Dillo Day Jumps on the Retro Trend

The countdown to Dillo Day is officially on. While some describe the day’s attire as a toned-down version of Mardi Gras, others simply opt for wearing any t-shirt they have – not bothering to pick out a new outfit for the event. However, this year Dillo Day and Mayfest’s vision for our Lakefill style is clear: retro.

According to Vogue, retro has been a top trend this last year. “The data doesn’t lie: The ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s are officially fashion’s favorite decades – at least according to Google,” Vogue writes. “In the company’s yearly study of the most trending searches, a metric Google calculates by tracking the greatest increase in year over year searches, the top four fashion searches were: 1980s fashion, grunge fashion, 1990s fashion, and 2000s fashion.”

However, I would consider anything that trended in the past as retro. You can even find inspiration from the ‘60s and dig up some of your parent’s old graphic tees to perfect your Lakefill photo ops.

“We picked retro [as a theme] because it’s got close ties to music history,” said School of Communication junior Haley West, co-head of Mayfest Promotions. “When you think of retro, a lot of the memories that come with it are songs from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, but also because it’s really easy and fun to decorate and dress up for.”

McCormick senior Chad Novak, head of corporate for Mayfest, says the team chose the theme because its colors usher in the transition into summer and it’s also a broad aesthetic that would allow for all students to have relevant clothing. The Mayfest crew will be wearing neon windbreakers. There will also be an arcade game truck and “other fun surprises you’ll have to be on the Lakefill to see,” West says.

The Dillo Day website and 2019 graphic highlights the theme with its Pac-Man and Pez imagery. According to Novak, most of the student art at the Lakefill will also be retro-themed. Artists Alisha Erozer, Sam Shealy, Thomas McGing, Sehmon Burnam, Ashley Chai, Sasha Kogan, Delany McCallum, and Deniz Turkoglu will all display their art at the event, and Chicago mural artist Afrokilla will be showcasing a live installation. Based on his past work, you should expect bright colors and designs that are retro-esque, yet street chic.

On May 29, MayFest is hosting Mayfit, a vintage clothing store pop-up on campus for students to explore retro clothing options for Dillo. While Novak hopes to see an abundance of neon, West looks forward to seeing ‘80s leg warmers, sweatbands, and track jackets.

In order to stand out on the Lakefill this Saturday, here’s what you should look out for at the pop-up:

Neon