Across Mississippi State University’s campus, Bulldog pride is woven into everyday student fashion. Students walking to class sport maroon and white, Greek letters, fraternity and sorority pledge attire and, depending on the occasion, themed costumes for campus events.
Whether students are rolling out of bed for class or dressing up for a Saturday in Davis Wade Stadium, fashion has become one way Bulldogs express who they are and where they belong.
Anthony Stevens, a freshman computer science major from Southaven whose style draws on early-2000s skaters, believes fashion is a form of self-expression for him and other students on campus.
“Because a lot of what a person puts on … tells a lot about them,” Stevens said. “So I like to dress just kind of however I like, that way you can see, okay, he likes wearing such and such, he’s this kind of person, you know?”
Student organizations also shape the way fashion appears across campus. Greek organizations, for example, often use colors, letters and recognizable clothing to identify themselves and build a sense of community among members.
That can range from sweatshirts emblazoned with Greek letters to the bright red suits sometimes worn by members of Kappa Alpha Psi.
For some students, fashion goes beyond what they wear to class. Mississippi State also gives students opportunities to design clothing and produce fashion events of their own.
In 2018, Jacob Burkett, then a senior fashion design and merchandising major, won the top prize in New Orleans Fashion Week’s Top Design Competition.
According to an MSU news release, Burkett competed against nine other designers with a collection inspired by Korean street style and music. The line was designed to boost confidence and self-love.
Students interested in fashion but not in designing clothing can also participate through MSU Fashion Board, which produces student-run runway shows. Students contribute to nearly every part of the production, including hair, makeup, props and modeling.
Fashion Board’s annual Trashion Show, for example, is an annual collaboration between Fashion Board and student designers. Displayed outfits are made from recycled and discarded materials to encourage awareness of the waste produced in the fashion industry. Student designers create creative garments from everyday trash, including chip bags, bottle caps, old newspapers and other repurposed items. This showcase encourages innovation and sustainability, highlighting the issues surrounding fast fashion and environmental waste.
Fashion at Mississippi State is perhaps most visible on game days.
The game-day wardrobe, ranging from overalls and cowboy boots to tailored dresses and jerseys for alumni, is often locally sourced in Starkville. Retailers such as The Lodge, located just off of Highway 12, have become a staple where students and alumni stock up on their maroon and white gear. The store supplies much of the apparel and accessories that define the visual aesthetics seen in the stands and at the Junction.
Laura Jennings, a kinesiology major who has participated in many sports including cross country, tennis and pickleball, talked about the importance of supporting your school on game days through your fashion choices.
“It boosts the excitement that a lot of players already have from just being there,” Jennings said.
For Jennings, that visual sign of unity matters. She believes it does not matter whether someone is a Mississippi resident or moved here from out of state; what matters is that the team knows it has support to rally behind it. Most importantly, game-day fashion lets students and fans claim their MSU identity.
Fashion has always been more than clothes: it serves as a statement of identity. From professional competitions to Greek life, fashion gives students a way to walk their own runway, individually and collectively.
