Students discuss game day fashion trends
For Troy University students, game day is more than a Saturday football tradition — it’s a chance to show off their Trojan pride through what they wear.
Local boutiques are seeing students lean into game-day fashion, with outfits ranging from Troy-colored dresses and matching sets to overalls, polos and accessories.
Reese Steedley, a junior elementary education major from Valdosta, Georgia, has worked at The Confetti Crate for a little more than a year. She said game day gives students an opportunity to express themselves while supporting local businesses.
“Game day is really just about showing our love for Troy,” Steedley said. “We get to meet a lot of people, we get to style them and show their personality through their outfits.”
For Steedley, shopping locally also goes beyond finding the right outfit.
“Students choosing us to shop locally is really big because they’re supporting families in our community,” Steedley said. “It helps build a stronger community.”
While the main outfit remains important, Steedley said accessories have become one of the biggest trends this season.
“Accessories have been really big this year; bandannas, hats, chunky jewelry, buttons. Last year, your outfit was the big thing. This year, it’s definitely the extras,” Steedley said.
For students who are new to the Southern game-day experience, the fashion can be just as much of a culture shock as the football atmosphere itself.
Noah Gross, a junior business major from Huntsville, Alabama, said his experience at Troy introduced him to a different kind of college football culture.
“Coming to Troy was a whole lot of culture shock,” Gross said. “I’m from around the north, and it’s not as big for college football.
“When you hit the South, though, everyone is dressed up wearing polos and floor-length dresses. Everyone is fired up.
Game day is almost a formality down here. You’ll never see anyone just wearing a T-shirt. They’re painted up, wearing Trojan pride overalls, which I’m actually wearing right now, or in a nice polo.”
For other students, dressing up has become one of the traditions they look forward to most.
Hannah Cox, a senior exercise physiology major from Prattville, Alabama, said Troy’s game-day fashion reminds her of the traditions seen at larger Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools.
“We dress up a lot, similar to SEC schools,” Cox said. “I typically prefer something neutral or Troy-colored, typically in a cute set, but a lot of women go all out with the dresses, the hair, the makeup. It’s a fashion show.”
For Cox, the small details are what make the outfit her own.
“I love to add my pins to my outfit as well. It’s part of the fun, honestly,” Cox said.
As Troy fans prepare for each home game, the goal is not simply to find something to wear. For many students, game-day fashion has become another way to show their personality, represent the university and be part of the atmosphere surrounding Troy football.
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