Game Day Fashion: Get Tailored for Those Tailgates

With game day swiftly approaching, I thought I'd take advantage of the present KAIROS and share, with you, some tips with regard to what to wear when you head up to Beaver Stadium this Saturday. As a freshman, navigating tailgate season trends can seem like an unapproachable, confusing task. I don't know about anyone else, but in high school, I could easily get away with casually showing up to the football games in jeans and a t-shirt. However, as a Penn Stater, this is not at all the case. Judging from my observations during the last home game, it is not unordinary for people to go ALL OUT. Whether or not you choose to do so, it can't hurt to be aware of some popular trends among student section-goers.

Snipped and Styled Tees

One unavoidable trend among students, particularly girls, is cut t-shirts. There are thousands of ways to personalize shirts by cutting them and I'm fairly certain Penn State students have experimented with and/or discovered almost all of these ways. Girls wear XL tees fashioned into dresses, tees cut into halter tops, penn state crop tops, distressed tees, and so much more. Some examples, designed by yours truly, are depicted below. 

Accessories are Key

In addition to shabby-chic ensembles, girls at Penn State-particularly on game day- have accessorization down to a tee. From flash tattoos to reflective sunglasses to cute, PSU socks, accessories often times make the look. You'll typically see people with a paw on their cheek, a nittany lion under their collar bone, or silver and blue temporary tattoo bands around their arm. Stores like McLanahan's and Family Clothesline offer ample accessories such as scrunchies, socks, and headbands with ears to amp up your look. Of course, all of the aforementioned items can be found to be adorned with the nittany lion or some type of Penn State emblem. Additional "accessories" which I've observed to be popular are flannels and chambray shirts which girls will typically tie around their waist, adding a more grunge-y vibe to the outfit. 

 

Temporary tattoos from McLanahan's.

Who said accessories can't be functional? Pieces like sunglasses and hats really come in handy during these day games. Typically you'll see girls wearing round-framed or thick-framed reflective sunglasses, a trend reminiscent of this past festival season. Here are some of my faves...

https://www.lulus.com/products/how-soon-is-now-black-and-blue-mirrored-sunglasses/351972.html

These and other similar shades can be purchased at Lulu's for just $8.

http://www.quayaustralia.com/search?page=2&q=blue+

At a little bit of a higher price, you can purchase frames like these from quayaustralia.com.

Footwear

Despite the fact that highly freshmen-populated East Halls are within close proximity to Beaver Stadium, all that tailgate-hopping and other various sorts of pre-game activities can really take a toll on your feet. Therefore, one must not underestimate the importance of sensible footwear. Let me just clarify that a "sensible shoe" is not necessarily an unattractive shoe. Chucks, otherwise known as Converse, and minimalist sneakers such as original adidas can serve as a sporty complement to any game day outfit. Not to mention these simplistic styles pair extremely well with socks like these...

Whatever you end up wearing on game day, you'll undoubtedly have a blast cheering on the football team, participating in the "WE ARE" chant, throwing your pompoms into the air, possibly getting tossed (or tossing someone) after a touchdown, or taking full advantage of free tailgate food. Never forget, you're never fully dressed without a smile. (: