Homecoming’s long history at North Dakota State has always had the same goal – to proclaim our Bison pride – but fashion has changed remarkably since we first started celebrating in 1921. From evening gowns on parade floats to hoodies at football games, take a look at how past Bison celebrated homecoming and showed their school pride through their style.
PHOTO COURTESY | NDSU ARCHIVES
1927
At North Dakota Agricultural College — later called NDSU — these students show off typical 1920s fashion behind Ceres Hall after the Homecoming Game. They cover their bobbed hair with cloche hats and don below-the-knee skirts with their blouses and V-neck sweaters. These women wear long, fur-trimmed clutch coats to keep warm.
PHOTO COURTESY | NDSU ARCHIVES
1938
The newly crowned Homecoming King and Queen leave the football field where NDAC defeated University of North Dakota that night. The Queen sports a long coat with a large fur collar and stockings, items considered essential for ladies in the ’30s. The men behind her wear traditional business suits under their double-breasted coats.
PHOTO COURTESY | NDSU ARCHIVES
1951
NDAC’s lucky quarterback gets a kiss from the Homecoming Queen as his team looks on. Her Mary Janes and white gloves are the picture of perfection next to the football players’ dingy uniforms, which are much different from today’s bright synthetic jerseys.
PHOTO COURTESY | NDSU ARCHIVES
1956
Men in dapper, slim fitting suits and women in feminine dresses twirl the night away at the Homecoming Dance. Their dresses embody the “New Look” of the 50s: full skirts, ballerina length hems and nipped-in waists.
PHOTO COURTESY | NDSU ARCHIVES
1959
Beanies are the lanyards of yesteryear. Up until the 1970s, all freshmen had to wear these green beanies from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The caps had to be worn every day until the Homecoming Rally. That’s when students got to throw them into the pre-football game bonfire.
PHOTO COURTESY | NDSU ARCHIVES
1968
The queen and her court pull out all the stops for the Homecoming Parade through downtown. Even though the ’60s was the era of the mini skirt, they opt for class in long evening gowns, fur shawls and white gloves. Their large bouffant hairstyles give them a royal finishing touch.
PHOTO COURTESY | NDSU ARCHIVES
1976
Students keep it casual at the post-parade “Bison Feed” by the Memorial Union. The androgynous look was in, as evident by their wedge haircuts, straight jeans, thick belts and simple tees. A wide disco era collar peeks out over the leftmost student’s jacket.
PHOTO COURTESY | NDSU ARCHIVES
1981
Almost every guy at the Homecoming Parade wears a nylon letterman-style jacket, but the Homecoming King stands out in a western-inspired Stetson hat. The queen’s patterned fur coat (most likely covering something with large shoulder pads) is accentuated by her feathered Farrah Fawcett hairstyle.
PHOTO COURTESY | NDSU ARCHIVES
1992
Fans show their Bison pride in oversized sweatshirts with NDSU applique worn over turtlenecks. Their piecey hair, large hoops earrings and face paint give personality to the casual outfits, and green and yellow balloons are their school spirit accessory of choice.
PHOTO COURTESY | NDSU ARCHIVES
1996
The casual gender-fluid look reigned supreme in the ’90s. These NDSU students wear tennis shoes, loose fitting jeans and sweatshirts adorned with their Greek letters to show their pride at the parade.
PHOTO COURTESY | NDSU ARCHIVES
2001
NDSU students watch the parade in medium-wash mom jeans and screen-printed hoodies and sweatshirts. Their straight, short hair was the preferred style of the early 2000s.
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