Back to Campus
September, 1963
The casual trend in collegiate fashions will accelerate its course this school year and continue on to a high degree of neat, studied informality. The days when the glass of undergraduate fashion reflected a sloppy Joe are gone -- forever, we hope -- and the line that predominates (notwithstanding individual and regional differences in the nation's six major college sections) is the commendably clear one of demarcation between casualness and carelessness.
In a word, while formal apparel this year remains conservative (continued on page 162)Back To Campus(continued from page 154) (the ubiquitous natural-shoulder look, evident at quadrangles across the country, still sounds the sartorial tenor of the Sixties), sportswear is evolving its own traditions and is increasingly asserting itself as a popular choice not only for leisure activities but for semidress occasions as well. Highlighting this year's fashion trend is the renaissance of the camel's-hair look in garments ranging from the topcoat to the sweater.
Our awareness of the growing sports wear trend was reaffirmed by a recent Playboy survey of campus-clothing-and accessory preferences, which revealed that individual items of casual apparel in collegiate wardrobes now outnumber their formal counterparts by almost two to one. Another confirmation of our past predictions, gleaned from these interviews, is that sweaters continue to weave their wild and woolly way into collegiate favor: most students, according to the survey, now own at least five.
The undergraduate matriculating for high-fashion honors, however, will be mostly concerned with specific regional trends, and while there is a large degree of homogeneity among them, the frequently elusive, but modishly important, subtleties that turn up from north to south and east to west are essential knowledge for the would-be sartorial pace-setter. Here, then, is our geographical six-pack of campus styles for the academic year:
The Northeast: There are few surprises here in the heart of traditionland. The classically dark, three-piece natural-shoulder suit, which last year firmly established itself as the correct apparel for dress, once again predominates, from the cloistered Ivy League universities to the teeming concrete campuses of the big-city schools. Still with three buttons, flap pockets, belt-loop trousers and prominently featured vest, this garment will be seen in navy-blue, dark-gray or olive-green worsted herringbone; brown, olive or gray glen plaid; tweedy cheviot or Shetland in tan; gray clear-finish shark-skin; and natural-tan or olive gabardine. Three or four suits are optimum, but if you're going to make it with fewer, we recommend that you begin with the darks and move on to the lighter garb, in no case leaving yourself without the essential minimum of one dark and one tweed.
In sports jackets, the brass-buttoned navy blazer still reigns supreme, but there is a resurgence both of camel colors and bold, open plaids. According to our survey, most Playboy readers own two or three sports jackets (and seven or eight pairs of slacks), but in this part of the country, where a regular suit is right dress both for seminars and informal socials, two will be sufficient. The indispensable blazer should be supplemented by a Shetland in moderate to subdued plaids. If you'd like one more jacket for early fall and late spring we'd suggest a striped lightweight in Indian madras, seersucker or cord.
There are some significant innovations on the slacks scene this year. The shorter lengths of bygone seasons are no longer with us and, conforming with the neat look, your casual slacks should hang straight to the shoe tops without a break. You'll still see an occasional pair of too-low-rise trousers, but their life expectancy is short; if you've a weakness for them, indulge yourself with no more than one pair. We're pleased to note a tasteful revival of conventional tailoring in slacks, featuring waists that fit just above the hips, where they belong, and naturally tapered legs -- England's Teddy boys have happily (for us) reclaimed the extremely narrow cut. Eight pairs of slacks -- a couple of gray or olive-tone worsted flannels, three or four tan chinos or poplins, a pair of corduroys and a pair of twills or whipcords -- will carry you nicely through the academic year.
