Bruins Spirit: Upcycle your gameday
By Lauren Poehling
Getting sick of the limited spiritwear available for us Bruins in the UCLA stores around campus? Wondering where students find their one-of-a-kind spiritwear not sold anywhere in big-box stores? Looking to upcycle existing gear currently in your closet without a sewing machine? You’re in the right place— as vintage college apparel takes our wardrobes by storm, many Bruins wonder how they can repurpose clothes from their alumni parents, grandparents, thrift stores, or maybe even the spiritwear you bought freshman year right after you got accepted that you never wore! In this article, FAST at UCLA wanted to provide Bruins with resources to shop our models’ outfits, to create your own, or to go searching in the Westwood area for thrifts.
Student ShowcaseAs seen on some fellow students, UCLA gear doesn’t have to be limited to the typical gameday shirt and leggings. Pairing one-of-a-kind apparel with functional everyday student-wear combines to make an effortlessly cool look that can go from Royce to the Rose Bowl at any moment.
Our first model combined gender-neutral pieces like a plain hoodie, baggy jeans, Nike trainers, and over the ear headphones to create the Pinterest-worthy UCLA chic-student look. Over-the-ear headphones in recent years have been an easy way to elevate a casual look.
To create this inspired outfit:
Nike Mens’ Air Monarch IV or any trendy “dad shoe” (see “thrifts near me”)
Grey zip up hoodie (see “thrifts near me”)
Baggy mom jeans (see “thrifts near me”)
UCLA Snoopy tee (see “create your own”)
Sony black over-ear headphones
Photo by Xan Santos (@555xanny, @xan.gogh)
Our next model illustrates a similar concept of pairing everyday items most of us have in our closets to make an outfit that’s not-so-basic. Layering a double sweatshirt along with raw hemmed, tapered jeans sets the outfit apart as one that can easily be converted from on campus to collegiate gameday instantly. Creating jeans or shorts with hems like his can be easy: carefully cut the bottoms of the pant, then by precisely plucking some of the threads creates a perfectly frayed look. Learn more here: https://pin.it/ISXT4E8
To create an inspired outfit:
RevengeXStorm shoes or any neutral sneaker
Grey zip up hoodie (see “thrifts near me”)
Casual medium-fit jean (see “thrifts near me”)
UCLA hoodie (see “thrifts near me”)
Photo by Xan Santos (@555xanny, @xan.gogh)
With a unique 1994 Rose Bowl cropped tank and one-of-a-kind statement jeans, this student model creates an eye catching look that is easy to create on your own likely with clothes you already have. Later in this article, we’ve compiled some resources to learn how to create a perfectly cropped tank like hers, taking a tee shirt or long sleeve you thrifted or that’s already in your closet. Additionally, to create similarly patterned pants we’ve attached some resources, namely requiring just fabric paint and an creative eye! Pairing an oversized jean jacket with any outfit allows it to function both in freezing Pasadena stadium nights or breaking a sweat walking to Bunche Hall. In the time it would take to take the rooter bus to the Rose Bowl, you could create a similar look for your next adventure.
To create an inspired outfit:
Converse or any type of sneaker
Plain white jeans, cargoes, shorts, etc. (see “thrifts near me”)
Levi’s oversized jean trucker jacket (see “thrifts near me”)
Any type of t-shirt, long-sleeve you want to rework (see “create your own”)
Photo by Xan Santos (@555xanny, @xan.gogh)
Create Your OwnIn doing any type of DIY, it’s always important to take your time. Remember you can always cut more fabric off but you can’t undo cutting off too much! Using tailor’s chalk or light pencil markings can be helpful in tracing out where you want to rework.
To create cutoff tanks like our student model’s, follow this tutorial:
Or with a unique backless look, this tutorial:
To create a DIY trending baby tee look, see this video:
Or to create jean shorts and pants like our model’s, we found these helpful inspirations:
Photo by Xan Santos (@555xanny, @xan.gogh)
Thrifts Near MeWhere can you find a head start to start reworking UCLA wear on your own if you don’t have hand-me-downs or spares to work with in your closet? Luckily, with our campus being so close to many fashion hubs of Los Angeles, there is never a short supply of curated vintage stores or thrift stores to pick from. Searching for the perfect grey hoodie from our models above, or for that pair of extra-baggy mom jeans? Look no further.
Some crowd-favorites that are closest to campus are:
Vintage Inspired: specializes in curated vintage apparel from the 1970’s to mid-2000’s. Vintage Inspired is active in the UCLA community, sponsoring many fundraisers and many of their featured models being UCLA students.
Address: 950 Gayley Ave., Los Angeles, CA (next to In-and-Out in Westwood)
Klactus Vintage: West LA’s “one stop shop” for vintage clothing offers everything from oversized college crewnecks, vintage band tees, Y2K tank tops, and unique mens’ and womens’ jeans.
Address: 2253 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
TROVE: offers competitive prices that attract customers, and tasteful, trendy consignments that are constantly being added to. TROVE offers clothes, accessories, home goods, art, and more.
Address: 2008 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
Newfriend Vintage: offers hand-picked vintage favorites in many collections, including: sports, cartoons, racing, Harley Davidson, headwear, wrestling, and vintage branded items.
Address: 7600 Melrose Ave. Unit D, West Hollywood, CA
Filth Mart: offers one of the most rare and collectible t-shirt selections in LA at an elevated price point. They are stocked with thousands of vintage rock t-shirts, denim, leather, custom studded t -shirts, low slung jeans, and trucker hats.
Address: 1038 N Fairfax Ave., West Hollywood, CA
Styling by Esther Blum (IG @estherblumstyling)