100 + Years of College Girl Fashion

A photographic trip back through time –

1970s-college-fashion---getty-library
1970s-college-fashion—Getty-library

College girl fashions are an often overlooked source of both style and female trends.Whether they start in the schools or have been adopted over the years from fashion periodicals, young women heading to college in 2015 may well be putting as much effort in to their style and attitude as they will be doing to their studies. These wonderful photos prove that the female spirit was just as anarchic and inventive over the past 100 years and more.

Among many photos randomly picked from college archives around the world are the famous Seven Sisters colleges in the USA ( Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Radcliffe, Smith, Vassar, and Wellesley.) who boast many famous and glamorous graduates.

Vassar College former alumni include Jackie Kennedy, Anne Hathaway, Jane Fonda, Lisa Kudrow and Meryl Streep.
Barnard College – Lee Remick, Suzanne Vega.
Bryn Mawr college former graduates include Katherine Hepburn. Wellesley College boasts Hillary Clinton and Ali McGraw. Mount Holyoke – Emily Dickinson ! ( Class of 1849 !). Radcliffe CollegeBenazir Bhutto, Bonnie Raitt, Caroline Kennedy, Stockard Channing.
Smith CollegePatricia Wettig ( of Thirty Something fame) , Gloria Steinem ( 1960s activist )

Check out “Seven Sisters Style” by Historian and Vassar College alumnus Rebecca C. Tuite.

1900’s – College Girl Fashion

Cumberland-Valley-State-Normal-School---College-Girls-Pillow-Fight-1906
Cumberland-Valley-State-Normal-School—College-Girls-Pillow-Fight-1906
Vassar-College-1900
Vassar-College-1900
1905-Student-Dorm-Room---Vassar
1905-Student-Dorm-Room—Vassar

 1910’s – College Girl Fashion

Glen-Eden-Boarding-School-for-Girls-1912c
Glen-Eden-Boarding-School-for-Girls-1912 – Rich701 – Flickr
Glen-Eden-Boarding-School-for-Girls-1912b
Glen-Eden-Boarding-School-for-Girls-1912 – Rich701 Flickr
Barnard-College-girls-1911
Barnard-College-girls-1911

1920’s – College Girl Fashion

Howard-University-students-1928
Howard-University-students-1928
Bryn-Mawr-college---1928---Katherine-Hepburn
Bryn-Mawr-college—1928—Katherine-Hepburn
1922--Emma-Willard-School-students
1922–Emma-Willard-School-students
1920s-Edna-St.-Vincent-Millay-Protests
Vassar alumni – Edna-St.-Vincent-Millay-Protests

1930’s – College Girl fashion

Wellesley-College--1938---Alfred-Eisenstaedt
Wellesley-College–1938—Alfred-Eisenstaedt
Barnard-College-archives---senior-week-1931
Barnard-College-archives—senior-week-1931
1939---Lawrence-college-girls--kansas---Alfred-Eisenstaedt---Google-Cultural-Institute2
1939—Lawrence-college-girls–kansas—Alfred-Eisenstaedt-

1940’s – College Girl Fashion

Smith-College-girls--1949---Peter-Stackpole---
Smith-College-girls–1949—Peter-Stackpole
Sarah-Lawrence-girls---1940s
Sarah-Lawrence-girls—1940s
Howard-University-students-Rose-Esters-and-Sarah-White---1945---Alfred-Eisenstaedt---Life-Archive
Howard-University-students-Rose-Esters-and-Sarah-White—1945—Alfred-Eisenstaedt—Life-Archive
Smith-College---Northampton-MA-1949---Peter-Stackpole---Google-Cultural-Instituteb
Smith-College—Northampton-MA-1949—Peter-Stackpole
Sarah-Lawrence---Sam-Shere---Google-Cultural-Institute
Sarah-Lawrence—Sam-Shere—Google-Cultural-Institute
Vassar-college-1940s---Bernard-Hoffman---Google-Cultural-Institute
Vassar-college-1940s—Bernard-Hoffman—Google-Cultural-Institute
Students-depart-campus,-c.1940
Vassar Students-depart-campus,-c.1940

1950’s – College Girl Fashion

Beloit-Women's-Dormitory-1950s
Beloit-Women’s-Dormitory-1954
Smith-College-Glee-Club---N-R-Farbman---1952
Smith-College-Glee-Club—N-R-Farbman—1952
Bonnet-fashion-display---Rodes-college-1950
Bonnet-fashion-display—Rodes-college-1950
Barnard-College---Greek-Games-Chariot1957
Barnard-College—Greek-Games-Chariot 1957
Emma-willard-girls-roller-skating-1950s
Emma-Willard-girls-roller-skating-1950s
Barnard-College-Sophomore-Freshman-Rush,-1954
Barnard-College-Sophomore-Freshman-Rush,-1954
1956-Students-Lounging
1956-Students-Lounging – Vassar college
1950s-Students-Laugh-on-Sofa---Vassar
1950s-Students-Laugh-on-Sofa—Vassar

1960’s – College Girl Fashion

1960s-hippie-college-girl-fashions--California
Image by Arthur Schatz
Mount-Holyoke-1966
Mount-Holyoke-1966
Radcliffe-girls- end of term 1968
Radcliffe-girls- end of term 1968
Vassar-College-1963
Vassar-College- Halloween on campus -1963
Vassar---1960s-student-dorm
Vassar—1960s-student-dorm

1970’s – College Girl Fashion

Benazir-Bhutto-at-Radcliffe-1970
Benazir-Bhutto-at-Radcliffe-1970
college-students---california-1976
college-students—California- circa 1976
Nuffield-Chem-electricity-girls-1975
Nuffield-Chem-electricity-girls-1975
1973-COLLEGE-GIRLS
1973 college girls – Glamourdaze
Tehran-university-students-in-miniskirts-1970s
Tehran-university-students-Shah era – 1970s

 1980’s – College Girl Fashion

South-Shields-Marine-and-Technical-College,-1980s
South-Shields-Marine-and-Technical-College,-1980s
Mount-Holyoke-1985
Mount-Holyoke-1985
Student_happily_buses_her_tray_and_dirty_dishes_ca_1980
Holyoke student – canteen – 1981

1990’s – College Girl Fashion

Jardin-du-Luxembourg-paris-1992---emzepe
Jardin-du-Luxembourg-Paris-1992—emzepe – Flickr
Chelmsford-summer-ball---1991---andrew-of-ely
Chelmsford-summer-ball—1991—andrew-of-ely – Flickr
Bryn-Mawr-College,-1990
Bryn-Mawr-College,-1990 – dandelion daisy

2000’s – College Girl Fashion

Irish-College-girls-2009---Photo-Bronagh-Rice
Irish-College-girls-2009—Photo-Bronagh-Rice
Smith-College-Choir-girls---2014
Smith-College-Choir-girls—2014
Delta-Sigma-Theta-Sorority---Campus-Life---Clayton-State-University
Delta-Sigma-Theta-Sorority—Campus-Life—Clayton-State-University
Smith-College-2014---Carolyn-E-Brown
Smith-College-2014—Carolyn-E-Brown
vassar-2011---through-the-student-lens
vassar-2011—through-the-student-lens – Vassar archive Flickr
vassar-2011---through-the-student-lens-2
Vassar campus 2011—through-the-student-lens- Vassar Flickr archive

That’s all !

College-student-1970s

Photo Credits –

Life Photo archive
Vassar College
Richard – Flickr
Barnard College Archive
Bryn Mawr Library
Sarah Lawrence College Archives
Smith College archives
Emma Willard school
Howard University

 

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