Midwinter-weekend jaunts to Philadelphia, New York or Boston require a warm, comfortable overcoat. The best bet this year is a dark, semi-Chesterfield fly-front herringbone, supplemented by a couple of topcoats (this traditional garment is making a determined renaissance in muted shades), your first choice being a semifitted fly-front Chesterfield in dark-gray herringbone; your alternate selection can be a full-raglan balmacaan in country tweed; a single-breasted box coat in natural-color camel's hair; or a double-breasted polo coat. Your one raincoat, imperative in the intemperate East, can be a tan-poplin, full-raglan balmacaan with zip-in liner; should you like a second, buy black. For unprepossessing occasions, like a windblown trek from dorm to quad or a quiet study of "American Dating Habits During Heavy Snowfall," you'll want to be prepared with plenty of sporty outerwear, and the following should do the trick: a lined waist-length jacket in camel tones (with or without hood -- most of them are detachable), a three-quarter-length loden duffel coat, a ski jacket, and a lightweight golf jacket in tan.
The great chink in the conservative armor of seaboard varsities is the sweater, which continues to contrast the muted tones of the Ivy look with wildly individualistic colors, patterns and textures. Cardigans are still standard, but vivid Tyrolean coat-sweaters run them a close second. Snug-fitting waists are the rule, with a gradual loosening toward the top. The drill in buttons at most colleges is: bottom two open, and colors similar to the garment itself. In pullovers, you'll be in style with the basic Shetland crew necks and lamb's-wool V-necks. Although the collegiate wardrobe will be dominated by brightly hued ski types, Argyles and horizontal stripes, resurging camel shades will provide a subdued change of pace.
Buttondown shirts prevail once again, with snap tabs following closely. As we see it, you ought to provide yourself with a combination of eight, in white or blue oxford, of both styles. The tab will serve you well at formal events, while the regulation buttondown is sufficiently versatile for starchy affairs or impromptu bull sessions -- with or without necktie; speaking of which, don't overlook the tie-optional pullover model, a current classroom favorite. Augment these basics with 10 shirts in color; while we lean toward white oxfords with red stripes, several shades -- especially yellows and reds -- will be popular. The standard tone in sport shirts is dark this year and a number of mellow color combinations are available in broad stripes, checks and plaids, with madras preferred for the warmer months. This year's neat look favors tapered backs.
The wearing of hats on campus, as our student survey tells us, still lies in an uneasy limbo, but the casual cap, for dress and relaxation, is coming on strong this season. Harvard is the hub of this headline activity, and Cambridge egg-heads will be donning center-crease felt hats with either raw or welt edges in olive, gray or brown. (Tip: Watch for a revival of khaki tones.) Tan poplin remains the standard for rainwear, while ski caps and knitted toques are snowballing in esteem for deep freezes. As cloth hats are nifty for dressing up a jacket-slacks combination, we recommend that you take along at least two: one in subdued plaid and another in tweed.
For comfortably correct stepping out, bring at least six pairs of shoes. You'll establish a good foothold with plain-toed cordovan bluchers, two pairs of classic loafers (one brown and one black), desert-type boots, a pair of deck or tennis shoes, and black plain-toed calf slip-ons. Add a rubber-soled Tyrol type for snowbound Dartmouth and other New England strongholds.
The ease with which you can rent a dinner jacket makes it eminently expendable from your wardrobe; still, the man who owns one holds an edge over the man who doesn't. A safely enduring buy, (continued on page 173)Back To Campus(continued from page 162) to carry you through your entire tenure in the academic groves, is the black, natural-shoulder jacket with either classic shawl or semipeak lapel. The dinner jacket of black hopsacking cloth, meanwhile, is a current fad on the Ivy League banquet circuit.
Since the predominant fact of sartorial life this year is shaded, subtle and subdued, your accessories, which come after the fact, should be contrastingly bright and lively. Ties: We recommend about a dozen-and-a-half, including: madder foulards, wool challis, a black knit and several vivid rep stripes (club to regimental). Belts: Six, in the narrow widths with buckles. Stretch-type and fabric belts are fine, but be sure to include a couple of bright ones for leisure wear. Socks: Eighteen pairs, including full-length dark tweed wools, crew socks and several sets of dark stretch nylons for evenings out. Mufflers: Two are optimum -- one solid color to co-ordinate with your outer clothing, and the other a prismatic wool plaid. Long mufflers, showing beneath the bottom of the jacket, are the latest Ivy fad. Gloves: One leather pair to match your outerwear, another warm wool and a third pair in lined leather. Vests: Include a couple of ascots and odd vests to brighten up your jacket-slacks combinations.
