Back to Campus

A Problem that weights almost as heavily on today's college student as avoiding an economics class that starts before ten in the morning is deciding what to take back to campus with him for the coming scholastic year. Most college catalogs are stuffed with information on everything from lab fees to university drinking rules. But in none of these otherwise estimable publications can the curious student find a reliable guide to correct dress for on and off the campus.

Annually, Playboy comes to the rescue and fills this sartorial void. Here, again, is our own campus check list designed for everyone from the greenest freshman to the most sophisticated graduate student coming back for another go-round at the academic grind. For ease, this syllabus is divided into two major sections. It begins with an outline of wardrobe needs that is as applicable to the University of Maine as it is to the College of the Pacific. From there we'll investigate the differences that exist in various geographic areas and see how these basic fashion requirements are adapted around the country.

First, let's look at the national scene.

Suits: Even though most schools spawn certain fads and foibles of their own, the authentic natural-shoulder suit style featuring the classic Ivy League cut in a three-button model with straight-flap pockets and belt-loop trousers will once more sweep the American college campus scene from coast to coast this year. Stripes, from the narrow hairline to the pinstripe, will be making it throughout the fashion spectrum, but fewer of the broad chalk varieties will be in evidence. Lightweight suits will be heavy favorites: They afford all-season, all-region wear, plus the comfort needed in our centrally heated society. This year, ten-ounce Dacronpolyester blends should begin to nudge the traditional all worsteds and silk worsteds for first choice in fine lightweight suits. Most of the better suits come with matching vests, in a style to which we give the highest marks. Trousers for the college man are slim and trim but, happily, are cut a bit fuller than the "pipestems" of the noncollege young man. These styles should be worn longer than their high school counterparts and should just clear the shoe top. The number of suits you'll need depends on your social schedule, but three is the minimum.

Sports jackets: The classic navy-blue blazer has become a wardrobe essential that goes well anywhere. Blazers worn with turtlenecks give an elegantly casual look that originated in Europe and is sure to be a success on American campuses. The always popular checked and plaid jackets will be joined by solid-color models in soft pastel shades.

Slacks: At least a couple of pairs of charcoal-gray and charcoal-brown slacks still make up the backbone of any collegiate wardrobe. A pair of hopsack or twist slacks, along with chinos and poplins, fill out the basic requirements here.

Topcoats: Be sure you have one slightly formal coat. Dressing casually at the right time is nifty, but being too informal when you're off to a dance or a dinner date in town is a fashion gaffe you'll want to avoid. Your casual coat should be one of these: a reversible tweed or gabardine, a traditional camel's-hair polo coat or one of the British short styles coming on very big this year.

Raincoats: The best bets here are the crisp-looking tan, natural, navy or olive washable poplin styles on the market. A zipin warmer is a wise choice, no matter what the climate of your home campus. You should always be prepared to accept a quick invitation to a colder climate. A great second choice is a black raincoat. Besides its utilitarian value as bad-weather protection, this ebon styling serves nicely with holiday formalwear during the debutante season.

Dress shirts: You'll need at least a dozen. You can't miss with the classic long-pointed cotton oxford buttondown model. Along with the buttondowns, our advice is to try some of the tab and spread-collar styles and see how they look on you. Conformity to an established style has its merits, but avoid dullness by making an effort to try the wide variety of shirt fashions available. Though suits and sports clothes are veering away from flashy colors and tending toward the neutral shades, shirts are getting correspondingly more colorful. In addition to solid whites, blues and pinks, we see stripes, both neatly narrow and boldly broad, making the college scene in a big way this year. Muted checks will be much in evidence to give a European touch.

Ties: The current popular widths are 2 5/8 inches and 2 3/4 inches. The fashion trend in cravats is toward the bolder colors, with an increased emphasis on foulards.

Formalwear: A black, natural-shoulder dinner jacket with satin shawl or faille semipeak lapels is basic to your wardrobe and social life. This is particularly true in Eastern colleges, where increased formal activities are becoming the mark of each successive season. Don't worry if your immediate budget isn't fat enough to include formal clothes. Every college area has rental stores where you can obtain what you need; but there is nothing like having formalwear that really fits you. Take a look at the separate jackets introduced in Playboy (The Playboy Dinner Jacket, November 1963) and add one of these stylish specials to your wardrobe.

Shoes: Six pairs make a sensible and solid shoe wardrobe. A well-balanced selection would include one pair of plaintoe bluchers in cordovan or Scotch grain, a pair of classic loafers, a set of black slip-ons, one of the desert-type boots, deck or tennis shoes, and a grained wing-tip blucher.

Socks: At least a dozen pairs should be on your list. Stick to the darker shades of brown, blue, gray and black, and be sure that all of them are over-the-calf models. For extra socks, try the fisherman knits in assorted colors.

