On any given Saturday in the South, you will find SEC schools coming together to cheer on their teams. Georgia in red, Vanderbilt in black and, most importantly, Auburn donning orange and blue. The Plains become filled with Tiger fans young and old sporting their team's colors from head to toe.
Although I am biased, I believe Auburn has some of the most loyal, supportive fans in the SEC. From waking up at 4 a.m. to save a tailgate spot to standing for the entire game, Auburn does it the best.
Something Auburn does better than anyone in the country is celebrating our team with orange and blue game day attire. In the stands, you will find pledges in a full coat and tie, parents rocking their favorite Auburn tee and, of course, game day dresses worn by ladies.
When I came to Camp War Eagle, I was told a dress was the appropriate attire for game days. Started in the Civil War, students would dress in their finest coats and dresses to go cheer on our veterans, and since then, this tradition has stayed the same.
Being from out of state, I was shocked to see what Auburn fans wore on game days. So the summer before my freshman year, I bought all the orange and blue dresses I could find. I was under the impression that if you didn't wear a dress, you would be judged.
After years of spending hours in the morning to get ready, I started thinking, "I don't have to wear a dress, do I?" As I entered my junior year I began to realize game day shouldn't be about the your clothes, but about supporting your team.
Many things come with becoming an upperclassman. More days are spent working rather than lounging and watching Netflix, and more nights are spent doing homework than at frat parties. Our real lives are starting, so we leave behind our freshman tendencies. In leaving these ways, we seem to put less effort into our game day attire.
I'm not saying that once you become a junior in college, you turn into a slob, but we just seem to care less about this status quo.
More crop tops, high-waisted shorts and jerseys are being worn. In fact, I would say the jersey is slowly becoming the new game day dress.
The SEC may have the best looking fans in the country, but we don't have to wear fancy dresses to prove our loyalty to our school.
Nicole Fulkerson is a campus writer for The Plainsman. She can be reached via email at campus@theplainsman.com.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
