By Olivia Prather
As students return to campus, the halls are filled with diverse outfits, fashion, accessories, and more. But what makes this year’s fashion different from the past? How are students dressing for the 2026-2027 school year to be their most confident, successful, and comfortable selves?
The first notable facet of back-to-school fashion is the transition from backpacks to shoulder bags, specifically the resurgence of the Longchamp Le Pliage bags. Almost everywhere you look on campus, you will see someone with this bag, as well as different tote bags ranging from Goyard to Free People. Eloise Barr ‘29 said that she is “especially excited for new bags. Good quality brown leather bags are so popular for school.” Despite this, Leela Torgalkar ‘29 mentioned that she believes students will “eventually shift back to backpacks because they are more comfortable and easier to use.” This is in regard to the straps that can dig into a student’s shoulder, especially if they are carrying many books and their laptop in the bag. It seems as though the RCDS community is shifting to value appearance over comfort, as tote bags and shoulder bags take over the school.
When asked what she sees for 2026-2027 trends, Torgalkar said that she feels the fashion will be “a lot more classy”, and that we are “going to see that everyone will have good basics” with colorful accessories like shoes, belts, and jewelry to personalize the outfits. For instance, there will be lots of jeans with T-shirts and basic tops for the beginning of fall and the transition to sweaters for when it gets into winter. This correlates with the “chic epidemic” that has been on TikTok for the past few months and its emphasis on minimalism, class, and simplicity. Torgalkar added that brands such as Aritzia, Revolve, and Reformation will continue to be seen all over the school as they carry quality and basic staples. Moreover, Torgalkar highlighted this style for this school year for its effortlessness. She said that “especially when it gets later in the year it gets very easy to do,” since students toward the second semester tend to lose steam when trying to “dress to impress.”
Furthermore, Barr has been keeping up with New York Fashion Week, and she said that dark, forest, hunter greens, deep browns, maroons, and now grays are making their way back into fashion. These earthy themes were reflected in Miu Miu, Hermès, and Dior runways, with inspiration from moss and greenhouses. Bright, summery colors are transitioning to modest tones and blending in with seasonal change. Drawing from Vogue’s September issue, Barr highlights the “in between cool and effortless and being chic, which seems to be the number one word of our generation.” Taking this into consideration for school attire, Barr supports Torgalkar’s initial assertion on minimalist clothing with maximalist accessories, saying that statement pieces will be the biggest trend of fall this year. This emphasis on quality, long-lasting pieces with a pop of texture, color, and personality seems to be the focal point of 2026-2027 fashion. Barr is excited for more fitted, straight jeans, layering cardigans and tank tops, and structural jackets for everyday wear. She is looking forward to seeing more expressive clothing throughout the hallways.
When interviewing Luke Condron ‘29 and Egan Powers ‘29 about their opinions on back-to-school looks, they accentuated the continuation of wearing pullovers and quarter zips, specifically for men’s fashion. The two also added that Oliver Cabell sneakers are sprouting up all over school. Powers said that the shoes “have no borders” and they take him to whatever lengths he wants to go to, physically and metaphorically. With this being said, Condron also stressed that “RCDS is very diverse in fashion. There are so many people and different styles.” Everyone’s sense of style is different, and it will evolve and change over time, helping spotlight each student’s personality and who they are.