You may want to bring along a few pairs of solid-color walk shorts for early fall and late spring. They aren't worn, however, at many Northeastern schools and we suggest you check before stocking up. Your first-choice robe should be of wash-and-wear cotton; the second can be light wool.
The Southeast: From Baltimore to Chapel Hill and Bowling Green to Williamsburg, impeccably attired Southeasterners have established this campus region as a stronghold of sartorial independence and high-fashion awareness. The short but sometimes severe winters, sandwiched by long temperate (and occasionally tropical) seasons, require a suitably varied array of apparel and, to begin with, you'll want a full complement of four natural-shoulder suits. While navy blue and dark gray are the indispensables, the others can be chosen from among muted shades in herringbone, sharkskin and finished worsted, with glen plaids, tweeds and corduroys in brown coming on strong this year. Round out your formal wardrobe with a shawl or semipeak collar dinner jacket in black, and an Indian madras or white jacket with madras accessories for the warmer months. We'd also suggest a minimum of four sports jackets, starting with the essential blazer and including a camel's-hair jacket, an open plaid or wide herringbone and a Shetland or tweed. Ten pairs of slacks are advisable, with the Southeast's more-formal outlook influencing you in the direction of dark worsted flannels and worsted whipcords. Your knockabouts can be selected from among chinos, Dacrons and cotton poplins.
The judicious Southeasterner knows where the warm bodies are buried during the few frigid days of winter, and so he can do without an overcoat. He should, however, have an adequate supply of casual outerwear; the most popular choices this year will include fleece- and wool-lined waist-length jackets, lined suede and corduroy three-quarter-length coats and duffel-type garments. One topcoat will be sufficient; while we favor the single-breasted camel's-hair model for Southeastern wear, you'll also be in style with a somber-toned semi-Chesterfield or cool tweed full raglan. For rainwear, the sensible choice is a classic raglan balmacaan tarp in wash-and-wear natural-tan poplin, with zip-in liner. Since hats are optional in this part of the country, you'll get by with a classic felt hat and a Tyrolean or poplin rain hat.
While sweaters are the most prismatic item in the Northeastern collegiate wardrobe, Southern tastes tend toward more-harmonious patterns. Play it safe with a half-dozen of the classic styles: crew-and V-neck pullovers in Shetland and lamb's wool, and cardigans in alpaca. In shirts, the buttondown collar is primary in formal styles (with the tab collar running a close second) and absolutely requisite in sportswear. Red stripings on white oxford are coming on strong (as up North), and yellow and putty shades (in linen) will be showing up increasingly this year. In casual wear, the closest thing to a uniform look will be the navy-blue buttondown sport shirt, but fill out your collection with a couple of short-sleeve garments in checks and Indian madras.
Ties: Two dozen, in striped and club reps, foulards and classic print challis, will prepare you for anything, from fraternity parties to private conferences with the dean of men. Shoes: Eight pairs will keep your footwear tasteful as well as functional. Choose from among brown cordovans, classic-brown loafers, black plain-toed bluchers, black or brown grain wingtips, deck and tennis shoes. Socks: A dozen-and-a-half -- primarily garter-length ribbed wools in dark shades; then bulky Orlons, crew socks and full-dress stretch nylons. Belts: First choice is harness-buckle leather; add a touch of color with audaciously tinted fabrics. Gloves: Two pairs will do -- one leather and one functional pair of lined leather or wool. Vests: Odd vests are becoming uncommonly common in the Southeast. Have a ball with vivid tattersall checks or outspokenly bright solid colors.
Walk shorts are worn in all schools below the Mason-Dixon Line, and you'll be adequately prepared with four pairs. Divide them among natural wash-and-wear poplins (two), Indian madras and white linen.
