During the years between World War II and the feminist movement of the 1960s,
Vassar College remained an all-female institution, with the 1950s marking the final decade of its single-gender student body. At the time, Vassar students were celebrated in magazines and popular culture, admired for their intelligence, sophistication, and impeccable sense of style.
One of the most iconic looks associated with Vassar girls was ultra-feminine and refined, embodying the ideal of an elite education.
The quintessential upper-echelon college woman was portrayed as flawlessly groomed, with a pristine complexion and perfectly styled hair. She wore pearls, elegant blouses or sweater sets, and full, swishing skirts. She was intelligent, well-mannered, and engaging in conversation—the kind of woman a young Ivy League man would aspire to marry.
Women’s magazines and fashion advertisements promoted this polished, sophisticated image, and major department stores marketed a “collegiate look” based on the Vassar girl’s style. This elegant attire was typically reserved for evening functions on campus, off-campus outings, and weekends spent visiting nearby colleges for social events.
In contrast, the everyday campus fashion of Vassar students was far more relaxed and practical. Drawing inspiration from their male Ivy League counterparts, they embraced a more androgynous style, wearing flannel blazers with school insignias, plaid Bermuda shorts paired with knee-high socks, and loafers. They often wore oversized plaid shirts untucked or knotted at the waist, along with deliberately worn-in denim jeans rolled at the cuffs—a look described as "studied carelessness." This casual, unpretentious style was how they dressed for themselves, prioritizing comfort and their academic pursuits rather than dressing to impress men.
The Vassar girls’ adoption of gender-neutral fashion for daytime campus wear and classroom settings laid the foundation for a shift in women's fashion that continues today. Wearing jeans to class, once seen as a rebellious statement, has become the norm, and denim remains a staple in nearly every American woman's wardrobe. Their early embrace of comfortable, functional clothing reflected a changing attitude toward fashion—one that prioritized independence and practicality over societal expectations of femininity.
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Reference:
Tuite, R. C. (2015). Fashioning the 1950s "Vassargirl": Vassar student identity and campus dress, 1947-60. Fashion Theory, 17(3), 299-320.
