Upon returning to Oberlin’s beautiful campus this semester, I have been overwhelmed by the sudden influx of trendy new Obies. The incoming class has brought with them a subtle shift in the campus vibe, both in fashion and interests. As a true journalist (read: admissions blogger), I figured it was only right for me to document these trends in case you, dear reader, need a refresher on what’s hot and what’s not. Besides, I’ve been looking for an opportunity to overuse list formatting in a blog.
That being said, my perspective on these trends is almost undoubtedly skewed by my proximity to a) the Dance department and b) the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association. So you should probably take what I say with a grain of salt (unless you are also an Oberlin student Dance major in OSCA).
Without further ado, I present to you—
What’s Hip at Oberlin: An incomplete list (vaguely sorted by category)
In fashion:
1. Stripes. (Specifically horizontal ones)
2. Uniqlo socks. Ribbed, in solid colors, especially burnt orange.
3. Watches.
4. Silly glasses. Think chunky acrylic in bold colors.
5. Tattoos of plants, aquatic creatures, etc.
6. Friendship bracelets.
7. Dansko clogs.
8. Rings, usually big silver ones.
9. Floral patterns on flowy fabric.
10. Nose rings. (Not septums though)
11. Anything from a yard sale or free bin.
In lifestyle trends, we have:
1. Bikes with dropped handlebars.
2. Flip phones.
3. Knitting.
4. Being a camp counselor.
5. Having gnats in your face.
6. Composting.
7. Vending machines.
Trendy pastimes include:
1. Hacky sacking.
2. Giving Tarot readings to your friends.
3. Eating Asian pears from the AJLC.
4. Two people one bike.
5. Discovering your bisexuality.
6. Performance art.
7. Growing a little garden.
8. Lying in grass.
9. Getting bug bites from the bugs in the grass you’re lying in.
10. Walking to and then getting kicked out of the Arb because you’re not supposed to be there after dark.
11. Doing your readings for class.
12. Voting. (Always trendy!)
13. Line dancing.
14. Being in OSCA.
15. Going abroad in the spring of your junior year.
16. Eating challah.
Aesthetic trends (slightly different than fashion but could be lumped together if need be):
1. Laptop stickers. A lot of them.
2. Bob haircuts with two braided rat tails.
3. Ants.
4. Printmaking.
5. Hammocks.
6. Curly/natural hair texture.
Some miscellaneous other things that are cool right now:
1. Buckeyes. The actual plant not the football team.
2. Yom Kippur.
3. Putting sauce on everything you eat.
4. Bread & Puppet art.
5. Bike riding at night.
6. Rock climbing.
7. Thinking about Big Parade.
8. Making new friends.
9. Birthday parties.
Now you may be thinking to yourself, wow this list is missing a lot of trends or huh Oberlin is kind of weird, and if that is the case for you, I think you’re probably right. In fact, I’m almost certain there are things I’ve forgotten here. But my hope is that, in reading this blog, you’ll walk away with a snapshot of things that are trendy on one corner of campus. There are probably dozens of other things that are trendy among other student populations, so no matter what you’re looking for at Oberlin, I’m sure you’ll be able to find the right fit for you. And if that doesn’t work, you can always start a trend of your own! If you act cool doing it people will think it’s cool.
