Step aside, East Bank or St. Paul! The University of Minnesota’s West Bank campus is home to University majors known for their fashion-oriented students strutting along the campus’ snow-covered sidewalks. From thrift-savvy MIS majors to art majors sporting fairycore ambiance, we have the up-close and personal view into the inspiration for the outfits that give West Bank its creative and funky reputation.
Fairycore
In her frayed tri-colored jeans, ‘90s-inspired mesh tank top and black beret, Jacquelyn Fay’s decayed archival look highlights the idea of fashion accentuating personality.
“These beat-up Dr. Martens with the paint on them,” Fay said about her shoes, “They’re an art major staple.”
The art major strikes inspiration from Korean fashion, or K-fashion, and sticks to neutral colors in order to accentuate the details exposed in her fairycore ambiance, meant to play on her last name, Fay.
“I’m usually pretty focused on art, but I feel like if you are an arts student you’re also into fashion,” Fay said. “It goes hand-in-hand.”
Big and bright colors
Mara Westgaard, a studies in cinema and media culture major, cherishes patterns, bold colors and “always a lot of Halloween stuff all year round.”
Westgaard’s look featured lavender Dolls Kill pumps with Jack-O-Lantern faces smiling on each foot, a matching lavender button-up, patterned tights with a leather jacket, black dress and white turtleneck neutralizing the finished look.
She explained that her outfits focus on a specifically bold color and often utilizes neutral pieces to accentuate that color.
“I try to incorporate some trends to stay relevant but I really like to base it around my own look,” Westgaard said.
Beatnik now
For this late ‘60s and early ‘70s lover, long corduroy button-up dresses, peace sign belts and turquoise-embellished jewelry are considered a few of her must-have pieces.
Adriannah Popkey, a cultural studies and comparative literature major, is first and foremost a vintage shopper. With Up Six Vintage and 316 topping her favorite thrift shops, her style comes from finding individual pieces around the Twin Cities and bringing them together to create a Joni Mitchell-era inspired look.
“I just like to find my different odds and ends within the city and piece them all together,” Popkey said. “Basically, those pieces make inspiration that I like to lean into.”
Southern flair
Connie Pierce’s eclectic style first formed as she was growing up in Austin, Texas, and followed alongside her as she came to Minnesota for college.
The dance major sported an eye-catching fluorescently detailed white puffer jacket, its body and sleeves covered in a child-like flower print, cherry red hair, loose-fitting mom jeans and a worn pair of Dr. Martens.
“I mainly shop in Austin, at the thrift stores that we have,” Pierce said.
Pavement, Leopard Lounge and Flamingos Vintage Pound are a few of Pierce’s favorite thrift and consignment shops in her hometown, and she recommends any thrift-lovers visit if they’re in the area.
Geek chic
Alexander Ngo, a self-proclaimed “gross” management information systems major, is a St. Paul native and thrift-lover.
In his vintage forest green and navy blue winter jacket, metal-frame glasses, black beanie and white sneakers hiding a camo print leaving a line-work pattern in the snow, Ngo personified the trends forged in 1980’s fashion.
“My personal style … I would say it’s something between like a self-aware geek and a self-aware nerd,” he said with a laugh.
Ngo shops at several different local Goodwill stores throughout the Twin Cities and highly recommends checking out My Thrift Stores in East St. Paul.
