It’s Homecoming at IU, and you know what that means: time to bust out all the cream and crimson you own like your life depends on it.
If there’s any time to get into the Hoosier spirit, Homecoming is that time. But for those of you who may be lacking in the spiritwear department, here’s how to stock up on a budget or rock what you already own.
For starters, if you’re a typical broke college student, your saving grace for purchasing new spirit wear will be Goodwill. It’s at Goodwill where the hipsters flock to find old shirts that say things like “IU Equestrian Team” or old sweater vests depicting our basketball team actually winning a game, and all for under $10.
If you’re looking for something a little more mainstream but not absolutely bank-busting, take a visit to Tracks on Kirkwood Avenue. They have a good selection of IU and Bloomington T-shirts that aren’t just a white Gildan tee with “Indiana University” printed across in red block letters. This is also perfect for those who want to get into the spirit but want to be a little more subtle about it, since a lot of their shirts come in colors outside of cream, crimson and gray.
If you plan on using your parents’ credit card to make your spiritwear purchase but don’t want to sport logos such as Nike or Adidas, a few doors down from Tracks is Greetings, the next best place to go — this is where the iconic “Hoosier Daddy?” tee, as well as candy-striped overalls, can be found. While their products may be a tad overpriced, the softness of their T-shirts will comfort you in the fact that you just spent $20 on it.
Each IU store also offers accessories such as face tattoos, scrunchies and socks that can make an outfit go from good to so great the statue of Herman B Wells will want to get up and shake your hand.
But for those of you who maybe don’t want to go and buy a whole new outfit, there are ways to use what you already own to get into the Homecoming spirit.
Ladies, if you own them, slap on a pair of white shorts or pants with a red shirt to color block your Hoosier spirit. If that isn’t available, a white-and-red shirt with some blue jeans or skirt is always a viable option.
Guys, the same structure can apply to you. Break out your salmon colored khakis — I know you own a pair — and pair that with a white shirt. As long as you pair the colors red, white, gray and black together, people will assume you’re invested in the Hoosier culture.
And if none of that works, dig down to the depths of your drawer and wear that free shirt you got from Recreational Sports during freshman orientation. It’ll give off the appearance that you love IU and exercising.
As you can see, there are a wide variety of ways to dress like a Hoosier, so don’t be afraid to go all out for Homecoming weekend with your candy-stripes, to tone it down with your color-blocking or to dust off the cobwebs from a free shirt that doesn’t even apply to you anymore. Any spiritwear is good spiritwear when it’s for the glory of old IU.
