When I tell people I’m from New York, they assume I mean Manhattan. I think some of them picture me rocking an edgy outfit in Time Square, hailing a taxi whilst yelling into my cell phone — because that’s how we New Yorkers behave.
Most of the time I smile and nod, happy to play the cool “city girl” in these musings. I wish I could claim to be a trendy, thrift-shopping New Yorker with style and attitude. Sadly, that stereotype only applies to a tiny fraction of people from the state.
Here is the sad truth: I grew up in the suburbs. Style was never how I expressed myself — I shopped at Hollister in middle school, and graduated to Forever 21 in high school. I didn’t consider myself un-stylish, so to speak, but I certainly wasn’t setting any hot, new trends.
When I decided to attend U.Va., my friends shook their heads sadly and pitied my condition. They emphasized how out of place I would feel in what they thought was the deep South. Everybody knows U.Va. only accepts preppy students, they said. Get your sundresses and Lilly Pulitzer ready!
Needless to say, I panicked and bought my first pair of Sperry shoes later that day.
Now that I’m here, I’m incredibly relieved to find although U.Va. certainly has a different style than I’m used to, I fit in a million times better here than with the New York crowd.
It took me a while to figure out what exactly made U.Va.’s style special. As a runner, I used to roll my eyes when I saw girls in Lululemon workout outfits and pearl earrings. I would see these outfits in the library and decide their owners were merely fake athletes.
But this morning, as I pulled on my ASICS running sneakers and my turquoise earrings, the realization hit me — I am that girl.
Yet, I don’t think I’m a fake athlete. Sure, you may see me in class and at the library, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t go for a run earlier this morning. That, my friends, is the U.Va. style. You will probably pass people everywhere in athletic attire and a backpack, and wonder whether they are headed to lunch or the gym.
The answer is both, and then they will probably attend two club meetings and hit the library afterwards.
The U.Va. style reflects the fact that we are the morning joggers and late night studiers. We are the “you can’t tell if I showered or not because I still look pretty nice and applied three coats of deodorant” kind of crowd. We are the “didn’t get home until two last night but I’ll put on a cap and a vest and still be at the review session” people.
We may not be edgy, or hipster or outlandish as a whole, but we manage to look put together and intelligent while cramming three days of activities into a six-hour period.
I don’t mean there’s no style at U.Va. — every once in a while, when inspiration strikes, I still put on a sundress or a nice pair of jeans. But it’s always a relief knowing that I’ll fit right in with the student population in my leggings, sweater and a scarf.
When I tell people back home that I go to school in Virginia, they assume my personality must be changed. I think some of them picture me saying “y’all” while eating fried chicken and wearing a pearl necklace. I smile and nod. I don’t bother trying to explain. Because if this is the culture of “preppiness” I was warned against, then I’ll happily stay preppy, my friends.
Alyssa’s column runs biweekly Thursdays. She can be reached at a.passarelli@cavalierdaily.com.
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