Campus Couture: What Your Major Says About Your Style
By Parthivee Mukherji
University life is many things – exhausting deadlines, socially chaotic, caffeine- dependent, ramen diet – but above all, endless weeks of fashion choices. Every campus has its own runway, and every degree carries a distinct aesthetic that students (consciously or unconsciously) slip into as they begin to embody their majors. So, what will happen if we take these varied aesthetics and stereotypes and turn them into a fashion look book? Welcome to the academic runway – where outfits speak louder than the essays, and every degree gets its own spotlight.
Delving into it, Economics majors have that ‘tailored minimalist’ look. Efficiency is elegance for the Economics look. Think a structured navy blazer, a crisp white button-up, and trousers ironed with a precision of a supply-and-demand graph. Accessories include a graph-patterned tie and iPad permanently opened to Financial Times. The outfit is clean, sharp, and slightly risk averse.
Moving on to Engineering majors, form them, fashion is functionality. Picture cargo pants, a crossbody bag, and steel-toe boots. The palette probably leans towards cool-toned blues and greys. Every element embodies functionality and purpose – even the calculator watch is both a statement piece as well as a survival tool. Its rugged and durable, just what an engineering major needs.
Then comes the CompSci majors with over-sized hoodies from last year’s hackathon, joggers, and chunky sneakers. Black is the dominant colour on the palette – black hoodie, black backpack, black eye bags due to the lack of sleep. Laptop stickers serve as personality badges – GitHub, Linux, etc. this outfit didn’t choose fashion, fashion simply gave up.
Moving on to a science degree. Starting with Psychology – they give soft-neutral academic vibes. Cozy knitwear layered in oatmeal and beige, paired with tailored yet effortless trousers. The accessories? A moleskin journal for psychoanalysing friends and a minimalistic pendant. This outfit leans into warm, grounding tones, as soothing as the personality quizzes they secretly cannot stop taking.
Law majors, on the other hand, show up to their ten classes and tutorials a day (their version of a runway) with structured shoulders, sharp silhouettes, and trench coats that swish like dramatic objection. Picture black and ivory tones with a bold red lip and a checkered tie. Accessories include heavy totes overflowing with their case files. This fit carries courtroom confidence – even if its wearer has barely slept.
The Medicine look blends practicality with authority. Scrubs, but fashionable. A pristine white coat, worn like a cape. Or when you are studying in the library, soft woolly jumpers with blue jeans. Colour themes include sterile blues and greens. The aesthetic is “exhausted but working to save lives.”
Changing up the aesthetic, we have English majors. They are the soft-academia star of the runway – flowing linen shirt, over-sized cardigans, corduroys with boots perfect for wandering in the rain “for the plot.” Their tote bursts with annotated classics, hundreds of sticky notes per chapter, and at least one poem scribbled on crumbled coffee-stained papers. Round glasses, chipped nail polish, and a beloved (but barely functioning) fountain pen which complete the vibe. They live in a constant state of yearning and will definitely critique your choice of words ‘just for fun.’
Lastly, we have business majors. They embody the corporate couture vibe perfectly. A fitted turtleneck under a perfectly tailored blazer, polished loafers, and the omnipresent Airpods. Colour palette is dominated by camel, black, and white. They walk with the confidence of someone who, if you ask, can pitch almost anything to you.
In the end, every degree has its energy, its aura, its vibe, its runway-ready identity. University might be chaotic – socially as well as academically – but it is also one giant fashion show of disciplines expressing themselves and their dreams through outfits. And whether you are a utility-core engineer, a soft-academia English major, or a suited law major, remember – on the academic runway, everyone is their own aesthetic.