The Evolution of BC's Game Day Fashion

As my friends and I were selecting our outfits for the first football game of the season, I couldn’t help but notice the significant differences between our game day fashion choices from freshman year to now. Even at the tailgates, the number of cowboy boots, denim sets, and gingham dresses surprised me. What happened to the custom baby tees from Instagram businesses or the tube tops from Etsy?

Although there is nothing wrong with BC’s new game day fashion trends, they have taken a slightly less spirited approach. Two years ago, during my freshman year, girls could be seen decked out in maroon and gold overalls or tops featuring BC’s logo with bead necklaces, pins, and tattoos to complete the look. Now, fewer outfits feature anything BC specific. Instead, they use the Boston College color palette as inspiration with ribbons and pins to accessorize. To me, the new game day looks are very southern and are reminiscent of SEC football fashion. This past weekend, I even wore cowboy boots to the game (which my parents made sure to poke fun at me for).

Social media allows people to view photos and videos from college students nationwide Videos of girls rushing a sorority at southern schools, like the University of Alabama or Ole Miss, have reached all the way up to the Northern U.S., gaining incredible influence at colleges around the country, including BC. The accessibility of these videos allows Boston College students to see the fashion choices and game day outfits from SEC schools, impacting the clothes they buy and outfits they create for game days. It’s interesting to see how BC, a school dominated by students from the Northeast, is adopting a vastly more southern look for football. Not only does this new trend take on a more southern vibe, but it’s also a lot more expensive. Buying trendy dresses, jackets, and shoes adds up fast, especially compared to rewearing the old tops I bought from the bookstore before my freshman year.

My game day outfits look vastly different now compared to two years ago. The accessibility of content from students all over the country, and even the world, creates rapidly changing fashion trends that are not only hard to keep up with, but they are also harmful for sustainability efforts and our wallets. While current trends have taken on a more southern yet less spirited look, it will be interesting to see how these styles will continue to change in just one short year from now.