Students discuss spring trends, @fashionofucd on Instagram and Davis-specific style
By GRACIELA TIU — features@theaggie.org.
On a bright day in spring quarter, while walking through the crowds of students passing the Memorial Union Quad, you brush past a girl and catch a glimpse of her outfit. She’s wearing a long, flowing white skirt, a cropped, loose-fitting tank top and tied black boots, and she is adorned with a broad selection of accessories — sunglasses, a large purse, a beaded belt and stacks of gold jewelry — all effortlessly complementing the look. Inspired, you pause for a moment, already imagining how to incorporate elements of her outfit into your own style.
As the seasons shift each year, trends evolve and styles fluctuate, bringing new opportunities for people to explore and define their own stylistic identities. At UC Davis, students notice a specific culture of fashion and style when walking throughout campus.
“Davis has a really unique campus,” Apple Lin, a second-year design and communication double major, said. “At Davis, people really show their individuality through their outfits. It’s cool to see everyone’s personal styles shine through their clothing.”
There are many Davis-specific Instagram accounts showcasing student life, including multiple fashion accounts. A popular account that has existed at Davis for many years is @ucdfits, but other accounts have been created by students, including a new one called @fashionofucd.
Belal Ismail, a second-year international relations major and co-founder of the @fashionofucd Instagram account, discussed his take on UC Davis fashion.
“I feel like we have a big, kind of indie, hippie-esque, granola culture at Davis, and that really shines in people’s fashion,” Ismail said. “I feel that people really try to mix their styles of being very functional — like they could go on a hike at any point — and also finding bold colors while mixing with a bunch of neutrals as well.”
Within these style umbrellas, specific items have also become especially prevalent in the season’s fashion trends.
“We’ve been seeing a lot of skirts, and I think they’ve been in for a while,” Ismail said. “I think as the weather gets warmer, people are going back to wearing more free-flowing clothing like skirts, both long and short.”
Accessories and shoes are also a particularly defining aspect of spring 2025 fashion.
“Big purses have been really coming in,” Ismail said. “I also think shoes that are slingbacks are [going to] come in. Or like a Mary Jane kind of shoe, I know some are really cute, and they have this kind of flower cut-out detail on the front. I’m also thinking [Adidas] Sambas. I think we’re [going to] see a different silhouette of Samba-esque shoes.”
In addition to overall styles and specific items, certain colors also typically pop out in each season.
“Color-wise, I’ve seen a lot of people gravitating toward white,” Lin said. “I think this is a spring trend in general. But I’ve also noticed a lot of earth tones, like browns and greens, especially here at Davis. There’s also been a lot of red popping up on campus.”
Katy Lawlor, a second-year design and psychology double major and another co-founder of @fashionofucd, described the creation of the account.
“Every week, we take photos of what people are wearing on campus, and we post them on Fridays,” Lawlor said. “It started because we had a design class together and our friendship grew, and we realized that there was a bit of a gap in representation of different styles on campus, so we wanted to fill that gap and be consistent. We were both basically thinking about how we wanted things [to] look at when we wake up in the morning and are trying to get dressed.”
One of the co-founders’ primary goals with the account is to spotlight the little details in students’ fashion.
“Part of the reason we started @fashionofucd is because we felt like there are students at Davis who are really great at the little things that might go unnoticed if you don’t take a photo, point them out or highlight them in some way,” Lawlor said. “We wanted to help everyone notice the little details — because how fun is that?”
Lawlor also participates in a campus ambassador program with Depop, a second-hand merchandise app that partners with Davis students to host swap shops and flea markets in collaboration with on-campus groups.
When it comes to finding style inspiration and balancing dressing with trends and maintaining her own personal style, Lin has some advice.
“I try to make [my style] my own by choosing clothing that flatters me and mixing in some current trends,” Lin said. I think it’s all about finding what works for you and making it your own.”
Ismail commented on how he feels his personal style often draws from both men’s and women’s fashion, giving him more room to explore and break through gender limitations.
“I oftentimes look at both guys’ trends and girls’ trends and kind of take [inspiration] from both,” Ismail said. “Like I got like my platform [Adidas] Gazelles, and I love them so much and they’re so comfortable. People were complimenting me on my shoes — they haven’t really seen them on guys, so I think it’s just kind of a thing people like when they see it on different people than who they usually sit on, it’s kind of fun.”
Though fashion can often be complex, intricate or multilayered, the founders of the @fashionofucd account wanted to showcase styles that keep it minimal and simple as well.
“I also like to keep it very basic sometimes,” Ismail said. “I literally just do maybe a graphic tee or just like a plain tee and then plain shorts and shoes. I feel like fashion is often thought of as being super extravagant and cutting edge, but it’s also the mundane.”
When looking for style inspiration, Lawlor not only looks through typical media sites like Pinterest, but also utilizes seemingly unconventional pieces to stimulate her creative side.
“Since I’m a design major, in one of my classes, my teachers had us make a design board,” Lawlor said. “But I think I’ve been looking at that a lot for outfit inspiration. It’s more abstract how I can apply a design of a vintage birthday card and make it an outfit, things like that.”
Ultimately, fashion culture at UC Davis provides endless opportunities for students and community members to display their individuality through their clothing.
“Everyone at Davis has such a unique and fun style,” Lin said. “I love how the environment here lets everyone express themselves through fashion, no matter their major. It’s really cool to see all the different ways people use fashion as an outlet for self-expression.”
Written by: Graciela Tiu — features@theaggie.org
