When walking through the McGill campus for the first time, visitors might be struck by students’ diverse and bold fashion choices. With such an international student body comes a plethora of colours, textures, and attitudes—and students don’t hesitate to break nearly every fashion boundary out there. Among the most popular trends of the past few years are alternative looks from the ‘90s. From all-denim outfits to scrunchies galore, students are repping looks reminiscent of their favourite sitcoms and old photo albums. The McGill Tribune spoke to students on campus who embrace ‘90s grunge about what they wear and what it means to them.
Emily Mernin, U3 Literature
“I have this great chair in my apartment that I always try to dress like.”
Edna Wan, U3 Literature
“I made this dress this summer, and this jacket, my grandma made for me [….] I had a dream the other day that instead of going to grad school, I went to textile design school.”
Micah Flavin, U3 Psychology, Education, & Anthropology
“I lived a few years ago at a […] therapeutic life sharing community, where I was helping people get dressed in the morning and that was actually a big moment where I understood fashion, and, what we wear and why we wear it in a different way [….] I think if you can actually take a moment in the morning and see where you are actually at, [it’s] a good exercise in self inquiry.”
Michaela Drouilard, U1 Classics
“These pants are from a vintage shop from my home town of Windsor. This jacket was eight dollars from Value Village. The reason I have a flip phone is because this summer, when I was in [Los Angeles], I was really focused on my [smartphone] and was on social media [a lot, so] I threw my phone in the ocean. [When] I came back, I had this flip phone already […] and now I am living a better life.”
Adam Elder, U1 English Literature
“I am a green earth-tone type of man. I got these shoes in Scotland. And you know, the pants are Levi’s. I [am wearing] some plaid socks, a Hanes t-shirt, and then a good old Banana Republic jacket.”
Sasha Huebener, U2 English & Communications
“I am wearing these really extra shoes, and I know Halloween is over, but I’m still about it [….] Aimee Song from Song of Style is my go-to for when I don’t know what to wear, and Alexa Chung, she’s cool.”
Celia Zuberec, U2 Cultural Studies & Urban Systems
“It’s nice that it’s fall and I can have multiple layers to my outfit. I’m wearing this sweater that I didn’t really think about, but it’s really warm, and then underneath, I’m wearing this shirt that I like, so I can take off my sweater when I get into my warm classroom and have something else going on. I get a lot of used clothing, because then I don’t really see people wearing what I’m wearing.”
Kyra Kwak, U2 Gender Studies & International Development
“I usually try to go for a colour palette. Today I was feeling neutral tones. I thrifted these [boots] and just got paint all over them. This [skirt] is stolen from my roommate [and] this coat is thrifted, [but originally] from Old Navy somewhere. [My shirt] is from my grandma, and I made it into some kind of [top], and this [ring] is a gift from my parents”
Martin Law, U3 Urban Systems
“I like to skate, so most of what I wear are skate brands, I guess. I just slap on whatever feels right. It was really cold today so this is a thick jumper and it feels cozy [….] I stole this [hat] from my roommate.”
