By Amy Cooley

It’s no secret that brand names play a big role here at SMU. In order to fit in it seems like you have to be up to date on all of the latest fashion, knowing what store and what designers are hot right now. You’ve got to have your Michael Kors, Lilly Pulitzer, Tory Burch, Kendra Scott, Louis Vuitton and a million other brands you’ll find at NorthPark. T-shirts? Forget about it. Even your comfortable clothes have to be high-end from Lululemon. And for the love of God, don’t even think about wearing cargo shorts unless you want to get yik-yakked about.

Why should we care so much about these brands, though? I’ll admit it, I feel about 10 times cooler if I’m wearing anything designer. It gives me this sort of confidence boost, like it’s a status symbol and I just went from peasant to queen. However, I don’t own very many of these popular brands, but that doesn’t mean that I walk around campus looking like a slob. I think it’s totally possible to stay in style without having to spend your whole life’s savings, especially as a college student when our money could go toward much more useful things like tuition, books, entertainment and Whataburger. My philosophy has always been “See what the latest trend in fashion is, then go buy the Target version.” That way, I can still look cute, but I don’t feel guilty for buying five outfits at a time.

So although your style allows you to express yourself, the brands you wear don’t define you as a person. In my opinion, as long as you are comfortable in what you are wearing and you think you look good, then you can wear whatever you want. If you choose to spend your money on expensive clothes because that’s what you love, that’s OK. If you choose to shop at the thrift store because you want to be different and are maybe a little bit frugal, that’s OK, too. But don’t allow the designer item another person has or doesn’t have be what you use to judge them.

Cooley is majoring in Advertising.