Is it just me, or have you seen college sweatshirts everywhere lately? They say fashion repeats itself and what’s old will eventually be new again, but call me crazy, I never thought my ragged Barnard crew neck would become the most unexpected it item of winter. Comfortable yet polished – especially in combination with a skirt suit or striped palazzo trousers – the look is synonymous with ivy-covered campuses and academics. Put on a college sweatshirt and you’ll be immediately taken to a crowded classroom waiting for a professor to become philosophical about mid-century poets. It doesn’t matter how many years have passed since you were an undergrad, whether you haven’t applied yet, or whether you’ve skipped college experience altogether. Wearing a sweatshirt with an alma mater was and is a classic, and the best trends will keep resurrecting.
A number of brands adopt collegiate designs and sometimes give them their own touch with fancy institutions. Australian e-tailer Princess Polly offers a whole range of UCLA sweatshirts, including one with a funky tie-dye print. Rowing blazers, which have become a cult favorite among millennials like Timothée Chalamet and Cazzie David, have teamed up with vintage collector Firstport to create a capsule collection of college-inspired sweats. Even Zara sells a Yale sweatshirt. Celebrities from Hailey Bieber to Pete Davidson, who recently wore a Syracuse University sweatshirt during a skit Saturday night livewere also seen as sporting (both especially returned to the schools they did not attend).
The first sign of the triumphant return of the college sweatshirt was Martha Stewart’s Instagram of all people. The house goddess and Barnard Alumna wore a naval college of liberal arts sweatshirt for women before delivering a virtual address to students last spring. The sweatshirt that is currently available online is still sold out. Another way to get closer to the trend is to orient yourself on Davidson and search for a worn out vintage find on eBay or Etsy. Whichever street you choose, you’ll be surprised when a perfect stranger stops you on the street to ask about a place you’ve never visited, let alone enrolled. (Cue the Mean girls Line: “She doesn’t even go here!”)
See more stars tackle the old school trend and convince yourself of our timeless look with our favorite college tips.
