Let denim define your inner spirit

By Katie Powers

Skinny, straight-leg, super skinny stretchy and carpenter. Do your jeans define you?

Most of us can be categorized into stereotypical groups: hipsters, scenesters, bros, homies, neo-hippies, preppies, sci-fi-loving types or indie. These vague groups are defined by your friends, interests and musical tastes.

Or, breaking it down much more simply, which jeans you wear.

We'll begin with about half of the men on campus: the bros. You've seen them in fancy salmon pink, baby blue and yellow designer polos. Maybe they are sporting a vintage A&F T-shirt that says something like, "Stella's Hot Surf Shack!" Known for a preppy, J. Crew style, you may find them listening to Fall Out Boy. Their straight leg jeans (not too wide or skinny) are usually of a nice, designer brand and maybe with a funky wash or tattered at the knee.

Next we have our selection of prepster girls. With large single stud earrings, usually in pearl or a silver stone shown off by the thick, classy headband, their style is sophisticated trendy. With that, they have taken on the skinny trend with full force, but they stick to a tailored style that looks nice and shows off fancy flats as they kick it to Jack Johnson -- or Journey when they want to get crazy.

Then there are the scenesters. These Southern California-inspired West Coast kids are a fusion between surfer punk and scream-o. You see them in skinny jeans with stretch on the bottom that appear to suffocate their ankle from their checkered Vans. Some wear ghastly ear-stretching devices, commonly known as gauges, straight bills on their patterned hats, tattoos and creative hair. You'll know who they are in the dorm when you walk by the room where Taking Back Sunday or Thrice is playing so loudly your ear drum is punctured.

Next are the hipsters. These are the trendsetters, or at least those who stole their trends from Urban Outfitters. You see the girls in oversized sunglasses and black skinny jeans, vintage dresses and exaggerated sleeves. The guys sport straight legged Levi's, black glasses and old-man cardigans. They swear by the music know-it-all Web site Pitchforkmedia.com. The musical tastes can run the gamut, but not without favorites such as Arcade Fire and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They don't play sports.

So no one probably fits into these categories perfectly. Just like how I can't fit into skinny jeans, which are all the rage, perfectly. Most importantly, it's important to get the essence of your jeans to fit yourself.

If you find yourself cringing at these four categories, make a point to do your own thing (just avoid carpenter style). There's a little bit of the non-conformist indie group in all of us anyway.