Word on the street is that college is a time to find yourself. Well, I would argue that it is also time to find yourself in some interesting, dare I say, bad outfits. Us art students aren’t one to shy away from experimenting—whether sexually, artistically, or sartorially. Many want to make an impression when we go out, especially as underclassmen when you may still think that impressing your Emerson peers is worth your time (take it from a graduating senior—it’s not!). Over time and by poring over old Facebook photos, we can reflect upon our former party selves and be grateful for what has changed.

Corey Malone, Marketing Communications  

Malone regrets a few party outfits he wore freshman year. “I wore some ugly shit,” he says looking at old photos on Facebook, “I was a mess!” A notable outfit included a Lake George Bike Week 2008 purple muscle tee with green corduroy pants and tan boat shoes. At one point during a party, he snatched a red San Francisco 49ers beanie from a peer and wore it. The perfect accessory.

Another outfit involved an oversized red muscle tank (sensing a theme here) with the words “Just for Fun” and a picture of a carnival. Why a carnival? “I don’t know why,” he says. The “Just for Fun” tank was paired with equally fun denim cutoffs and Nike slides and socks. A neon Demi Lovato tee shirt also made multiple appearances throughout Corey’s college career. “Some of these it’s like, ‘Really that’s what you decided to wear?’ Freshman year was a darker time.” Although Corey’s party outfits have drastically improved over the years, he still can be found wearing his signature backwards baseball hat from parties to beyond.

David Carliner, Writing for Film & Television

David’s worst party outfit comprised of baggy jeans, a dress shirt, and Sperry boat shoes, completed with a winter jacket from Costco. To make matters worse, he wore it to a friend’s birthday party at a club in Worcester—perhaps not the best club attire. He says, “I'm wearing a dress shirt that's okay, but I've matched it with baggy jeans that probably aren't even touching my legs on the inside and Sperry's, because I was like ‘a club is probably fancy and therefore deserves these shoes that I should not be wearing out into the snow but YOLO!’ It's early 2014 and I still probably say YOLO!’” 

Although David may find the outfit cringe-worthy, it’s proof as to how he’s changed for the better, even if he’s not always confident now. “[This outfit] makes me feel great about the choices I've made since,” he says. “I have a better haircut and glasses. I've lost some weight and own clothes that fit it better,” he says. “I'm also not at a club in Worcester, so yay me.”

Emma Glassman-Hughes, The Political Sociology of Social Change

The motivation behind Emma’s least favorite party outfit was rooted in her insecurity at the time. Her mostly Forever 21 all-black getup included a semi-revealing bustier crop top and a black skirt. “My motivation was simple: look appealing to the opposite sex,” she says. “This was before I was out as bi, before I was openly queer at all… I wanted to be noticed and desired by dudes at parties probably more than anything else.” 

But like David, Emma looks back on this outfit and recognizes how far she’s come since then—both personally and style wise. “To me now as someone who is openly queer and better-adjusted than I was as a freshman, my outfit just screams ‘insecurity.’” Now Emma dresses only for herself and as a means for personal expression. “[Freshman year] I wasn’t expressing anything about my personality...other than that I wanted to be noticed as a hot body instead of as an interesting person,” she says. 

Emma has done an overhaul of her closet since freshmen year, ditching generic fast fashion styles for clothes that feel more her: unique vintage and previously worn pieces in a variety of colors and fabrics. “I wanted to start expressing myself through my clothes in a way that felt more authentic and thoughtful,” she says. “I still wear clothes with the intention of being sexy, but my definition of sexy has changed. Sexy to me isn’t just showing a lot of skin and wearing tight clothes. Sexy is style, individuality, creativity, and comfort.” 

Photo by: Ben Frohman