Belts: Six ought to be enough. The best buys this year are in waxy leathers, fabrics, elastic, madras and casual webstyles. Have at least one alligator in brown, tan or black, depending on the color choices in your wardrobe. Reversible belts with leather on one side and fabric on the other make another good fashion note. They can be very handy for helping to dress your outfit up or down, depending on the occasion.

Gloves: A couple of pairs of gloves should handle your needs--one dress set and one more casual pair made as much for warmth as for style. Your dress gloves, of course, should be color-coordinated with your topcoat.

Odd vests: If you own them, take them along. The attitude on waistcoating varies throughout the country, so play it cool and see what is being worn on your campus.

Walk shorts: Take four pairs. There is a lot of variety in this area, ranging from Indian madras, linens, seersuckers, washable whites, solid-color poplins, white ducks and off-whites in cord and sailcloth. Try to strike a balance with a brightly patterned plaid, a classic seersucker, a pair of whites and a strong dark solid color.

Now let's see how these basic styles are applicable to the different collegiate sections in America.

The Northeast: It's here, among the ivy-covered walls, that the classic American campus fashion look was born. The Ivy League trend today is a bit more casual than in past years, but the traditional influences are still strong.

Suits: Four is the minimum here. Your selections should include a dark sharkskin in gray, blue or olive; a tweed in a medium shade of tan, brown or gray; a whipcord or hopsack in tan or brown; and a more formal dark suit in navy or black. We see a big comeback for neat narrow stripes and herringbones. The over-all styling direction is toward the subdued pattern. Vests, we're glad to say, are going to be strong again this year.

Sports jackets: Four jackets are about right. Your blue blazer, a bold Duke of Windsor-type plaid, a patterned Shetland or tweed and a gray herringbone would be a workable combination.

Topcoats: There are the inevitable lightweight tan-poplin windbreaker jackets, as well as such newer items as the Navy-oriented "c.p.o." (chief petty officer) topcoat and a warm-up jacket in school colors. (Your local campus store or co-op will most likely have them available.) Ski-parka coats are still very much with us, and the professional three-quarter length is the current choice. Shearlings and shearling types, more familiarly known as "goat coats," are also good bets. Of course, you'll need an overcoat for wearing over suits. There'll be some handsome ones around this year, particularly the heavy rich tweeds and subtle herringbones.

Shirts: Miniature tattersall checks on colored and white grounds are reappearing for dress shirtwear. But the real Ivy look this year is going to be carried by horizontal-striped knit sport styles. We think you need a minimum of six, preferably eight, sport shirts.

Sweaters: At least a half dozen are required. The fashion here tends toward subtle classic Shetlands, lamb's wool and cashmere in all of the styles. Lightweight turtleneck jerseys and dickeys worn under regular sweaters give a Continental layered look that should be increasingly popular.

Hats: The Tyrolean is being substituted for the classic pinch-felt dress hat in the Northeast; not by everyone, but by enough to give you all the protective coloration you need to step out smartly in one of these Swiss specials.

The Southeast: This is a collegiate area where fashion is practically a compulsory course. It isn't that the campuses are full of stiff shirts, but the combination of good natural-shoulder clothing, carefully co-ordinated with a healthy respect for good grooming, leaves the unpressed, socks-falling-down crowd standing out in the rain.

Suits: Be sure that at least one of your suits has a matching vest. It's still the choice of the best-dressed men on campus. Tweeds are very popular, with prime choices appearing in the medium shades of gray or brown. For a second choice, you might try a classic glen plaid.

Sports Jackets: For this area we recommend a bold Shetland plaid. The Southeast is also the stronghold of powerfully hued tweed jackets.

Slacks: The big items here are lightblue poplin and hard-finished worsteds and whipcords. The crispness of whipcord and its natural ability to coordinate with bold tweeds make it the perfect extra-slacks choice.

Topcoats: The new direction is the fleece-lined car ceat. Some models have already been seen prominently at both the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt. Suede is another Southeastern highlight this year. Particular interest is in the dark-brown short coats.

Shirts: The styles are pretty much the same as everywhere, with some emphasis being shown in the new snapdown collars. In sport shirts, Indian madras is still a popular favorite, but there's also a great enthusiasm for red-and-white table-cloth plaids.

Shoes: In addition to the basic shoe wardrobe, we find a lot of interest in the tassled slip-ons in lighter honey-toned tans. The Norwegian-type moccasin also gets good grades from style-conscious Southeasterners.

Sweaters: Here you are better off going along with the boys north of Ma-son-Dixon and sticking to classic soft woolens in cardigans, crew-and V-necks. Turtlenecks are just beginning to make an impression, but probably will not catch on in a big way for at least another year.

