Unpacking Srat Girl Fashion, But By Region
In some places, girls wear Nike socks too.
by CHLOE HECHTER ★ DECEMBER 21, 2020
As I got ready for a coffee at Kimmel and a walk down to the Hall of Languages, I threw on the pink variation of my vast collection of tie-dye sweatsuits, feeling ready to take on the world. With a pair of UGG slippers to complete the look, it seemed as though I had finally unlocked the secret to ‘Cuse Girl Fashion, subjecting me to the infamous “she looks like every other b*tch” indistinguishability that blew up during rush last year.
That being said, upon my return home to New York City from Upstate Suburbia, I realized how perpetually underdressed I was in my Aviator Nation lighting bolt sweatpants compared to the girls my age in the city, who dress to the nines even to walk their dogs or grab a cup of coffee. In a panic, I threw on my first pair of jeans before 9 p.m. in months so as not to look like a tourist in my own city. It was then that I realized that I dress like a completely different person in the 917 than I do in the 315, and this led me to ponder these small cultural differences between area codes that are so close yet so far.
So I’ve already asked the boys all about frat boy fashion (thank God we’ve cracked the code), but what about Srat girl fashion? Is there one general basis for girls across the Northeast, or will my theory on regional differences prove themselves correctly? Does your Air Force 1’s versus Converse preference have to do with where you’re from, or is it simply a matter of personal style? Let’s see what the girls have to say.
What would you wear on a typical class day?
**Sophie (Philadelphia):
Hoodies and crewnecks are what college aged kids are wearing right now due to the pandemic—no tailgates—nobody’s just lounging around taking Zoom classes in a Syracuse bandeau with glitter lettering. The pandemic has transformed both my daily style and my brand. I try to design trendier hoodies that people will post on their stories or that will make people turn their heads and be like “ooh, what brand is that?” To class, I normally just wear leggings and a hoodie or sweatshirt. I love accessories too—if I’m just wearing a hoodie, I’ll throw on a cool beanie or necklaces, and try to match my shoes or throw on a jacket. If I’ve given the hoodie less thought, the accessories definitely make it more special.
**NOTE: Sophie’s clothing brand, @maxxthebrand on IG, began as a tailgate merch account but underwent a recent rebranding and expansion due to the pandemic.
Isabel (Boston Area): I always wear leggings. I don’t like jeans. I always wear white sneakers or Bean Boots, and I usually wear either a hoodie or a Patagonia quarter zip. I’ll always wear a bracelet, a necklace, and earrings to appear more put together and presentable—jewelry always helps you look more presentable. I’ve always been a big fan of hats and big puffy jackets. And I LOVE crew socks. They’re WAY better than ankle socks.
Dorothy (Westchester): I usually throw on at least a pair of jeans—I’m so into fashion that I have to put some sort of outfit together. If it’s warm out, I’ll put on a denim skirt or a dress. I tend to dress more feminine when it’s warmer. I do put my outfits together—personally, I like to put myself together in a certain way. I don’t know how to explain it—it feels more respectful, not to put anyone down—I’m like, never in sweats. I’m, like, the opposite of the typical Westchester Jewish girl. I literally live in my denim. Ask anyone—if I could live in one outfit for the rest of my life, it would be a denim skirt and this flowy white top that I have.
Me (NYC): In Syracuse, I usually wear trendy sweatpants with a tank and a cropped zip-up or a sweatshirt and leggings. I’m also obsessed with my Spanx leather-style leggings, and if I’m feeling put-together, I’ll wear those with a cute sweater. I swear by a rotating pattern of white sneakers, and make my outfits look slightly more presentable with layered necklaces or hoop earrings. When I’m in the city, I feel like a fashion influencer—when I’m in ‘Cuse, I feel like every other b*tch.
What would you have worn on a typical class day in high school in your hometown? What did other girls wear?
Sophie (Philadelphia): Jeans and a sweater or long sleeve shirt—put in more effort in high school than in college. In high school, I wanted to look different and edgier than the average person. When I’m in Philly, I feel like I look different from a lot of the girls there, but in the NYC, I tend to see more people dressed like me—ripped jeans, smaller tops…
Isabel (Boston Area): I went to a private school in the Boston area, so girls would literally wear Birkenstocks in the dead of winter. Like with socks. Like the mid-calf, thermal socks. Some would wear dresses in the middle of January, like Lily Pulitzer was the main brand—and Jack Rodger flip-flops. I’ve never worn a Lily Pulitzer dress, and I stand by that. They also wore Bean Boots—those are huge, or Hunter rain boots in ridiculous colors—I had cherry red. I usually just wore sweaters or those Brandy Melville henley tops with leggings. What else was big... those Patagonias with the three snaps on top... also, girls wore dresses with riding boots for a second. What a time. Having a Hydro Flask and a North Face backpack was part of your style. Once you got into college, that sticker was on your Hydro Flask—it was basically a status symbol. I had one even though I never drank water. I just had it for the aesthetic.
Dorothy (Westchester): Girls from my high school wore the very basic style—you know, the American Eagle—literally the MOST basic outfit you could imagine. I sort of just went with it. I didn’t wear skirts and dresses in high school—I went through a phase where I had to put my outfits together from the night before because I’d have a fashion crisis in the morning. I was always wearing jeans, whereas everyone else kind of started wearing leggings and a hoodie by junior year.
Me (NYC): My high school was basically a fashion show. I went to a big, public arts school in the city, where there was never a day where the hallways weren’t treated like runways. I remember girls at my school being really into camo pants—a lot of the “big pants, little shirt” looks. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t dress like Rachel from Glee until senior year (ew, imagine), but by senior year I wore a lot of plaid pants or skinny jeans with black body suits or big sweaters. And my signature high ponytail with a scrunchie, of course.