The Deep South: A high degree of year-round sunshine and an equally high degree of quality consciousness form the basis of Deep South wardrobes. Formal outerwear is practically nil down here (overcoats never; topcoats hardly ever) and sweaters are just about the warmest staple to be seen. There are, of course, chilly exceptions to the tropical rule up "north" in Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia.
The classic natural-shoulder suit (with vest, in spite of the weather) is worn practically by decree here. Be prepared with six suits: a navy blue, a dark-gray herringbone and a lovat-mix tweed for the cooler months and, for the warmer ones, a few garments in seersucker, cord, tan poplin or dark-tropical worsted. Dinner jackets are usually rented here. The most-popular style is the black natural-shoulder model, but you'll want a white or madras jacket for warmer weather. You ought to have four sports jackets, including a soft Indian madras, two blazers (one navy and one black), and a Shetland or tweed, as well as nine pairs of slacks -- flannels in olive are most popular, followed by medium to light grays, corduroys, chinos and wash-and-wear poplins.
If a topcoat is necessary in your area, a natural-tan gabardine, a semi-Chesterfield in tweed, or a trailblazing camel's-hair box coat will do nicely. A natural-color poplin bal raglan raincoat, with zip-in lining will serve both for inclement outbursts and as a wraparound for occasionally cool days. Just to be on the safe side, take along a golf jacket, a car coat and a colorful three-quarter-length jacket.
The drill on dress shirts in the Deep South, as elsewhere, is buttondown and tab. A combination of 18 in both styles will be more than adequate and, while most of them can be chosen from among the basic colors -- white, blue and yellow -- campus fashion leaders predict that red-stripes-on-white and solid-pink oxfords will be showing up at Southern schools this year. A dozen sport shirts should take care of all the beer-hall elbow bending and other casual activities you can handle; here, once again, the buttondown collar reigns supreme, with the most-popular patterns being Indian madras, plaids, checks, stripes and solids.
Both the top and bottom of the male silhouette depart from national fashion trends in this part of the country. As hats are regularly worn, we'd suggest, in order that you not get caught with your top down, a total of four: a classic crease center-vent felt in a medium shade, a cloth hat, a rain hat and a coconut for formal spring doings. Footwear is the most expensive item in the Southern collegian's wardrobe; most students take great pride both in the quality of their shoes and the brilliance of their shines. Eight pairs will keep you fashionable, and the best choices are classic hand-sewn loafers (black and brown), plain-toed cordovan bluchers, wingtip cordovans and grains, deck or tennis shoes and black tassel loafers, which are making a spirited comeback in this part of the country.
Ties: Fifteen, in rep stripes, challis and foulards, plus some madras and batiks for hot-weather wear. Socks: Twenty pairs, in ribbed wools, white wools and crews. Belts: Contrast the coolness of your suits with brightly hued fabrics like madras. Harness buckles for leather belts will be popular. Muffler: We don't think you'll need one, but if you insist, make it silk. Gloves: Another unnecessary accessory, but take along a pair of leather gloves just for elegance. Odds and Ends: Include a couple of odd vests just for color. Don't forget a good supply of swim trunks and silk pocket squares in classic foulard prints.
Walk shorts are virtually a necessity in the South, so prepare yourself with eight pairs in madras, poplins, chinos and whites.
The Midwest: The only thing predictable about Midwestern weather is that, whatever the season, it will probably be extreme. Collegians in this area, if they're going to be functionally as well as fashionably attired, need a full complement of chill-repellent outerwear for protection during the severe winters, as well as plenty of warm-weather wear for normally tepid, but occasionally torrid, days in fall and spring.
As far as suits are concerned at Midwestern campuses this year, experimentation is for the chemistry labs; the sine qua non is the natural-shoulder look in as classical an outline as a Latin text. While Caesar may have divided Gaul into three, your collection should number five: first, a low-key worsted or worsted flannel in navy, gray or olive, and then choose from among herringbone cheviots, a blue-gray glen plaid and a charcoal-brown shark-skin. The most popular dinner-jacket style will be black natural-shoulder in shawl or semipeak lapel, with the white formal jacket holding sway during spring. Dinner jackets are normally rented in the Midwest.
