than men’s because there is so much more to choose from.
She said women can accesorize more with not only jewelry and bags but leggings or stockings. Young said women need more than just a T-shirt and jeans.
“I think it takes more time to put stuff together,” Young said, “And you have to buy more to go with everything.”
For Young an average outfit (shirt, pants and shoes) would cost around $250 and even more if she were to add a purse or jewelry.
As for Jolley, she said an average outfit would be about $200 retail cost but if she found it for a bargain it would be as low as $80.
Young and Jolley may or may not be average female students but they each own 35 plus pairs of shoes.
“I think it’s all about individual interpretation, I think there isn’t any set rules,” Young said.
Young said she was talking with a friend recently about the “no white after Labor Day” rule and she said she thinks those rules are old fashioned.
“Whatever someone is like is fashion to them it doesn’t have to fit a specific mold,” Young said, citing that she heard that on Broadway’s Project Runway.
-ranae.bang@aggiemail.usu.edu
Trendy Differences: Guys
When it comes to fashion, most men don’t care.
“I just wear whatever I have,” said junior in marketing, Jake Erickson.
He said he wears T-shirts and button up shirts.
“Most people I hang out with don’t seem to stress too much about their clothes,” Erickson said.
Another student, Josh Hough, agrees, although his style is a bit more formal than Erickson’s.
“I guess what it boils down to what you can afford and what you feel the most comfortable in,” said Hough, senior in business operations.
Erickson only owns three pairs of shoes, compared to Hough who owns 20 plus.
An average outfit from shirt to pants would be around $50 for Erickson, for Hough it would be around $200.
Erickson said he doesn’t worry about fashion because he thinks it’s more of a high school thing.
Hough said something along the same lines.
“You can tell kids that are trendy and (those) who aren’t,” he said. “To some people it matters and some people it doesn’t matter to at all, it’s all a matter of perception.”
Senior in sociology, Ryan Bair, said fashion matters, but more in the sense about how it makes you feel.
“We all dress a certain way to reflect certain moods, and certain opportunities, get a certain reaction,” Bair said.
Jeff Sorensen, junior in business administration, agrees that clothes are to make you feel good looking and comfortable. He said an average outfit for him costs around $100.
Although Sorensen goes shopping every couple of months, he said it doesn’t matter if his clothes are a certain brand, although he did say he wears Buckle jeans and shirts because they are nice clothes.
He said a big difference between men and women’s fashion is men dress for themselves and what feels good to them while women look around at what others are wearing and wear what is most popular.
“Clothing is there to keep you warm,” Bair said. “It does reflect your status, where you are, if you want to look a certain way.”
Bair said people dress differently for different occasions, and said it all depends on the purpose.
“If you’re trying to impress people, it’s what the market demands in that sense,” Bair said.
Hough agreed, he said he owns three suits because it’s good to own a suit.
“Every guy needs at least one suit, every guy, I don’t care what kind of guy he is, he needs at least one suit,” Hough said.
-ranae.bang@aggiemail.usu.edu