Campus feels like a runway. With designer logos at every turn, athleisure-inspired sets and shoes that make zero sense in Miami’s torrential downpours, it is hard not to feel pressured to conform.
Among the most visible symbols of this culture are designer bags. The extremely popular tote Goyard bags are popular among students, but a typical Goyard tote, the Saint Louis PM, costs around $1,700 to $2,000 in the U.S.
A little-known fact is that many, if not most, of these designer goods are inauthentic knockoffs. That being said, the University of Miami student body values designer goods and other luxury items in a more public and apparent way than other universities. UM style shapes students, but students also shape the style that defines campus life, and we don’t have to conform to expensive standards.
Students notice this phenomenon too. Julia Illanes, a UM sophomore, said she feels a stronger societal pressure to dress up at the University of Miami. “I felt that way in high school as well, but at UM there’s a uniform,” Illanes said. “I would never ‘dress down’ for class like I would back home in Boston.”
Others resist the pressure. Ellie Cardelle, a recent transfer student and sophomore at UM, explained that, to her, authenticity means “not looking at what’s trending or how other people will perceive my outfits, it’s about what I feel comfortable in.”
Popular TikTok influencers such as Alix Earle and other social media figures have made UM a well-known university among Gen Z for its unique lifestyle, especially when it comes to the specific type of girl the campus produces. The public perception of the female student body is rich, blonde, Goyard-wearing and party-obsessed.
Students on campus feel that influence directly. Illanes said social media “always has some kind of presence, but on our campus specifically the influence is very strong.”
The virality of this perception, sometimes called the UM effect, is real. TikTok popularized UM, and the term refers to the transformation many students experience while living in Coral Gables and attending a university where a high-end lifestyle shapes campus culture. Influencers give UM national visibility, and their content reinforces stereotypes about the UM type. Still, some students argue that influence only goes so far.
“They definitely attempt to shape perceptions,” Cardelle said, “but I think it’s all about staying true to yourself, and there’s a good amount of people on campus who don’t care what those influencers have to say.”
This effect may be inevitable due to the proximity to a major city with a prominent luxury culture and the online traction the university generates. UM’s environment unavoidably shapes style and sometimes pressures students into conformity, but students should decide whether to embrace it.
UM style culture is impossible to ignore, from Miami’s flashy city life to social media fashion influencers. But every student ultimately decides which parts to embrace and which to leave behind.