This story originally appeared in The Peak, Mustang Media Group’s arts and student culture magazine. Check out more from “The Peak: Sh*t we weren’t told, the Adulting Issue.”
Cal Poly students can be characterized by the stark difference in fashion choices between different groups and majors. You can spot their signature outfits walking from the dining hall to the classroom. Every pair of shoes, jeans and bag combination says something about each student’s version of best dressed. What students wear is an expression of their interests and lifestyle.
It is true that students have individual styles and express it through their clothing and fashion sense, but as long as I have been at Cal Poly, I have observed many people dressing according to their major and peers.
College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences
Students in agriculture often wear what looks like a uniform. Their best dressed is so similar that you can tell what college they’re part of from a mile away. Their choice of footwear is one of two: Hey Dudes or work boots. Typically, Hey Dudes are the shoe of choice whenever they’re not wrangling horses or whatever it is that they do. The rest of the outfit consists of bootcut jeans and a layered puffer vest, with a trucker hat to round everything out.
Orfalea College of Business
Although it seems like business students are the biggest consumers of it, there is one style that unites most Cal Poly students – athleisure. Casual athletic wear is a favorite among the school’s population. Whether it’s to the gym or to class, head-to-toe Lululemon and Gymshark sets are a common sight, especially among business students.
College of Liberal Arts
If you make your way past the endless sea of gym sets to Front Porch just off campus behind the gym, you’ll notice that almost everyone is wearing Blundstones. The culprits? Probably College of Liberal Arts or Architecture students. This is the same group that will leave a pile of Doc Martens crowding the front door at a house party.
Cal Poly in General
Cal Poly’s fashion is overall very laid back, with many choosing to sport Birkenstocks and shorts to class. The casual attire is mostly thanks to the hospitable climate of San Luis Obispo, making everybody look like they’re ready for a beach day at a moment’s notice.
While the fashion scene can be quite relaxed at San Luis Obispo, there are standouts within the student population that really push the boundaries of fashion and make campus life interesting. While these are generalizations of how some colleges at Cal Poly dress, each person is entitled to their own version of best dressed.
Within the last two years, Thrifty Beaches, a local vintage store, has expanded from Dexter Lawn to three locations on the Central Coast, contributing to the student-thrift scene. Students can also find inspiration at student thrift markets, fashion showcases and clubs, like Fashion Innovation, Trendsetting and Styling Club and the Sustainable Fashion Club. Or maybe engineers will just keep wearing sneakers with the tightest jeans you’ve ever seen.
For more stories from the “Sh*t we weren’t told, the Adulting Issue” check out the featured Peak section on our website or the full edition.
