In August 1957, Glamour unveiled the magazine’s first 10 Best-Dressed College Girls in America. The winners had been selected from hundreds of colleges and universities across the country for their fashionable campus, weekend, and party outfits. While we would never judge women based on their appearance alone now, the list was forward-thinking at the time for recognizing that women had become an important fixture on campus.
Eventually the contest was changed to focus on a more diverse range of talents and highlight the next generation of leaders and renamed to College Women of the Year. Just some of the exceptional women honored over the years include Martha Stewart, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Katiti Kironde, and Amanda Gorman. Most recently, Glamour has honored outstanding community college students of all ages, undergraduates at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), collegiate athletes, and aspiring women in STEM.
This year we’re returning to our roots, in a way: fashion students. Glamour has a long history of celebrating and supporting changemakers in the industry, from honoring disruptive designers like Aurora James and Diane von Furstenberg at our Women of the Year awards to our annual By Women initiative that spotlights women-owned brands. But though women make up 60% to 80% of the garment industry’s workforce around the world, the gender pay gap still exists and only 10 out of 35 leading luxury brands have female creative directors. We believe the next generation of business-savvy professionals, creative thinkers, and—yes—well-dressed women can and will change that.
So if you’re a college fashion student studying design, retail, marketing, law, tech, merchandising, and everything in between—and feel you’re making a significant contribution to your community—we encourage you to apply now. You can do so at this link here or, below, you’ll find a simple form to nominate yourself (or a friend or family member) to be one of Glamour’s 2025 College Women of the Year. Mentors, professors, and administrators can also nominate exceptional students.
We look forward to hearing from a diverse array of fashion students across the country who are breaking barriers, setting new standards, and making a positive impact in your communities.
