The Morning: The college catwalk

September 13, 2026

Good morning. Today we’re going back to school.

A photo collage of college students wearing distinctive outfits.

Travis Duong, Hannah-Maria Bygrave, Ishani Peddi, Gene Winer and Nina Mareela Jones

Fit check

By Matt Yan

I’m the host of Extra Credit, a newsletter for college students. Sign up here.

Each generation has its own aesthetic. Gen Z is crafting a maximalist vibe. It’s glitchy and gloppy, but it’s not bland like that of our predecessors — sorry, millennials! (As one critic recently grumbled in the Times Opinion section: “Gen Z-ers dress like they’ve never worn clothes before.”) College quads now sometimes feel like catwalks: Students show off their personal style, some for the first time after years in high-school uniforms.

I spoke with Jacob Gallagher, whose job is to know what’s cool. He hosts The Fashions, a newsletter that covers trends and what’s on the runway (you can sign up for it here). He answered questions about Gen Z attire. And as students return to school, we asked them how they’re dressing.

Matt: How has fashion changed on campuses?

Jacob: After the pandemic, everything (and this is not just on the campus) became way more dressed down. There used to be a certain sense of “getting dressed up” for class that just doesn’t really exist anymore.

What trends are you seeing among college students and Gen Z?

There is a lot of talk right now about how young people dress in this placeless, context-free mishmash. We call it “Gen Z chaos” in the office. When I was in college, your clothes reflected who you were, what you were into, what music you liked, what hobbies you had. I think you can’t really look at someone and glean that info anymore. There’s a lot of cobbling together thrifted clothes, stuff you’ve bought off TikTok Shop, making a shirt you inherited from a sibling into something that looks, well, interesting, perhaps rather than good. (Sorry!)

If you were a college student today, what would you wear?

Are you trying to fit in or be taken more seriously? As an outsider who is now well more than a decade removed from campus life, I tend to think a smidge of polish can do a lot. Does it make me washed and unc to, say … wear a button-up instead of a tee? Jeans instead of sweats? Maybe black loafers instead of Sambas?

If you had to choose one staple item, what would it be?

Get some good cotton shirts. They’re the kind of thing you can thrift or buy for under $50 at Uniqlo, and they’ll serve you well. You’ll need them for interviews, but you can also chuck them over some shorts on the weekend. Easiest, most versatile thing you can have in the closet.

Campus style

Readers of Extra Credit sent in these images of their style.

A young Black woman wearing a gray, white and red varsity jacket, a white tank top, a short, layered plaid skirt and white knee-high boots.

Hannah-Maria Bygrave, 22, New York University

This outfit was something I put together to attend my friend’s Howard homecoming. I believed the varsity jacket added a “school” touch, and the patchwork on the skirt sealed the deal. I wore the beige shoes to match the sleeves on the jacket.

A person wearing a green shirt, striped tie and black pants with suspenders holding up a black purse. They are standing in a room full of digital pianos.

Nyx Hernandez, 20, New Mexico Highlands University

I got most of my outfits from thrifting, gifts or clearance sections. I really like wearing button-ups and accessorize with what I have — for example, a slightly disheveled tie and some suspenders holding up my capris. I just love the color green. Might as well be the pop of color at my campus.