My Life As… A Fashion Student

April 16, 2010     Posted in Uncategorized

Its 6:00 A.M. and your day is about to begin. You ignore the fact that its negative four degrees outside as you flip through your closet trying to pick out the perfect dress to go with your new chunky heels that you bought at the Barney’s sample sale. Of course you’re not going to tell the jealous girl staring at them in class that they were a sample sale find, you’ll let her think you went on a 5th avenue shopping spree this weekend. Your make-up is perfect, your hair newly curled, you grab your cashmere Marc Jacobs pea-coat and you are out the door. Just in time for your 9:00 class.


By Jessica

If you are a student at The Fashion Institute of Technology, this sounds like a regular Monday to you. To anyone else, this sounds more like a scene from a movie. You probably don’t think that girls like this ACTUALLY exist. They do. Crazy right? For a 9:00 Monday class, you probably wake up at 8:30, grab a hoodie, some Uggs, your Northface, and are set.  The thought of wearing sweatpants to class is horrifying to the FIT student body.  It’s a completely different world, the fashion school world.

Contrary to popular belief, the life of a fashion school student is not one continuous episode of Project Runway.  However, a typical school day is nothing like a day at the average university.  Classrooms are not just for learning.  The competition students face everyday is cut throat.  FIT students are arguably some of the most driven in the nation when it comes to working towards career goals.  They are friendly with each other, of course, but at the end of the day, it’s dog eat dog, and each extremely well-dressed canine is left to fend for himself.  Professors at FIT do not qualify to teach unless they have been working in the industry for 20 years. Most are still active and successful in their fields and choose to teach as a side job.  Opportunity is lurking around every corner and students are ready to tackle it when it comes their way.  Duly noted, they wouldn’t dream to tackle it in sweatpants.

As many would assume, a large percentage of the population are female.  The small male population is made up of mostly homosexual men.  Often better dressed than the girls, these boys have their eyes on the prize as well and put up fierce competition in every outlet.  Girls do not come to FIT to meet boys, it is a fact, and it will never change.  However, if any straight male were to walk down the block at FIT, he would probably kick himself for not applying.  It may be because they are interested in fashion, or because many want to become models themselves, but FIT girls tend to be strikingly attractive.  It is unfortunate, but true, that in the fashion world, it is all about how you look.  Even behind the scenes, being overweight is considered unacceptable when applying for jobs (as we all found out in “The Devil Wears Prada” when Anne Hathaway’s character was reprimanded for being a size 6).  Consequently, most girls are in tip-top shape, and better yet, know how to dress accordingly.  Although it is not their goal to impress some guy in class, girls know that they are constantly being judged by each other, their teachers, and potential employers that show up to guest speak in class.  They treat every day like an interview and dressing to impress is top priority.

It does sound intense (the dressing up, the constant comparisons, the competition), because it is, but as an FIT student I can attest that it is completely worth it.  Even getting up early to do my hair. Every day is a new adventure and life at fashion school is never boring.  The lack of testosterone is disappointing, but it’s a compromise I am willing to make because I am certain that I am on the track I’m meant to be on. Plus, with all these fashionistas around, you wouldn’t believe the hand-me-downs I get. It’s that fact alone that makes my lack-of-a-dating life completely worth it.

21 Comments on "My Life As… A Fashion Student"

  1. C says:
    Fri, 16th Apr 20102:06 pm 

    It’s all very well that you should be well-dressed and neat in order to give a good first impression, but if people are going to judge me for not wearing shoes that are worth hundreds of dollars, I don’t want any of it.

  2. Lisa says:
    Fri, 16th Apr 20103:47 pm 

    I’m so jealous…i want to go to FIT. Haha. Instead…I just sew and design my own clothes which keeps me sane. But anyways. Some people might think what you posted sounds horrible, but sounds like heaven to me! Enjoy it!

  3. Adelle says:
    Fri, 16th Apr 20106:00 pm 

    I'm a junior in High School and I have FIT down as my first choice college. Can you give me some insight on what it takes to get into there?

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    Fri, 16th Apr 20106:31 pm 

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  5. FIT Alum says:
    Sat, 17th Apr 20108:41 am 

    What a ridiculous and vapid article. Some people go to FIT because they get in-state tuition and have the chance to go somewhere exciting in life…but you just glorify the "rich girl's" perspective as if it is every woman and man's at your school. Your "Life as a Fashion Student" just upholds the stereotype that fashion students are clueless…when it is so not true. It's not always about glamour and money, it's about talent.

  6. Zoe says:
    Sat, 17th Apr 201012:04 pm 

    how on earth can any student afford all that designer stuff??!

  7. Kiko says:
    Mon, 19th Apr 20108:23 pm 

    yawn…boring. lol you make fashion school sound like brain surgery. maybe this is just the way you described it, but fashion school just sounds terribly shallow. what if you're poor, you can't cut it without wearing Marc Jacobs? What about the interesting students that wear their own creations? That's what I'd like to read about. I'm not knocking FIT because I have friends that go there and it's amazing. But this description…yuck

  8. Louis Vuitton replic says:
    Mon, 19th Apr 201011:38 pm 

    That is an extremely well written editorial you've printed.

  9. Layla says:
    Thu, 22nd Apr 20102:36 pm 

    Um, I know people who go to FIT–people who definitely cannot, sample sale or no, afford to spend that much on one outfit. They're better dressed than most college students in the nation (although going to school in the middle of New York City also has a lot to do with that), but well-dressed doesn't necessarily mean wealthy.

    Also, "its" = a possessive. "It's" is "it is."

