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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPicture this: You\u2019re in high school, or even middle school \u2013 and you\u2019ve just learned how to put on eyeliner, or maybe you\u2019ve dyed your hair a different color, or you finally got that new jacket you\u2019ve been eyeing online, and you go to school excited to showcase your fashion choices, but instead you\u2019re stopped at the gate with a disapproving glance because: \u201cThis is a school, not a fashion show.\u201d I know we have all been there because trying to express oneself within the bounds of \u201ceducation\u201d has not necessarily been appreciated. However, if we have learned anything from Elle Woods in the iconic film Legally Blonde – fashion and intelligence toward studies do not have to be mutually exclusive. LUMS serves as the epitome of this argument, as it is hard to observe even a day where at least one or two people\u2019s outfits don\u2019t catch your eye. But how did LUMS become a fashion hub and evolve into what it is today? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Anonymous \u201823, fashion is constantly evolving on campus; every year, given increased social media trends that generate specific fashion \u201caesthetics.\u201d For instance, Anousheh Arif \u201825 considers herself to be a mix between a \u201csoft\/pastel\/cottage core\/y2k girl.\u201d While these words may fly over someone\u2019s head, specific aesthetics like boys or skater girls play a large part in how people present their personalities. For instance, in conversation with Mahnoor Hamid \u201824, she expressed that she leans towards a specific \u201ccolourful\u201d aesthetic and does not incorporate a lot of black in her outfits as she considers herself cheerful and outgoing. For many students at LUMS, wearing a specific aesthetic can be a gateway to exploring themselves or, instead, who they want to be. We\u2019ve all got to fake it till we make it, right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the increase in aesthetics also coincides with a new era of experimentation and creativity. In discussion with Tanner Jannat \u201824, for example, she explained how she does not like being tied down to a specific aesthetic as she likes to wear what she thinks looks good by experimenting with different clothing. Similarly, when asked where most students get their clothes, Jannat \u201824 and many others said, \u201cMost of the clothes I get are hand-me-downs from my Nani, and some are from small businesses other than the classic stores like Outfitters, Khaadi, etc.\u201d Mariam Asif \u201824 also added that \u201conline thrift stores are rising in demand\u201d and are becoming popular amongst LUMS students looking for more sustainable and affordable ways to buy unique clothing not typically available in outlet stores. For instance, the emergence of Instagram accounts like @vintageatlums or @lumsthriftstore in the recent 1-2 years allow people to shop for foreign brands and buy clothing like skirts and dresses that are unavailable in Outfitters. Hadiyah Shaheen \u201825 says that \u201cthrifting just allows you to be more unique because pieces are one of a kind – and I think that\u2019s why so many people gravitate towards it now because you see if you\u2019re wearing a shirt from Outfitters, for example, it is very likely that you will see multiple people wearing it just on your walk to the khokha.\u201d The culture of hand-me-downs in LUMS also extends to the Facebook LUMS Girl Power Group, where many women have been able to list items for sale, whether its because they\u2019ve ordered the wrong size or want to make room in their closet or just need to earn some quick cash \u2013 thrifting is the new in.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another facet of experimentation and DIY\u2019ing clothing in LUMS extends from the fact that fashion is becoming more inclusive within LUMS. Of course, while dress-coding, policing, and peer pressure still exists and inform what many students in LUMS choose to wear, Mariam Asif \u201824 says that people in LUMS are generally welcoming and do not judge people for wearing clothing that may go against fashion or social \u201cnorms.\u201d So, do not fret that there are no Gen-Z prejudices against those who still wear skinny jeans and side part their hair instead of mom jeans and the trendy middle part. Additionally, Jannat \u201824 also finds LUMS an opportunity to dress up in various ways that rebel against stereotypical ideas of what hijabis can\/do dress like, i.e., her mother sewing her \u201cdetachable\u201d sleeves that she fashionably wears with half-sleeve T-shirts. Likewise, other students have also found new ways to DIY their clothing, like turning scarves into halter tops, cutting jeans into shorts, crocheting, and painting onto jeans and sneakers because fashion no longer has borders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreso, Mahnoor Hamid \u201824 adds that \u201cfashion is a favorite pass time of hers,\u201d and getting to plan out her outfit and all the minor details down to which rings she is going to wear allows her to express herself on campus. After all, fashion is a big motivator for one to go to class because even if you expect to fail your exam, you might also be serving looks while wearing a cute \u2018fit.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is much to say about the LUMS campus and its direct relationship to fashion. As Anonymous \u201825 says, \u201cThe Campus is a runway\u201d and on its catwalk include a rise of prominent LUMS students who have risen to fame through online fashion blogs and pages. For instance, in a conversation with Instagram fashion blogger Anoosha Fatima \u201823, she explained how LUMS plays a big part in her page and increases her following. More specifically, she details how many outsiders are interested in the LUMS lifestyle and looks to bloggers from LUMS to get an inside scoop on what its like to attend classes or even dress up on campus. To her, even if she feels bad about herself, putting on an outfit and being able to take cute pictures is one of the ways she is able to uplift herself, noting that \u201c[her] outfit has not gone to waste.\u201d Additionally, LUMS gives bloggers opportunities to shoot fashion-related content because of fewer restrictions and the number of photo-ops on campus, from the library windows to the tennis court and to khokha. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although fashion may not always be central to everyone\u2019s university experience, we can still see how students at LUMS use fashion as a vehicle for self-confidence and self-expression. Though fashion might constantly change from new TikTok trends or rising influencers, it remains an integral part of many\u2019s lives. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By: Iman Ahmad Picture this: You\u2019re in high school, or even middle school \u2013 and you\u2019ve just learned how to put on eyeliner, or maybe you\u2019ve dyed your hair a different color, or you finally got that new jacket you\u2019ve been eyeing online, and you go to school excited to showcase your fashion choices, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":1300,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailystudent.lums.edu.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1299"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailystudent.lums.edu.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailystudent.lums.edu.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailystudent.lums.edu.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailystudent.lums.edu.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1299"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailystudent.lums.edu.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1299\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1302,"href":"https:\/\/dailystudent.lums.edu.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1299\/revisions\/1302"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailystudent.lums.edu.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailystudent.lums.edu.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailystudent.lums.edu.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailystudent.lums.edu.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}