Seeing what the USC student body is wearing from Greene Street to Five Points is one of my favorite parts of being a college student. When I walk around campus I see a smorgasbord of every kind of style imaginable. This year, though, don't be surprised if you see Gamecocks dressing in comfort and color.
First up is everyone's mom’s favorite: Clogs. As the fashion cycle claims old staples and updates them using modern colors and textures, we could see clogs in leather, animal print, Sherpa and more.
"I've have always loved a clog," Sydney Daigle, third-year Fashion Merchandising student, and the Director of programming for the Fashion Board club said.
Daigle said the start of her love for clogs came from the Dansko clogs she saw in the hospital.
Modern clogs take the platform shoe trend and add in a new style that trend forecasters call, “Uglycore.”
"Uglycore" embraces the look you wore to get groceries out of your mom’s car in high school. Joely Garza, a fourth-year retailing student with a concentration in Fashion Merchandising explained what "Uglycore" means to her.
“It's not necessarily like ugly, but it’s the idea of making what would not be thought of to be put together attractive,” Garza said.
"Uglycore" methodically styles an outfit that looks like the person hastily threw it together, ergo, clogs. The Birkenstock Boston clogs have already saturated the market, which allows potential clog-wearers to explore the style while maintaining the classic Birkenstock look.
We would be remiss to look at fashion in 2022 without acknowledging the pandemic's effect on the way we dress. Comfort changed the way many dressed after months of only needing to dress for Zoom calls.
Maya Jordan, third-year Marking student and President of the Fashion Board club said she opted for comfort even in a business casual setting.
"I will wear my sneakers that are relatively stylish and still professional, and they're comfortable, instead of wearing little kitten heels or something," Jordan said.
The clog is no exception to this trend of comfort as they are usually orthopedic. However, trendier versions will probably lack the arch support provided by traditional clogs.
Comfort is dominating the market in both everyday wear and high fashion attire. Clogs are an example of a more casual trend, while catsuits, my next 2022 trend prediction, have already been worn by many celebrities in past months, like Rihanna gracing the cover of Dazed Magazine in September.
A catsuit is essentially leggings attached to a long sleeve shirt. As the catsuit transitions from haute couture to ready-to-wear brands like Revolve and Skims, the garment is turned into a layering staple.
Jordan said many trends favor some body types and exclude others. The catsuit trend could fall into this category due to the celebrities we see exhibiting this trend, but it doesn't have to.
"There are so many trends where you have to have like the right bone structure, I feel like," Jordan said.
Wearing a skintight one-piece by itself may be uncomfortable and revealing for class attire, but throwing a sweatshirt or even a flannel over it with a pair of sneakers dresses it down perfectly. Even better, to transition into an outfit for your evening plans, all you do is switch out the hoodie for a blazer and a pair of heeled boots and you are good to go.
Speaking of staples, neutral tones with black and white were the height of fashion in 2020 and 2021, especially in the Five Points scene. This year, we could see that dynamic shift in a major way.
Bright colors are my final trend prediction. The runway was covered with vibrant color during 2021 fashion weeks as designers like Valentino, Halpern, Versace, and Tom Ford participated in the trend.
2022 is a year of celebration and self-expression through fashion. Using bright colors in your wardrobe is the easiest way to experiment with style. It may even brighten your mood.
“I noticed too, this kind of escapism with fashion, especially last year and then coming into this year, like color and mix-matched fabrics or patterns is going to be really huge,” Garza said.
Switch out your black leather pants for some dyed or printed denim. Instead of relying on dark colors try and expand your taste for color even in little ways. It will make your ensemble a touch more unique.
If you want to expand your wardrobe and try new trends, consider shopping at your local thrift store. Doing so will help you keep up with the fashion world's ever-changing fashion cycle.
Shopping second-hand guarantees that you are shopping sustainably and not supporting fast fashion. There are many Goodwill’s in Columbia, as well as other local thrift stores like Sid & Nancy and 2G’s Clothing in Five Points.