University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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Extra-long sweaters dress the manequins in the window of Urban Outfitters, located on State Street. As Michigan had a relatively warm winter, girls could be seen walking around campus wearing nothing but leggings and boots under a skirt or sweater dress. R. Peplinski photo In the fall and spring months, walking across the Diag seemed more like a New York City fashion show than a daily march to class. The tastes and styles of University students represented the latest in cutting edge fashion trends, and classic designs that repeated themselves over and over every generation, as well as counter-culture chic. Junior English major Arielle Shapiro said, The more modern and trendy ladies this past fall chose a casual yet professional look that was flirty but intellectual. Ballet flats were essential as were skinny jeans with sport coats, long necklaces and despite fashion industry rumors of being passe, big, round sunglasses. The University women were not the only ones putting their best faces forward though; the men appeared regularly in pastel polo shirts, dark denim jeans and the indispensable baseball hat. But as the leaves began to fall, temperatures dropped and homework piled high, fashion took a back seat to more primary concerns like mandatory attendance and exams. By mid-semester, more and more students began to show up to class fashionably late, in pajamas and with obvious bed head, clearly a result of numerous nights spent endlessly toiling over assignments. But whether it was a result of pulling an all night study cram session or trying to live through a monster hangover, students worried about their image. Enter default mode: school uniform. No matter your destination, be it class, the bar, a party, or just a friends house, Michigan apparel was always acceptable gear. It was safe to say that almost every Michigan student owned a full wardrobe of Michigan clothes including: tee shirt, sweatshirt, sweatpants, shorts and hat. Although there was no official uniform at Michigan, these items were the unspoken norm on campus for anyone who wasn ' t a morning person or just not fashionably conscious. The ladies dressed up the idea of wearing comfortable clothes to class this year by pairing hooded Michigan sweatshirts with black leggings and Ugg boots. The guys were often spotted in Michigan sweats, white tees and anything Northface, said Shapiro. As for counter-culture chic fashion, this year marked the advent of the tye-dyed Michigan hoodie, which gained immediate popularity around campus. Hipster, bohemian and punk- rocker looks had also gained an established popularity. Whether it was modern, retro or international couture, fashion in Ann Arbor was as progressive as the industry itself.