Generation Three My life as a third generation Penn State student

When I was in high school and would watch episodes of Gilmore Girls when Rory was at Yale, I was awed by how all the college students seemed to be well-dressed and preppy at all times. There was an abundance of khaki pants, sweater vests, and blazers, all which of which they wore to class on a regular basis. 

Let me dispel the myth right here, kids: No dresses that nice in college.

At least not on a consistent basis. There is a kind of college-student dress code where it becomes totally acceptable to wear yoga pants five days of the week and the same sweatshirt two days in a row. It’s not like high school where you go to the same classes every single day- you’re not going to see the same people two days in a row so who is really going to be able to tell?

That is a kind of gross exaggeration but trust me, it happens. Especially when you’re in desperate need to do laundry.

Since my experience comes only from dressing myself, a girl, I asked my brother, a freshman here at Penn State about what he wears:

“Whatever is clean and closest to my bed.”- Evan Galimberti, Freshman, Earth and Energy Engineering

On that note, here is a list of seven outfits common outfits you see at Penn State. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t dress up if you don’t want to! But let’s face it, when else in your life are you going to get to be able to wear a tee shirt seven days out of the week? Take advantage of it while you can.

1. The “I Have Been Awake for Two Hours but It Looks Like I Rolled Out of Bed”

This is my most worn outfit. Yoga pants (best invention ever), a PSU sweatshirt, and sneakers. I threw in the hat because sometimes my hair doesn’t look great and this is a very easy way to show PSU pride yet hide my bad hair day. Plus it takes no time to put on and once you have been at Penn State for more than a month, half of your closet will be just Penn State clothes.

2. The “This Outfit Makes Me Look Like I Either Came from the Gym or Am About To Go To the Gym, but Psych!”

When it’s warm enough, this is what I live in. Nike tempo shorts are a favorite amongst all college girls, I think, especially since you can get them in any color. Plus, nothing says laziness like wearing one of your 75 tee shirts! And if you actually do go to the gym, you’re all ready!

3. The “It’s Winter”

If you’ve been on campus in the winter before, I bet 75% of the girls you saw were wearing some variation of this outfit, me included. It starts with a big, warm, puffy  coat and snow boots that keep your feet warm even if it didn’t snow. A lot of girls wear this with leggings and Ugg boots, two fashion trends I am not on board with. (Leggings are not pants!) Get used to wrapping yourself up in a scarf, hat, and gloves. I really like the gloves that are touch-screen compatible.

4. The “White Out Game!”

Penn State students take the white out themed football game very seriously. It’s usually the biggest home game of the year against a top opponent. The main things you need are a white Penn State shirt and a white jacket. Penn State hair bows are a favorite accessory among many girls and of course you’ll need temporary face tattoos!

 Body paint is optional.

5. The “Ugh, It’s Raining…”

 Rain happens. Sometimes it will happen in the middle of class. For instance, when you walked into Willard building it was sunny and beautiful. But when class was over, the sky exploded and a full rain is pouring down. Good thing you have that mini-umbrella in your backpack, right? If you were smart and checked the forecast that day, maybe you would have been a little more prepared. Make sure you have a pair of rain boots and a lighter rain jacket. I always keep the mini-umbrella in my backpack for the unexpected storm but you’ll want some trustworthy boots to make sure your feet stay dry on your walk around campus.

6. The “It’s THON Weekend, Where’s My Tutu?”

This set of clothes is supposed to look crazy. THON (which if you don’t know about, immediately go to thon.org) is all about putting on as many different colors and patterns on your body at one time. Most people will have colored shirts for the organization or groups but they are almost always decked out in tie-die, knee socks, and girls (sometimes guys) love to wear tutus throughout the weekend. Why not? Tutus make everything more fun!

7. The “Better Look Like A Real Adult For This”

At some point, you’re going to need to have professional attire that is appropriate for interviews, workshops, and luncheons while you’re on campus. I had an interview for a THON committee in my first two months as a PSU student. I was pretty surprised how many people didn’t think to bring professional clothes with them! Bring pieces that can be dressed up or down but make sure you have some go-to looks for when you need to look professional. There are lots of opportunities on campus and you don’t want your attire to hold you back!

 

Of course, you should dress however you want to. If you want to dress up, go for it. Love your pajamas? We’re not judging you. Don’t be afraid of fitting in or looking “uncool” when you’re on campus. These are examples of what the norm of dress is- casual and decked in Penn State apparel.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2014 at 6:03 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.