Street Style at UMD: From Summer to Chilly Fall
It’s officially fall, and Terps are here for it. From layering different textures in one look to accessories being key in another, Terps are killing it with their individualistic street styles that balance style and comfort.
We hit the streets of the University of Maryland, College Park’s campus to find students who’d be inspirations for cozy yet stylish transitional outfits.
Freshman Biology Major Nathan Rios-Colon
Image credit: Nicolle Schorchit for The Campus Trainer
Image credit: Nicolle Schorchit for The Campus Trainer
Any fashion icons?
Rios-Colon says he doesn’t really follow any one person’s fashion, but his style started developing in high school, where he would take bits and pieces of inspiration from those around him.
“Over time, I started looking at other people add cultural things to their clothing, like beads and pendants of their country and I was like, that’s cool,” Rios-Colon said. “So I started copying off that.”
Image credit: Nicolle Schorchit for The Campus Trainer
When going to class, what’s more important for your outfit choice: comfort or style?
“Depends on what class it is, you know. Because there might be someone I'm trying to look good for in that class,” Rios-Colon joked.
On a regular fall day, Rios-Colon wears jeans and a t-shirt, with perhaps a bomber jacket or windbreaker. And he always wears accessories.
“Because I feel like they actually add to the outfits. Like, you see an outfit, and then you see a nice watch or some beads or something on it, and it just completes the thing,” Rios-Colon said.
Image credit: Nicolle Schorchit for The Campus Trainer
Are there any favorite stores or brands that help you achieve your look?
H&M and Zara.
“Don't sleep on that. It's cheap, but it's nice,” Rios-Colon said. “I've even bought stuff at like Target. I have this nice green bomber jacket that every time I pull it out people compliment it, but it’s from Target,” Rios-Colon added. “It's like, it's not even about the price all the time, or like a specific store. I've met people who rock thrift store stuff.”
What is your staple piece of clothing or accessory?
“In the colder season, I like to wear this T-shirt from H&M that’s white. It has a loose collar and a pocket on the side. It just goes with everything,” Rios-Colon said.
Senior government and politics major Amarti Tasissa
Image credit: Nicolle Schorchit for The Campus Trainer
Any fashion icons?
When it came to discussing Tasissa’s fashion icons, rapper Rico Nasty and singer and fashion designer Rihanna were immediate responses.
“I like how they’re really edgy, and they don’t really care about what other people say about their clothing,” Tasissa said.
When going to class, what’s more important for your outfit choice: comfort or style?
“A little more style, but I do need to be somewhat comfortable,” Tasissa said.
To keep her look comfortable yet stylish, Tasissa wears sneakers or Timberland boots and soft stretchy jeans, and “I always have some jewelry on,” Tasissa said.
Are there any favorite stores or brands that help you achieve your look?
H&M and Nike are Tasissa’s preferred stores.
What is your staple piece of clothing or accessory?
“Black clothing is my go-to,” Tasissa said.
She also loves wearing Timberland boots in the winter.
“I love Tims,” Tasissa said. “I have black Tims and it just, it literally goes with my dresses, my like, edgier outfits. It goes [with] everything.”
Junior Economics and Math Double Major Spencer Bowdle
Image credit: Nicolle Schorchit for The Campus Trainer
Any fashion icons?
While Spencer doesn’t exactly have a fashion icon, he says his friends inspire him to keep it stylish.
“I mean, I have a friend named Luke and he always dresses pretty nicely,” Bowdle said. “And I don't copy his outfits or anything but I kind of aspire to dress, you know, nicely on a daily basis because of that.”
When going to class, what’s more important for your outfit choice: comfort or style?
“I like to strike a balance,” Bowdle said. “I don't wear suits daily or anything like that, but I also don’t come to school in like sweatpants, and that sort of thing. I pick clothes I think look nice but are also going to be comfortable.”
Shoes are important for Spencer because he doesn’t want to walk around feeling uncomfortable. However, “If they’re extra nice, I’ll take a little bit of discomfort for that,” Bowdle added.
Image credit: Nicolle Schorchit for The Campus Trainer
Are there any favorite stores or brands that help you achieve your look?
“Whatever is available usually,” Bowdle said. “I'm partial to Macy's just because it's always been one around me, and I know they have good stuff there.”
However, the Michigan native fondly remembers a store in his home state called the New Yorker.
“They have good stuff there,” Bowdle said. “So if I want something extra nice I'll go there because that's where I got my suit.”
What is your staple piece of clothing or accessory?
“Yeah probably this jacket,” Bowdle said. The green parka jacket that Spencer wears (shown above) is the one thing that is a consistent piece with all of his outfits, he said.