The blazer, here as elsewhere, is de rigueur, but colors vary. In order of popularity, you'll need navy, black, olive and camel. Three more sports jackets will fill out your wardrobe; we'd suggest a medium to heavyweight Shetland, a tweed in bold herringbones or muted plaids and a tropicweight or seersucker for the warm months. Match these with about a dozen pairs of softly shaded slacks, including three or four worsted flannels in medium or charcoal gray, a pair of olive flannels, two dark-worsted whipcords, and a couple of corduroys and chinos. A trend toward white wash-and-wear slacks seems to be a-borning in the Midwest and, if you want to be a pace-setter on your campus, you'll add a pair of these.
The overcoat is hardly optional in middle America's frozen plains and windy cities. A wool coat with full, warm lining, either in regular or three-quarter length, will do the job, and we also think you'll find a topcoat useful. A safe choice would be the natural-shoulder gray herringbone, but subdued tweed raglans will be seen at many schools, and so will the revivified camel's-hair polo coat. A good supply of casual winter outerwear is essential. Do as your Northeastern fraternity brother does, by taking along a warm waist-length jacket, a duffel coat, and ski and golf jackets. As there are no definitive sweater trends in the Midwest, everything from plain and bulky wool cardigans to prominent-design ski types, classic Shetlands and lamb's wools, and cashmeres in both crew- and V-neck pullovers is perfectly acceptable. A total of six will do fine. (Tip: Watch for a resurgence of subdued camel colors.)
Buttondown and tab-collar shirts, in that order, predominate in the Midwest as elsewhere. White, blue and colored stripes on oxford cloth are basic, but fill out your complement of 14 with a couple in restrained olive and vivid sun colors. In sport shirts, the pullover with buttondown collar is pre-eminent, but conventional coat types also will be seen. Plaids, subdued prints and solid colors -- both bright and mellow -- are the fundamental patterns.
Hats are worn as much for protection as style in this stronghold of strong winters. A dark felt with narrow brim in either center-crease or front-pinch models will serve for those events when a lid is required. Add a poplin topper for seasonal skeins of rain and, if you want to tower sartorially above your peers, take along a fashionable green-velour Tyrolean. Midwestern footwear shows a marked tendency toward functionalism, so be sure your six pairs of shoes are strong, sturdy and serviceable. Black or brown classic loafers, plaintoed cordovans and desert-type boots are excellent for stepping out, but add a pair of ski boots, and some deck or tennis shoes for casual wear.
Ties: A couple of dozen of all kinds will do fine, but be sure your reps are spirited to contrast the discreet tone of your basic apparel. Socks: Your 20 pairs should include a predominance of dark wools and crew socks, as well as several pairs of boldly tinted Argyles. Belts: Heavy leathers, webbing and colorful fabrics, all with broad harness buckles, will be seen on Midwestern campuses. Mufflers: One classic challis and one wool plaid will serve you well. Gloves: At least three pairs: one leather, one wool knit and a pair of ski mittens.
Take along a couple of flannel, ski-type pajamas for predictably frigid nights. Ditto for a warm wool robe, and perhaps one in light wash-and-wear cotton for fall and spring. As walk shorts are worn at the beginning and end of the Midwestern academic year, you'll be both comfortable and in style with a collection of chinos, madras, batiks and white ducks.
The Southwest: From Baylor to Rice and Houston to Brigham Young, Southwestern sartorial preferences are a potpourri of Eastern and Western influences, sharply flavored by this section's own undaunted stamp of individuality. The same B.M.O.C. may be seen in a 10-gallon topper one day and a velour Tyrolean the next--or a pair of Western wheat jeans interchanged casually with black poplins.
