As the weather cools, students will begin putting on chunkier jewelry and taller boots, say students involved in fashion culture at USC.
Going to school in the South affects the way students dress for the colder seasons, said Emma Sweeney, a first-year fashion merchandising student. Each new season, students use different trends to look good and dress for the weather.
“Obviously, a lot of people are gonna be wearing garnet here, but I feel like that's gonna be a good fall color this year," Sweeney said. "I know last year it was a bright red. That was a fun pop of color."
Last year cherry red was a common theme, said Riley Mills, a second-year hospitality student and member of USC's Fashion Board. This year, colors have shifted to more muted tones, such as browns and greens, Mills said.
Madalyn McLaughlin, a second-year fashion merchandising student, said she has been observing more brown in stores.
“I’m really excited to get into browns," McLaughlin said. "I never really wore it but I’m just excited to see what it would look like, obviously, on me and other people. Brown, burgundy too, you can really go either way with it."
Fashion students use platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest to forecast which trends are going to be more popular this season.
“I think this fall definitely I can see mesh and sheer stuff really coming in, like lace," McLaughlin said. "I’ve seen more girls starting to wear that like the TikTok influencers."
Influencers and celebrity creators, like Sophia Richie, Lionel Richie's daughter, have created subtle trends in their lifestyles. Richie recently rose in popularity for her sophisticated fashion and lifestyle choices, according to Vanity Fair.
“The simple elegance look I feel like is still pulling really strong since Sophia Richie came in and had her whole rebrand," McLaughlin said. "I want to try a classic brown with a more chunky necklace".
In prior years, the "coquette aesthetic," a feminine style consisting of bows, lace and pastels has taken over, according to Vogue. Eliana Gross, a second-year student and member of the Fashion Board, said we are transitioning to a different aesthetic.
"I think all that coquette thing is probably going to start to fade away and people are probably going to start to go more for that old money, classic look, even when looking for those lighter aesthetics like linens," Gross said.
When looking for going-out clothes, mixing loud and fun with classic pieces has become a common theme, Sweeney said.
“Even going out I’ve seen a lot of people wearing really cool, crazy tops with a simple bottom, or vice versa," Sweeney said. "Or a fun pair of pants with a really simple top."
Mills said dressing up an outfit with chunky statement jewelry has recently become popular.
Finding jewelry doesn't have to be expensive, Gross said. She said she recently gained a new interest in accessorizing through thrifting.
“Just work on accessorizing ... I skipped over the accessory section of thrift stores for literally 18 years of my life. Look through there and look for different-length necklaces," said Gross. "It’s kind of great ... because you can upgrade any outfit by adding a jacket and then so many bracelets”.
Students often put their own twist on outfits they see celebrities wearing. Mills said some current fall trends for going out have been influenced by musical artists like Sabrina Carpenter.
“I mean Sabrina (Carpenter) really doesn’t have her stomach out ever," Mills said. "She does a lot of like, bodysuits and mini skirts. That’s kind of becoming a lot more of a thing. I feel like a lot of people are doing mini skirts, mini shorts with boots”.
Mills said the thigh-high boot popularity, which used to be viewed as something a mom would wear, has come back in a new way.
"Tall boots I think are coming back," McLaughlin said. "Everyone is right now doing a mini skirt with the tall black boots. I think that those are gonna probably stay throughout the fall and winter season."
Sweeney said certain trends are more popular on a southern campus because of the large Greek life presence.
“Of course, everyone here wears Lululemon and Hokas and stuff so I think really cool athleisure, free people movement outfits, those are cool,” Sweeney said. "And matching sets. Especially with the Greek life here, I think at this campus specifically. I see a lot of people wearing boutique dresses, baby doll dresses and things like that. It’s very different from up north, where people are wearing more street-style clothes".
The heat can limit the way students dress in South Carolina, which means there is a difference between how students dress here and how they dress on a more northern campus, Mills said.
“I feel like talking to people who come from up north and then talking to people who are obviously from the South, they have very different perceptions of the way that people dress here," said Gross, "A lot of people wear kind of similar things. A lot of athleisure wear throughout the year and then just add a hoodie on top of it, like leggings and a hoodie is generally what most people wear to class, which I feel like is totally understandable”.
Sweeney said layering can be a student's best friend on campus. Living in Columbia, it can be difficult to navigate the hotter weather.
“I mean just layers," Sweeney said. "I love layers, I love fall fashion so much more than spring or summer just because you can literally pile on clothes."
Layering adds practicality for students walking in and out of classes, said Gross. Dressing intentionally can help students avoid getting too hot when sitting in class, whether it's wearing a chunky sweater or a fun jacket.
“I like to wear a tank top with a bulky jacket," Gross said. "Whether that be a Nascar zip-up or a leather jacket that looks a little bit too big. I feel like messing with layers is something I'm kind of looking forward to."
Dressing with trends isn't the end-all be-all, but Sweeney said that simply observing other students on campus can create new outfit inspiration.