March is just around the corner, and everyone knows what that means: regular decision college acceptance letters will be coming out before you know it. With the entire senior class awaiting decisions that will shape the next four years of their lives, there is sure to be a peak in college apparel sightings. There is nothing better than proudly rocking a piece of clothing belonging to the college of your dreams—except for rocking a piece of super trendy college clothing, of course. 

Revamped college apparel has officially sparked an interest in the eyes of high school, college, and post- college students alike with a fresh take on traditional shirts, sweatpants, and sweatshirts. Whether it’s a ripped pair of leggings with a college’s logo or jean jacket covered in school logo patches and spirited school mottos, customized college clothing has became a fashion statement of its own. Due to its rising popularity, business developments have emerged that specialize in cutting and customizing college apparel for students. What started off as lace-up t-shirts and bleached sweatshirts has become a booming industry.

“The idea of customized college clothing is a fun concept. It makes me excited to get accepted into college next year as I know I will be able to get cute new clothing while also representing a school I am proud of being accepted into. In general, I think it helps pre-college students prepare for the next chapter of their lives,” said junior Zoe Basulto.

Type “custom college clothing” into Google, and you are bound to find countless companies who provide this service. Lojobands, for example, is a company that blends energy, trends, and funk into customized college clothing. Snipped and Styled and Marlee Rose Campus Clothes that provide their customers with all different types of apparel, including bandeaus, joggers, and cropped sweatshirts.

“I think that once you make your decision on where you’re going, it feels really special to finally rep the school you’re going to,” said senior Niki Randall. “Not only are they for tailgates, but it’s also fun to wear the clothes and know that you’re representing something customized for your school.”

Although these companies sell different types of clothing, they have one thing in common: how they go about marketing their company. Clothing businesses have now started to use Instagram as a platform to sell their clothing. 

“It definitely motivates more people to buy college apparel in order to feel included,” said senior Isabella Henderson.

On their accounts, they post updates such as holiday discounts, new inventory, and what many entrepreneurs consider the most effective strategy—in short, incentives for their customers to buy clothing. Many of these college clothing brands have made such a splash that it’s sometimes difficult to put together an original college outfit, and some of the items may come at exorbitant prices.

“Everybody ends up buying the same thing so it’s not really customized,” said senior Maddy Ernst. 

If the idea of customized college clothing appeals to you but the issues of price and originality cause you concern, you may want to DIY your college apparel. Pinterest and Youtube are full of handy tutorials on how to repurpose drab college t-shirts and make them your own. 

It is clear that the rise of customized college clothing and the subsequent marketing used by social media to target teens has left some students feeling pressured to keep up with the latest trends. This is an unfortunate reality, as students should never feel pressure to buy a certain type of clothing just to fit in—especially when they should be happy with simply repping their school spirit no matter how “hip” their clothing looks.

Rather, the customized clothing students choose to buy should be an accurate expression of their own, unique identity. Hopefully, over time students will feel more confident wearing clothes that make them stand out, instead of clothes that shadow them in.

With the pros and cons of customized college clothing aside, the purchase of decorated sweatpants, shirts, and more has indisputably become more popular. Ultimately, it is a great way to unite with people who have the same appreciation for your school and a fresh take on showing off your school spirit.