The minority of students that dress alternatively does so with distinct variation, which is essential to standing out among the crowd.
Most outfits of an average ABAC student represent the typical southern style, harkening back to older time periods, cowboys/cowgirls, and the agricultural nature of South Georgia.
Men are more commonly seen dressed up in a cowboy-esque manner, including collared, button-up shirts with patterns, blue jeans, boots, and of course, the signature ten-gallon hat.
When women dress up, they wear nice outfits, like dresses, depending on the occasion. At fun events like rodeos, they follow a similar suit to the men, reflecting a cowgirl aesthetic.
For dressing down, common outfits include shorts, T-shirts bearing southern brands like Salt Life or Simply Southern, tennis shoes, and ball-caps, which might be worn for warm weather, working out at the gym, or relaxing indoors.
For senior Izzy Altieri, the forestry major is dominated by men, making hyper-femininity difficult to spot and possibly looked down on.
“I try to stand tall with my miniskirts and makeup to show I can be competent in my field and be a glamorous person,” Altieri said.
Altieri wants to set an example for others, showing them not to fear dressing uniquely or letting their personalities flow.
This is the sentiment that Salem Walker, a freshman animal science major, channels with his wardrobe.
“I like jeans, shirts with patterns, design clothes—I don’t like plain or boring clothes,” Walker said. “[Stereotypical ABAC clothing] kind of makes me feel a bit alienated—just being around guys who don’t have much diversity in their clothing makes me a bit nervous.”
Not all styles have to be American, either. Jirai Kei, Kawaii, and Lolita are three Japanese trends that freshman biology major Stella Humphlett considers wardrobe staples.
“I wear these styles because I feel like my best self in them,” she said. When it comes to her favorite Japanese clothing, Humphlett loves them because of the sheer variety.
“I can’t simply choose one,” Humphlett added, “there’s many subcultures, too.”
Even alternative styles can become unconventional. Senior ag communication major Anthony LaMarr adopts this practice nearly every day. His preferred clothing is retro, but he is willing to try any style.
LaMarr said, “I’ll choose comfort over fashion any day.”
During ABAC’s 2023 homecoming dance, LaMarr had nothing formal to wear, which prompted him to choose a red and white Christmas onesie under red shorts. Today, he still wears it with no regrets and resists conformity to norms.
An underrated part of alternative fashion is distinct hair. Dying one’s hair can help someone stand out more, especially if they go for unnatural colors, like green or purple.
Dakota Parr, a senior history and government major, has theirs dyed light blue.
“I feel more confident with who I am and happier with how I look. While being fashionable is a matter of opinion, it’s nice to see people being themselves through their hair.”
For those that enjoy both alternative and southern styles, look no further than the “yallternative” fashion sense, which is what sophomore Anna Fenn reflects with her outfits.
“I love taking inspiration from grunge as well as more hippie stuff,” said Fenn. “As for the western stuff, I love to add jewelry and accessories that’s more alt and I typically wear dark leather.”
Even her horse, Nina, isn’t exempt: “My horse has all black leather for her saddle and stuff so she can be yallternative too,” Fenn said.
Alternative fashion at ABAC may be small in terms of wearers, but it has an extraordinary impact on the person and diversity they promote. It never hurts to try something different, especially in the world of fashion.
