Youth Culture

Stealing from grandma’s closet? Tailored pants, dungarees, multi-coloured jackets and fanny packs (yes fanny packs!) – these are just a few of the clothing and accessory items one notices while walking through South campus.

There’s a fashion ‘bug’ in the air and everyone seems to have caught it. Fashion has always been about making a statement; sometimes it is simple and subtle, but it can also be bold and bright. The clothes we wear are an extension of ourselves and give physical form to our various personalities and emotions.

Trends come and go in the blink of an eye and it does not take much for something to start trending among students – it just needs to appeal to the student body.

Some of the most common trends are not limited to clothing; but also include hair and piercing trends, among girls and guys, alike. The fact of the matter is, as much as we claim to want to be unique, we all want to fit in with everyone else.

Though as with anything there will always be those who go against the grain and do not follow, nor agree, with all the trends in and around campus. They are always easy to spot.

As in the case of Sbu Sikani, "I hate those coloured jackets, they're ugly. They don't fit in with my aesthetic. I prefer a clean look.”

"Fanny packs are cool. Rocky [Balboa] made them cool; also, they fit in with my simple style”, says Thabo Makalima.

These are just a few students who don’t follow ‘the wave’ and seek to create their own trends. They don't necessarily need something to be considered cool, by their peers, in order for them to wear it.

"A follower just follows a trend. A fashion leader gives life to fabric and conceptualises the fabric to bring about a life to it," says Imkhitha Mani, a Nelson Mandela University student and fashion stylist.

It is quite evident that there is an abundance of creativity and love for the fashion culture throughout campus.

Unathi Mdliva

Aphelele Jonas

Imikhitha Mani