Look familiar?
Looking back on my time here at college, I’ve made quite a few observations about the way college students dress. As I walked out of my last class this morning, I could only hope to myself that my classmates weren’t going to take their sense of fashion and lack of common sense into the working world.
I’m not claiming to have been well dressed since I was a little kid, or even asserting that I’m straight out of a Polo ad while walking across the quad. I had phases in my development that weren’t fashion forward, but that’s only to be expected. Reading GQ and other mens style magazines in high school and continuing my interest in fashion has lead to me to, in my humble opinion, being fairly well dressed and even dapper in some instances.
That isn’t the case for a lot of people on campus. I think fundamentally, these problems could be cured with just a few non-negotiable rules:
- Pajamas are to be worn for sleeping and lounging around the house.
- Workout and athletic clothes are to be worn when working out or engaging in athletic activity.
- If you wore it last night, you shouldn’t be wearing it today.
It’s annoying to always hear complaints that the past was better, but I can’t help but think that sentiment is appropriate in this situation. Perhaps that’s why Take Ivy had such a strong impact and buzz when it was re-released, as it depicts how college men used to dress on campus.
More than 40 years after these pictures are taken, I can’t help but think we’ve taken a step backwards. Isn’t throwing on nice chino shorts just as easy as basketball shorts? And slipping on Weejuns just the same as flip flops? So convenience isn’t a defense. And wouldn’t buying quality clothing that you can wear in a variety of situations benefit you in the long run?
There is a small percentage of people who dress appropriately on campus, and to those people, I applaud you. You’ve proved to me that all is not lost. But to everyone else that either is oblivious, or doesn’t care, I ask you:
If you don’t take yourself seriously, how can you expect anyone else to?
His Name Is RobZ 
I’m sure you wrote this for white people, but what about those who dress they are in a rap video, their style changes every 5-10 years.
I wrote the post mostly just out of annoyance in regard to the number of people who apparently don’t care what they look like. I don’t remember seeing a lot of people dressed for rap videos around campus, but if anything, at least they are trying. People in sweatpants are giving no effort, looking like Master P requires some planning.