- October 28, 2025
- By Karen Shih ’09
Testudo brings the hype to every Terps game, tailgate or campus event. Now, he’s ready to bring high style.
This week, the University of Maryland’s mascot is showing off his new tuxedo, complete with a flashy red jacket, subtle diamond-patterned lining and state flag pocket square.
It’s the first outfit custom-made for Testudo, and more turtle-tailored attire is coming, including a lab coat and a painter’s smock.
Bailey Hammett-Colwell M.F.A. ’25 designed the tuxedo for the campus’ “superhero,” as she put it. “Being part of something so new, thinking about all of Testudo’s unique details, has been very fun.”
First proposed by the Office of Special Events for major university celebrations, the project came together and was primarily funded via Arts for All, a UMD initiative led by Professor Craig Kier.
“We thought, ‘How great would it be to bring all these resources together across campus and connect them to a larger vision that will benefit UMD?’” said Kier, connecting the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies with Athletics and more. “By elevating the arts in a really visible way, people can understand how it creates joy, or helps us consider really complicated topics. … This gives people a chance to see it show up in a surprising place.”
Hammett-Colwell and Katie Glenn M.F.A. ’27 worked over the summer with The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center’s Costume Shop to create the new wardrobe. The biggest challenge: Testudo’s large shell.
Collaborating with draper Steven Simon, who fabricated the outfit, Hammett-Colwell adjusted the design as he showed her each iteration, rounding out rounding the bottom of the jacket and changing the shape of the pockets to mimic the carapace. They also invited engineering students at Terrapin Works to scan a version of President Darryll J. Pines’ turtle pin, 3D-print a scaled-up plastic version and cover it in gold leaf to add a little pizzaz to the final look.
Testudo came in a few times for measurements and fittings, making sure he had full range of movement for his usual antics—bounding across a room to high-five Terps, doing a cartwheel in celebration or breakdancing on stage.
Get a sneak peek of several new looks and revisit some old favorites:
Katie Glenn M.F.A. ’27, left, discusses Testudo's winter look with costume shop manager Jen Daszczyszak.
Lab coat
Winter accessories
Artist’s smock
Flannel shirt
Pink blazer
Yellow rain jacket
Ninja Terp
Cap and stole
Reflecting UMD’s STEM expertise, the coat will feature native Maryland flora and fauna, a lightbulb and even test tubes poking out of a pocket, said Glenn.
The cozy scarf and matching beanie incorporate the Fearlessly Forward brand pattern in red, black and gold. “I wanted it to scream ‘Maryland,’” Glenn said.
With music notes and calligraphy, Hammett-Colwell wanted “to represent not just the painters and artists, but other majors in the liberal arts as well.”
Performing with the Maryland Dance Team at SECU Stadium, Testudo line-danced to TikTok sensation “Boots on the Ground” in a flannel shirt and cowboy hat early in the Fall 2025 football season.
Testudo spreads the love on Valentine’s Day, snuggling up to dogs and passing out valentines across campus.
Even if the weather’s not perfect on Maryland Day or Homecoming, Testudo’s always prepared with his bright-yellow waterproof set.
Testudo hates to be left out on Halloween, and over the years, he’s dressed up as Spider-Man, a ninja and more.
He’ll never leave campus—but that doesn’t mean he can’t have his own mortarboard and stole to celebrate with graduates each spring!