  10. um okay says:
    Fri, 23rd Apr 20107:58 pm 

    I am a fashion student at my state university. All through high school I dreamed of going to FIT and I still do or even Academy of Art to study, but because money is so tight in my family I had to stick with in state tuition cost and my Florida Bright Futures money, which isn't bad at all.

    however, girls in my class don't dress to impress. while we may dress better than most people in the school. many of my classmates come to class in regular clothes , not designer clothes. as college students, most of us are broke or in general not that much money.

    it kind of pathetic to know if I do go to FIT that i have to live up to this potential. i don't think ones amazing talent should be showcased by what they wear and designer brands they own.

    i honestly could give two shits what i wore to class because i'm at school all day and just want to be comfortable, walking in heels isn't an option for me, my toes would scream at me. but dressing normally or comfortably doesn't take away from the fact i am a good designer.

  11. BothEyesShut says:
    Mon, 3rd May 201010:22 am 

    Dear Jessica,

    I'm enthusiastic to discover that some fashion institute pupils have the ability to write without justifying every negative stereotype assumed by the intelligentsia.

    Some very strong opinions have already been voiced about your article. Whether they have merit or not depends upon your discretion. I will not elucidate.

    I must say, though, this existence, this day-in-the-life-of-a-FIT-student, would torture and demean me. Having been a cosmetologist, myself, I know what it is to have one's outward appearance become part of one's occupation, what it means to predicate one's professional success upon the ability to look cutting-edge and stylish. It was cutthroat in that atmosphere, as you call it, yes, but not very impressive for all that.

    The impression I get from phrases such as, "You probably don’t think that girls like this ACTUALLY exist. They do. Crazy right?" is that you're very impressed with people who put certain clothes on in certain ways. In Los Angeles, where I live, this is standard, but here also are vast, thriving cultures and subcultures which do not understand how the ability to dress oneself can be so enthralling.

    I, personally, read this piece because I wanted to know what it was like to be a fashion student for a day. If I know now, if it truly is a constant game of "Look what I'm wearing today," then I'm rather dumbfounded, but if I've got it all wrong and it is a complex, fascinating, thought-provoking lifestyle, then perhaps people would benefit from a greater understanding of your daily rituals. As it stands, I now know more about the labels you enjoy putting in your closet than I do about why I should respect the fashion industry and its adherents.

    Thank you very much for writing, Miss; the act of writing is alone very, very respectable. In fact, if your days really do revolve around trying to look cooler than the other girls and calling it a profession (and I sincerely hope that this isn't so) then writing this blog may be the most dignified thing you do all day.

    All my best to you, Ms. Jessica.

    Yours Truly,

    -BothEyes

  12. Shanna says:
    Sat, 8th May 20102:19 pm 

    So being a fashion student is all about thinking you're better than other people? That's what I thought. Most of the fashion students at my school are vapid, brainless, and hated by the rest of the student population because they think their designer clothing and fancy sunglasses make them better than everyone. And for the record, I don't wake up a half an hour before class starts and throw on Uggs and a Northface. But thanks for that assumption!

  13. xofashion says:
    Tue, 1st Jun 201010:45 am 

    Ok, i go to f.i.t. and i love it there. your brave to say what you think and most of it is very true. i do wake up at 6 to get ready for class and looking your best and being slim and fit is part of the F.i.t. lifestyle thats why we have so many classes offered to us everyday to work out with trainers and the best stores to shop at. for the people who “spoke your mind most of you have no idea what it takes to be a fashion student. and the negative thoughts you voice just show you will A.) never understand or B.) are jealous. girls and guys the same at f.i.t are hard working driven competitive and smart. being fit and a amazing dresser are just perks. I was accepted at columbia and nyu, also a few other amazing schools. i made the choice to go to f.i.t and everyday i work very hard. Shanna you say ” Most of the fashion students at my school are vapid, brainless, and hated by the rest of the student population because they think their designer clothing and fancy sunglasses make them better than everyone. ” to me that sounds like a jealous sad girl who obviously has deeper issues then you let on. vapid and brain dead i think not. i would love to see you do what i do and maintain my amazing gpa. F.i.t. opens many doors for a person. jealousy is a sickness shanna and you should try to get well hating on girls because they are stylish is sad. maybe you dont wake up a half hour before class maybe you are one of those girls who shows up to class a few mins late with your hair in a sloppy bun and coffee stains on your shirt. the girl who wears flip flops in the fall uggs and northface are not bad brands i own stuff by both of them. what do you prefer shanna walmart and payless. kiko you say f.i.t is shallow. far from it, its just full of ppl who want to get ahead and be the best in their field most of us go of to believe it or not law school or to paris and italy to learn from top designers there. and fit alum you of all ppl should know f.i.t is a fashion show everyday and you dont have to be rich to look great. girls get clothing from all over including second hand shops and having fellow students make certain items. not everything is high priced because it looks great. every school has its pros and cons nothing is perfect. but hating on a school because ppl pride themselves on looking great and being on top of their game and the best in their field is pathetic. Being an F.I.T girl, proud to say i go there and i love everything about it, including getting up at 6 am to look great for class. your insults on my school make me that much happier i go there you wouldnt be insulting us if you didnt care and were not the slightest bit jealous. so thanx.

  14. kristin says:
    Tue, 15th Jun 201011:46 pm 

    i have gone to a regular university and fit, thank goodness im from new york state and can afford it.

    the descriptions you gave of both kinds of schools are very accurate.

    i would never trade in my first two years at my state school, however, my time at fit has been the most meaningful and challenging yet.

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