Grove en Vogue: Fashion Finds from the Ole Miss vs UT Martin Game

The Grove at the University of Mississippi

Saturday’s game against UT Martin saw the Ole Miss Rebels take their first Walk of Champions and also saw Ole Miss fans take their first walk of the season down the runway known as “The Grove.”

The University has been known for years for the beauty of it’s campus, it’s students, and their fashion, so we took the time to meet up with some Rebel fans and learn about their gameday style.

Sydney Pearl

Sydney Pearl, seen here in a very on-trend tie-dyed dress, bases her Grove style on comfort. She likes to wear something light and casual to beat the Mississippi heat.

“My first time in the Grove, I made the mistake of wearing heels, because I thought everyone did,” she explained, “That was a very bad move, never again.” Now you won’t find her without combat boots, her self-described signature Grove shoes.

Kate Mulalley

Kate Mulalley, hailing from Atlanta, experienced the Grove for the first time, and she loved every minute of it. She got this tribal-inspired dress from Spanish retailer Zara, and her necklace is one of a kind, made by one of her friends’ mother. She likes to coordinate her outfits to fit the color scheme of the day, but still be unique from everyone else.

“My go-to grove accessory has to be cute necklaces and a good pair of sunglasses,” she says.

Harry (left) and Nathan (right) are here all the way from Sydney, Australia. They have been a part of the Ole Miss family since last year, but this is their first time in the Grove. “The Grove is wild, there are a lot of people and a lot of festivities, and we’re having a good time!” Nathan said.

Harry

Nathan

The boys were both questionable about if they had nailed the dress-code for the event, “We actually weren’t sure what to wear,” Harry said. He decided to follow a friend’s advice and throw on a white shirt and a pair of khakis. Both boys brought their own style from down-under with their hats, which did a good job of blocking some of the sweltering sun that fans faced last Saturday.

Kristen Bailey

Kristen Bailey is the wife of an Ole Miss alumnus and a Rebel mom from Winona, Mississippi. She got her necklace from Belks and her dress from Dress Barn, but she finds her fashion muse in her daughter Francesca, who is a senior here at Ole Miss.

“My first Grove experience was a rainy sloppy mess” she said. Despite sacrificing her favorite shoes to the Grove sludge that day she said, “I loved every minute of it.” What is the one thing Kristen won’t go to the grove without? “A bottle of sangria!” she said with a giggle.

Beth Upchurch

Beth Upchurch is the cutest little future rebel from Carrolton, Mississippi. She got her outfit from J.C. Penney.

How is her first time in the grove going? “I love it!” she said.

Casey Mars

Casey Mars is a lifelong Rebel from Philadelphia, Mississippi. “I love putting a new outfit together every week, weather permitting,” she said.

She found this flowy embroidered frock at Dillards. Her first time in the Grove came when she was a little kid, and she has been here every year since. She shared a bit of seasoned Grover advice with us, “Keep flip-flops in your purse, because your feet will end up hurting.”

We found Claire, Brooke and Maddie from Madison, Mississippi sitting in the middle of the Circle.

These girls describe their style as flowy and comfortable, but edgy. They like to grab their garb from places like Urban Outfitters, and budget- friendly H&M.

Claire, Brooke and Maddie

“This is like a 10-dollar dress,” Brooke said, which is surprising because these frugal fashionistas look like a million bucks. Check out Maddie’s tribal-print purse, which she found at Goodwill. How did the Grove treating these ladies Saturday? “It’s really hot, and we had to walk along way for parking, but it was worth it!” Claire said.

Taylor McBeth

Taylor McBeth from Jackson, Mississippi loves getting dressed up and breaking out the heels for the Grove. “I love meeting new people, and getting to see everyone in their cute outfits,” she said. Her favorite pieces for the Grove are cute, short dresses like the one she is wearing from Pac Sun. She’s looking forward to seeing fun shorts and matching wedges as trends for this season.

Geno Perry

If there’s one thing boys in the Grove are known for, it’s bowties, and Geno Perry from Panola County is rocking this one. How does Geno pick out his pieces for game day?

“I dress to impress!” he said.

This is only his second time in the Grove, but he’s fired up to chant the Hotty Toddy and sing along with the band.

While Saturday was a monumental day for football fans, another important day fell on Monday: Labor Day. Surely Ole Miss students appreciated an extra day of rest after a long, hot Saturday of tailgating, but Labor Day also brought the age-old fashion debate: Is it OK to wear white after Labor Day?

We asked people in the Grove what they thought and the answers varied greatly. Some die-hard Southern Belles said they wouldn’t be caught dead in white jeans after Monday, while others felt that it’s OK to express your style in any color you like, at any time.

Ole Miss, like the white-after-Labor-Day rule was founded in tradition, but is forever changing in the face of the modern world. So if you feel like wearing white after Labor Day, it really doesn’t matter, as long as you’re saying Hotty Toddy!

Story by Olivia Morgan
Photos by Payton Teffner