How much thought goes into choosing your outfit on a daily basis?
Sophie (Philadelphia): If it’s going out, like shopping or to dinner maybe like 30 minutes, but if it’s just for a school day, like five minutes. I feel like when I buy clothes, I already put them into outfits in my head so that when I want to pick out a particular pair of jeans, I already know which shirts go with it. It’s a time saver when picking out outfits for sure.
Isabel (Boston Area): Probably 15 minutes. All of my stuff goes together—I only wear, like, four different colors. I spend more time on my hair than picking outfits, most likely. I definitely spend a little bit longer if I’m going out. I have a different section of going out clothes that I don’t wear on a daily basis.
Dorothy (Westchester): Too much, sometimes. It depends. As you go on picking out your outfits, you kind of learn how to style certain clothes—and your style will change based on how trends change. Nobody wears skinny jeans anymore, so you then have to see what the shirts you wore with skinny jeans went with... when I get something new, I have to see what goes with it. A new pair of jeans just came in, and I’m already starting to brainstorm tops that go with it. You have to stay true to your own style, but it’s hard when you want to fit in. It's really easy to get wrapped up with certain styles from hanging out with certain people, but being individual is so important.
Me (NYC): I’m guilty of spending a solid 15 minutes choosing which black sorority sweatpants to wear that day and which tie-dye sweatshirt will best compliment them, but that’s just me. If I’m going out, it’s a solid hour of outfit changes and after trying on all 800 of my black cropped tops, ultimately borrowing something from my roommates.
What are some of your favorite brands?
Sophie (Philadelphia): Nike and Adidas for shoes, but never for clothing. For hoodies, anything designer I’ll fall for. For jeans I like Urban Outfitters and Bloomingdales. Loungewear is blowing up right now—Madhappy, for example, is becoming a lot more popular because people are more comfortable spending more money on loungewear because they aren’t wearing nice clothes as much.
Isabel (Boston Area): I like Lululemon, Patagonia, Nike, and Brandy Melville. And then just kinda... Pacsun as a whole. If I were to ask my sister, she’d probably say LF or Aviator Nation. I love big puffer jackets from North Face—that jacket alone salvages half the other terrible stuff they make. In comparison to other people I went to high school with, I was pretty influenced by Syracuse—some girls still wear those Lily Pulitzer dresses whereas I bought black booties and use them for everything.
Dorothy (Westchester): I really like Free People just in general. I like a boho feel, but you can also mix it up to make it seem more modern. I like to shop at little boutiques because my style is very specific—I can’t just buy a bunch of stuff from the same store, I like to pick out individual pieces. I don’t have a lot by the same brands. I drive into Rye—sometimes I’ll go to Ruby and Jenna or Vanilla Sky—I try to find something that I don’t recognize from having seen it on someone else.
Me (NYC): If you know me, you know how obsessed I am with Adika. I swear by them—I’d say more than half of my wardrobe consists of sweaters, jeans, sweats, and going out tops from their site. I’ve recently discovered that Pacsun has fantastic jeans, and although it’s basic, I do wear a lot of Brandy Melville for basics. On the fancier side, I love Rag & Bone (but only on sale) and I love Aerie, LuluLemon, and Spanx for leggings.
What if (in a hypothetically COVID free world) you’re going out and meeting *boys?*
Sophie (Philadelphia): If I’m hanging out with boys (in the worst way possible), probably something low-cut or a little bit more cropped—not something I’d wear to dinner with my family. My friends do the same thing. More time is spent picking out what I’m going to wear and on my hair and make up if I’m going out and meeting boys than if I’m just going to class or going shopping with my friends.
Isabel (Boston Area): You know, the uniform. Black skinny jeans with rips, and depending on the season, white sneakers or black booties with a crop top. I get a lot of my going out stuff from Garage. A big part of going out for me is my hair—I always do my hair first. I always dress pretty similar—I’ve always dressed in tight clothing, not necessarily to impress boys, just because it was what made me most comfortable, but I guess it works both ways. I always wear gold jewelry though, because boys are attracted to things that sparkle.
Dorothy (Westchester): Frats are generic. If I go to a frat, I dress like most girls do—black or blue jeans, white sneakers or booties, and some sort of crop top. I do dress better for certain frats—if I know there’s a certain guy in a certain frat, I’ll dress a little nicer... but it’s still pretty generic. If I’m going on a date, it depends on the guy and where you’re going. I’m a pretty classy person—I carry myself a certain way... maybe not necessarily prude, but I try to come off as more put-together. I’ll throw on a pair of booties with jeans and a cool top. On my first date with my boyfriend, I wore a denim skirt with a leather jacket and sandals. As it gets colder, I’ll wear jeans with a cute sweater... I would say that I have a classic chic style.
Me (NYC): Oh God. I don’t like to appear as though I’m trying to look hot, but at the same time, I wouldn’t be caught dead in the wrong outfit if there are boys around. Oops. If I’m going to a party, I’ll probably wear jeans and a bodysuit or crop top—something nice and flattering, but not too obviously out there. I’m also a huge fan of stylish belts, and since I’m short, I usually opt for booties or platform sneakers so... you know. So I can make eye contact.
Whether you rock Bean Boots or basic black booties, one thing I can confirm for sure is that while I can’t promise anything when it comes to the boys, we girls certainly ensure that we’re fastidiously showered and groomed, no matter the occasion. Once again, this disturbing, nevertheless persistent, double standard that exists between frat boys and srat girls exists no matter your region—whether you traipse the streets of Manhattan in a camisole and mom jeans or if you saunter the roads of a Boston suburb in a Lily Pulitzer dress, you’ll be sure to find an Adidas soccer pant clad boy to match.
Cover photo credit: Pinterest (Society 19)