I will never forget the first time I toured Penn State. There, I saw all of the classics: Old Main, the Nittany Lion Shrine, Beaver Stadium and I even stayed at the Nittany Lion Inn. I ended up mesmerized by this little college town in the middle of absolutely nowhere, not only because of the traditional buildings I saw, but because I felt intrigued by the outfits worn by the students. I am not exaggerating when I say everyone donned a Penn State sweatshirt. Not a single person in Happy Valley wore normal clothes, and that ended up being my biggest take away from this college visit. Even though students will rarely venture onto campus during the 2021 Spring semester, a Penn State sweatshirt will totally be necessary for your Zoom classes, your food shopping trips and, most importantly, your Netflix binges cuddled up in your State College apartment.
Keep reading to learn about the most wanted PSU merch!
1. Penn State Masks
Let’s get the obvious one of the way. Penn State Students need their PSU logo masks to go to Bagel Crust in the morning, then to McLanahans and, of course, SNAP Pizza for lunch. Since we won’t leave our apartments without our masks, we might as well be safe and school spirited!
2. Penn State Sweat Set
Nothing screams 2021 like a PSU matching sweat set. This outfit is perfect for just lounging around and doing homework, or for a chilly tailgate during the fall semester should COVID-19 guidelines let up.
“If I found a cute PSU matching sweatshirt and sweatpants, I would buy it right away. I basically live in my Zara sweat set; I need more!” Penn State junior Frankie Molen said.
PSU girls would adopt a new uniform if they got their hands on a matching sweat set. It would be the comfiest and cutest new uni!
3. Nittany Lion Ears
Although we couldn’t go to Beaver Stadium in 2020, 2021 may give us some hope! Nittany Lion ears should be mandatory for football game entry. This gift could market more towards freshman or future Nittany Lions, since the majority of upperclassmen already own a pair of ears (or five).
4. PSU Visor
We love to keep up with the trends at PSU! A visor makes for the most perfect accessory for the first couple Saturdays of the fall semester when students can still enjoy the hot and sunny days in Happy Valley. Hopefully during the 2021 fall semester, we can spend our gamedays in Beaver Stadium and the tailgate lots.
5. Penn State Tie Dye Hoodie
This trend started during the deep dark times of quarantine and still finds itself prevailing! To make this sweatshirt a little more fun, a Penn Stater would love a gifted tie dye kit. Buy a student an oversized PSU sweatshirt and some fabric dye and let them make their own creation.
6. LF PSU Sweatshirt
LF sweatshirts may be one of a kind, but I wouldn’t exactly call them original among Penn State girls. Whether you find yourself walking around campus, eating in the HUB or shopping downtown, you will see at least three girls in an LF sweatshirt.
“I bought the LF sweatshirt with the glitter stars on the sleeves and I never want to take it off. I always get compliments when I leave my apartment or while studying in the library,” Penn State Sophomore Shannon Topley said.
LF’s annual 70% sale is happening right now on LFstores.com. Snag your sweatshirt right now, before they sell out!
7. Penn State Cheer Skirt
A cheer skirt remains a must when it comes to your tailgate collection. No matter the year, a cheer skirt never goes out of style in the small world of Big 10 Football.
“The way I look at it, we missed a whole season of football. So, in the fall, we need to tailgate enough to make up for two seasons, which means I need two PSU cheer skirts! One in navy and one in white,” Penn State junior Hollyann Murphy said.
Cheer skirts should really only be worn during the first few warm gamedays, but you can bend the rules and wear them the whole season! To stay warm, try wearing either nude tights or skin-tone leggings.
8. Vintage Happy Valley Sweatshirt
Old recycles into the new. Just imagine your roommates’ reactions if you got your hands on a vintage Rose Bowl sweatshirt. You may need to hide that one! Finding vintage PSU merch might be tough, but it will most likely end up inexpensive. Check out thrift stores like Tiger’s Eye Vintage and Plato’s Closet for cool merch and even ask older PSU alumni!
9. THON Crew Neck or T-Shirt
For The Kids, always—even if we can’t go to THON in person this year. THON is the Penn State’s dance marathon, the culmination to a year-long student fundraiser in hopes of helping children and families affected by pediatric cancer. PSU students hold so much pride when it comes to THON, and for the right reasons! A THON sweatshirt ends up being worn and loved at all times.
10. Nittany Lion Beanie
State College’s weather usually ends up being little funny. When you get to school in August, a beam of sweat will drip down your forehead immediately after you go outside. The weather starts to cool down in September, and then it never gets warm ever again. Once the cold front comes, cold ends up being an understatement and the winter weather makes for the perfect time to wear a PSU logo beanie.