Regional singularity, however, does not buck the national natural-shoulder trend even slightly; indeed, this style's unquestioned prevalence signals a more sophisticated outline for Southwestern student bodies than ever. Although generally subtle and subdued, the choice of colors here is wider than elsewhere in the U. S. A. Navy blue, dark gray, brown or black in light- or midweight worsteds are all acceptable for dress, as are gray and brown herringbones. You can fill out a neatly rounded complement of four suits by adding one or two hopsacks, sharkskins or flannels.
Like every other campus area, the Southwest is going to blazers, with navy, black and olive the established colors, and camel's hair promising to be a favored innovation. We think your sports-jacket collection will be well-balanced if you add a muted plaid or Shetland, a bold plaid, and a wide-wale herringbone in gray, tan or olive. Coordinate these with a dozen pairs of slacks, assuring yourself of at least four lightweight worsted flannels, as well as three in charcoal, one in olive, and the rest in chino, wash-and-wear poplin and wheat jeans. For parties and banquets, it is not improper to rent a dinner jacket in this area -- a black shawl-collar lightweight natural-shoulder model for the mild winters and a white jacket for the milder springs.
The only overcoats seen in this temperate region are mothballed in the closets of transplanted Easterners. You'll be warm enough with a topcoat--either a dark-gray natural-shoulder herringbone or a dark-hued, fly-front split raglan. (Velvet trims and extremely snug tailoring are considered affected in the rugged Southwest.) For your casual needs, be sure to have a natural-color golf jacket, as well as a hooded duffel-type loden or a warmly line three-quarter-length coat. If weekend mountain jaunts are in your curriculum, add an unlined ski jacket, and take along a three-quarter-length raglan natural raincoat or a black wash-and-wear poplin with zip-in wool or pile liner for occasional rainy days.
Southwestern individuality really runs rampant on the vividly hued sweater scene. Wide, colorfully contrasting stripes, brilliant solid tones and vibrant ski types will be seen throughout the area. We don't think you'll make the casual classroom, Hofbrau and spectator-sport circuits comfortably with fewer than eight. Include a couple of three-button cardigans, several pullovers and a supply of classics in lamb's wool and Shetland. Shirts, on the other hand, will generally be seen and not heard: loud stripe and color patterns in the Southwest are reserved for the fashion iconoclast. As buttondown oxfords predominate, we believe you'll be well-prepared with 20 in the basic colors: white, blue and olive. Include some fine, medium or broad stripes according to your own taste. Vary your collection of a dozen sport shirts from the deep madras, hopsacks and other cottons to the lighter gingham checks and muted stripes.
Bare heads are fashionable in this section, but you may want a poplin rain hat for those rare cloudbursts and perhaps a 10-gallon topper for laughs. As for shoes, you should have a half-dozen pairs on your rack. From the formal to the casual, try to include cordovans, saddles, and plain-toed bluchers in brown or black; hand-stitched loafers; wingtip cordovans and a couple of pairs of tennis or deck shoes.
Ties: Since broader ties are cutting a wide swath in the Southwest, we'd suggest you leave home any cravats narrower than 23/8 inches. Take along a couple of dozen of the expanded widths in regimental and broad-striped reps, at least one black knit, and small-patterned challis and foulards. Socks: Dark tones dominate, except for the white socks worn with wheat jeans or walk shorts; your collection of 18 should include several somber-shaded ribs, stretch socks and crews. Belts: You'll need five, in leather, webbing or fabric, all with heavy buckles. Gloves: One leather pair to match your topcoat and a warmly lined pair for weekend mountaineering. Vests: The odder the better. Three bright ones (a solid color, a tattersall check and a plaid) will liven up your sport combinations. Robes: Patterns--plaids and deep-tone paisleys, preferably -- are favored over solids in the Southwest. One robe will be sufficient.
Sun-tanned legs are a common and accepted sight on Southwestern quadrangles, so be sure to tote along about eight pairs of walk shorts. Bermudas -- in solids, madras and white duck -- are the most popular.
