Style for Saturday: Beer Bike Fashion Tips

By Christina Tan     3/26/19 11:38pm

Beer Bike is a full-blown cultural phenomenon, and with that comes a diversity of choices for style. But when forced to wear the same shirt as 300 of your friends, setting yourself apart with a unique look on Beer Bike morning can seem difficult. However, being extra in every manner — from dyeing your hair to cutting up your shirt — is acceptable if not encouraged on this special holiday. Here are some fashion trends to follow:

Dyeing Hair

If you’re weak like me, stick to bleaching your tips and then running off to the nearest barbershop to reduce your chances of split ends. Dark hair is somewhat of a curse for Beer Bike, since multiple rounds of bleach are often necessary to make your hair light enough for dyeing. That being said, you’re already laying in the quad, so couple your ~relaxation~ with aluminum foil, bleach and hair dye. 

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To bleach, put on a shirt you don’t care about and section off your hair using hair ties or clips. Starting at the bottom, apply bleach using a comb or brush. When finished, wrap your tips or full head of hair with aluminum foil and let sit for around 40 minutes, checking every 10 minutes to see the lightness of the hair. Afterwards, wash your hair thoroughly before dyeing with color — Manic Panic is the move for dye. Hair maintenance is important during this fragile time: be sure to invest in heavy duty conditioner to prevent split ends and other hair travesties post-Beer Bike.

Special cases: If you’re bleaching facial hair, be sure to buy special bleach to avoid bleaching your skin. If you’re blonde, just ignore the above text and stick your hair into dye however you want. 

Accessories

Underrated, under-discussed: accessories can make you stand out of the crowd. From the practical (fanny packs) to the less practical (face glitter), there are a million options for you to choose from. Here are some tried-and-true suggestions:

Fanny packs

If your college doesn’t already sell fanny packs, cop one somewhere else! These bad boys can hold your phone, keys and dignity as you move from Martel to Hanszen and between colleges. A normally shamed item, fanny packs make you look ~hip~ and ~happening~ on Beer Bike. Be warned: they will not protect your phone from the water balloon fight. Trust me.

Sunglasses

Even though it might rain on Saturday, sunglasses frame your face, give you a chance to add more color to your fit and are underrated for Beer Bike morning festivities (and for water balloons to your face). Amazon sells cheap plastic heart-shaped sunglasses in a variety of colors, so pick up a pair in your college’s color(s)!

Temporary tattoos

What better way to display your college pride than to wear it on your sleeve, literally? Companies like StickerYou sell customizable temporary tattoos — wear a crest, “Jones Blows Goats” or any other mantra. Alternatively, Inkbox sells semi-permanent tattoo ink (and you can get that Amazon two-day shipping on it) for more freehand styles. 

Cutting shirts

For those of you unconcerned with keeping your shirts intact for history, cutting them might be the way to go. (I would highly recommend that you do this before Saturday morning — ask Backpage editor Simona what happens if you don’t). Styles to try are: collared (cutting a v out underneath the collar of the shirt), tank (cutting the sleeves off and then trimming down to midriff) or crop (cutting off bottom, optionally sewing the raw ends). 

Typical clothing

For those of you who care less about standing out and more about surviving, be sure to wear practical shorts — athletic or soft shorts offer maximum mobility. Tennis shoes are a must, particularly when trekking across campus or jumping up and down on the Martel sundeck with hundreds of other people. Be warned though: white is not the move, especially if you’re anywhere near someone from Lovett during the water balloon fight. 

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