Northwestern may not have the flair of Milan or the glitz of Los Angeles, but that doesn’t stop fashion trends from sweeping across campus each quarter.

Last year, stepping into the sorority quads meant entering a sea of tote bags, dark denim and high black boots. This summer trucker hats topped the heads of everyone from fraternity boys to theatre girls.

And NU has a few notable essentials, according to Medill junior Mark Brandau.

“North Face jackets, Nalgenes and cell phones,” Brandau said. “If you lack one of these three things, you cannot be a successful NU student.”

But NU students might not be on the cutting edge of fashion after all — at least according to Jennifer Teruel, senior manager of Evanston clothing store Presence.

With Joan Rivers-like candor, Teruel said some items students think are trendy are actually pretty stale. One-shoulder tops are “totally over with,” J. Lo-style satin cargo pants are “totally out” and trucker hats are now “passe.”

Economics Lecturer Mark Witte has a scholarly explanation for students who dump dollars on fashion fads.

“I see women wearing shoes that look horribly uncomfortable,” Witte said. “(Economist and sociologist) Thorstein Veblen called this conspicuous consumption. People buy them not because they like them, but because of the impression they make on others.”

Monica Dedich, a Communication junior, said she doesn’t care what other people wear —