The west coast: From Puget Sound to the Mexican border, Western colleges and universities, true to the spirit of old frontiersmanship, are indomitable outposts of individuality, and they share little in common besides the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Ocean (and, of course, the inexorable natural-shoulder accent). Because the proximity of beach and mountains all along the coast allows the Western collegian an endless variety of outdoor diversions (particularly in California) -- from water skiing one weekend to snow skiing the next -- his sports wardrobe should be suitably arrayed.
Basic suit colors, from Seattle to Los Angeles, are navy and charcoal gray in worsteds and flannels, with gabardines and coverts making determined inroads and glen plaids showing pacemaking possibilities. If your campus is located north of San Francisco, we recommend that you include in your complement of five suits a lightweight brown tweed and a poplin or cord; for Southern California, substitute some Dacron worsteds and other light- and midweights for the heavies. Dinner jackets are rentable, but if you'd like to have your own, take along a black natural-shoulder model and a white one as well.
In blazers, although navy is still the favorite shade all along the Coast (with camel's hair coming on strong), bright red will also be seen on southern campuses and deep burgundy farther north. You'll want, in addition to your blazer, a diagonal tweed, a modestly patterned Shetland, a muted plaid and a madras-cotton jacket. Match these with worsted-flannel slacks in gray and olive, tan and olive chinos, wash-and-wear poplins in grays, browns and natural colors. Tan cavalry twills will be worn all along the Coast, and watch for fields of wheat jeans in California.
Overcoats are optional along the southern coastline, but Northwesterners will want a full-length herringbone wraparound, while students all along the Pacific will find a natural-shoulder herringbone topcoat useful for formal wear. Tan, oyster or black three-quarter-length raincoats, with zip-in liners, are recommended to ward off regional smog, fog and precipitation. Since casual outerwear is worn for almost any occasion here, you'll be well-prepared with a collection chosen from: light-blue or oyster golf jackets; unlined nylon ski parkas; wide-wale corduroy jackets in natural and olive; laminated knits; and fleece-lined jackets. The farther your alma mater is from California's celebrated sunshine, the more duffel and loden coats, hooded fleecelined parkas and wool plaid lumber-jackets you should include. Because there are no definitive sweater trends on the West Coast this year, you'll be safe with half-a-dozen chosen at random from the styles prevalent in the other five campus regions.
California casualness has influenced the entire West Coast as far as dress shirts are concerned and, since they're worn only for the most formal events, we don't think you'll need more than a dozen. Among them you can include, in the warmer climes, both long and short sleeves in buttondown and tab-collar oxfords; as you move north, you should lean toward stripes and checks. The common denominator in sport shirts is buttondown, tapered madras, solids, and checks, but California also favors high-style sweatshirts in rainbow colors while Oregonians and Washingtonians go for wool flannels and Pendleton forestry-type apparel.
Off the top of the head (and in storage) is where West Coast hats generally are, so you'll need only a couple. A center-crease clay or dark-brown felt (in the narrower brim -- 1 1/2 inches) will do for most occasions, although you might want to add a knockabout poplin rain hat and a cap. Seven pairs of shoes, on the other hand, would be a proper footnote to your basic fashion text. We suggest as first choice a couple of pairs of wingtips in black or brown, followed by brown cordovans and black saddles, black plain-toed bluchers, brown cordovan bluchers, and black or brown classic loafers. You'll probably want a pair of desert boots, too, and you may find that white bucks are showing up on your campus -- but it's wise to check before you buy.
Ties: The strong casual accent on the West Coast means fewer ties; for most men, a dozen will do. Take along the usual reps, challis, foulards and black knits; add a couple of square-end cottons and silks for California. Socks: Eighteen pairs, mostly crews, but also several dark hose and a couple of subdued Argyles. Belts: Four or five in leather, webbing or fabric. All should have harness buckles.
Take along a washable cotton robe, and four or five pairs of walk shorts in poplin, cord and madras.
There it is. Although the general fashion outlook for 1963/1964 is subdued and conservative, your wardrobe can be as smart and jaunty as your imagination allows; and if fashion is any criterion, you're going to spend a relaxed academic year -- for right dress has never been more at ease.
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