“I got this from my dad a couple years ago. Actually, it was for a Halloween costume. I was dressing up as a British mod but I was like, ‘You know what? I like the jacket,’ so I wear this parka a lot.”
Senior Women’s Studies Major Sid Negero
Image credit: Nicolle Schorchit for The Campus Trainer
Any fashion icons?
Negero doesn’t really define her style from specific individuals, but she really loves people watching and seeing the different aspects of other peoples’ outfits that she likes.
“Like when I'm at the coffee shop on campus, walking around or at a restaurant, I’ll be like, ‘Oh wow, I really like that sock and shoe combo. I really like that knit. I really like that color,’” Negero said. “It's kind of like really taking inspiration from the street, generally, and it’s hard for me to pinpoint one person.”
When going to class, what’s more important for your outfit choice: comfort or style?
“I like to pair things that are comfortable but like can still look good together. So really like going for soft materials, sweaters and denim because those are always reliable,” Negero said. “But then adding like a cool jacket. Accessories are really important like earrings, socks, belts and belt buckles. Like all of those things can really add something.”
Image credit: Nicolle Schorchit for The Campus Trainer
Are there any favorite stores or brands that help you achieve your look?
“I really just thrift and shop vintage mostly. That’s like, I would say, 80% of where my clothes are from,” Negero said.
Negero added pieces to her wardrobe from retail stores she used to work at, like American Apparel and Madewell.
What is your staple piece of clothing or accessory?
“Even though [I’m] not wearing them today, combat boots, like Dr. Martens always. I wear them like literally four days out of the seven day week,” Negero said.
Negero also really enjoys wearing coveralls, the workwear utility full jumpsuit. She likes to scroll up the long sleeves to ¾ -length.
“I love those so much. I think that they're just so cool like with combat boots and some earrings,” Negero said.
First-Year Master’s Student in Landscape Architecture Bryn Martin
Image credit: Nicolle Schorchit for The Campus Trainer
Any fashion icons?
“I try not to put too much stock into celebrity [fashion] but I fangirl over Kristen Stewart. I love just like the soft butch elegance that she’s able to pull off,” Martin said.
Martin also appreciates Rick Owen’s fashion designs that are “very dark futuristic industrial kind of stuff.”
Martin said she doesn’t directly wear that kind of look but understands Owen’s aesthetic. Martin really likes designs that are dark dreamy hyperreality ideas synthesized “into a vampire business casual look.”
Image credit: Nicolle Schorchit for The Campus Trainer
When going to class, what’s more important for your outfit choice: comfort or style?
“I think style, ultimately, kind of takes precedence at this point because I'm trying to cultivate kind of a professional image,” Martin said. “I mean, for me, good design usually is the marriage of function and form. So I try to kind of consider pragmatism with all the clothing decisions that I make. But, it definitely ends up kind of taking a backseat to style.”
Are there any favorite stores or brands that help you achieve your look?
“I try to thrift everything that I can because I try to be somewhat sustainable in the clothing choices I make,” Martin said. “I end up filling in a lot of the gaps with like H&M and just kind of like, you know, regular mall stores.”
What is your staple piece of clothing or accessory?
“For me, it's my [Dr. Martens]. I wear them at least like probably twice a week and often more than that,” Martin said.
Junior Neurobiology and Physiology Major Genesis Estevez
Image credit: Nicolle Schorchit for The Campus Trainer
Any fashion icons?
“To be honest, it's gonna sound cheesy, but to me, it's my mom. I feel like in her younger years, our styles are kind of parallelled,” Estevez said.
She and her mom share a New York City street style kind of vibe, said Estevez.
When going to class, what’s more important for your outfit choice: comfort or style?
“Sometimes I prefer comfortability, sometimes I prefer that it looks better,” Estevez said. “If I'm going to class, I might just come in like sweatpants and a T-shirt or something, or jeans and a shirt, but I change it up here and there.”
Are there any favorite stores or brands that help you achieve your look?
Nordstrom. “Because it has you know the sports section. It kind of has a little bit of everything,” Estevez said.
Image credit: Nicolle Schorchit for The Campus Trainer
What is your staple piece of clothing or accessory?
“I think that'll probably be my Timberlands with some black sweatpants and a black t-shirt,” Estevez said. “All black. Basically that's my go-to of mine. ”
These are just a few of the Terps out on campus feeling and looking good and representing UMD street style! There are many who are rockin’ fall outfits that are worthy to be praised and admired. Cheers to the Terps who are taking full advantage of expressing their individuality with some fashion flair!