The Deep South: The climate directs the fashion styles here. Casualwear in Dixie tends to take its influence from the yacthing crowd rather than from the ski set.

Suits: Navy blue is the absolute top choice for more formal dress. The preferred colors in the medium and light shades are tan, gray and olive. Glen plaids are always correct. Because of the sudden changes in Southern temperatures, it's hard to get through any given season with suits all of the same weight, so take both regular and lightweight styles.

Sports jackets: Once you've checked in with your mandatory blazer, a lightweight bold plaid makes a good second choice. As with suits, you'll want to carry light-and regular-weight jackets. Light-blue denim and seersucker also appear to be popular for the coming year.

Slacks: White is the big color in Southern climes both for extra slacks and for walk shorts.

Outerwear: It does snow in the South, and anyone who has faced a cold-snap Florida night knows that you need atleast one good warm car coat. Slim-line trench-coat models are the big news in rainwear.

Shirts: The buttondown is worn almost exclusively with only a few tabs (continued on page 234)Back to Campus(continued from page 146) and some snap-fastened buttonless buttondowns to break up a solid styling front. On the sporting scene, Henley shirts are well liked. Yellows and navy blues are new colors for most of the fashion-conscious men in the South.

Formalwear: The University of Florida goes all out in this area, where the fancy dinner jacket featuring raised scrollwork on the collar and cuffs is a current vogue. But be sure you have your basic formal wardrobe in shape before you add any of the current fads.

Walk shorts: A growing movement to allow students to wear them to class (already an approved plan at the University of Miami) adds to the desirability of a full selection of walk shorts in your wardrobe. There are no rules to follow here. Take your pick from brightly patterned madras and printed-cotton styles.

Sweaters: These items are very big in the South, with alpacas and shaggy wools leading the parade. The most popular colors are navy blue, yellow, camel and the subtler heather shades. Take along one lightweight wool or wool blend in long sleeves. You'll find it will be very useful when the temperature is too cool for the short-sleeved shirt but not quite cool enough for a jacket.

The Midwest: If you're planning a whole year's wardrobe at once, remember that in the Midwest you can go from balmy autumn days straight into a severe winter. Then spring checks in with weather that feels more like summer in Alabama--in short, be ready for anything. Take along at least one summerweight suit and a light sports jacket. Keep them right next to your winter gear, because you'll never know which one you're going to want from one day to the next.

Suits: Neat worsteds in navy blue, gray, olive and brown are our choices among the darker colors. Tan and grayolive are the best of the mediumstones. If you already have a sizable wardrobe and are just filling in, make a mediumshade glen plaid your next purchase. You should have at least one vested suit to complete your needs in this department.

Sports jackets: The navy-blue blazer is practically a Big Ten uniform, but you can give it a personality of its own by careful selection of accessories. A popular second choice for casual jackets is one of the many varieties of gold-toned tweeds showing up in college shops all over the Midwest this fall.

Slacks: There's a definite preference for traditional slacks with cuffs and belt loops. The cut is a bit fuller than in recent years. Heather mixes seem to be the favorite colors.

Topcoats: A heavy overcoat is a must. Natural-shoulder styles in camel's hair with fleece linings look like strong fashion trend setters this year. As a second choice, try one of the short-cut stadium or car coats.

Shirts: In the central states, a trend is showing up where long-point and roundcollar styles in solid colors are worn pinned. The buttondown set generally prefers stripes, either broad or narrow.

The Southwest: The cowboy look has been the biggest single influence on sportswear fashions in recent years (more about this in our October Fall and Winter Fashion Forecast). Harness-leather and big brass buckles started here as a fad and moved across the country to become solid fashion accessories. Wheat jeans also got their big push in this area and are now accepted with varying degrees of enthusiasm almost everywhere.

Suits: As a balance to the countrycasual style in sports clothes, Southwest students select their suits with an eye toward the more traditionally formal styles of the East. We like four suits for this part of the country--two dark ones in blue, slate-gray, olive or brown; a medium in clay or tan; and one softly shaded style in a light herringbone or glen plaid. Vests are still strong in this part of the country, and at least one of your dark suits should be so accoutered.

Sports jackets: The navy-blue blazer is virtually a must, but we think you'll need three or four more coats to fill out your casual-wardrobe requirements. Again, because of the weather changes you'll want to pack different weights of clothing. We suggest a herringbone tweed and a bold Shetland plaid for the cooler days and nights, while seersuckers and denims make sense for the warmer weather.

Outerwear: Take your pick among the new models of three-quarter-length corduroy coats, fleece-lined poplin jackets or the quilted nylon ski-parka styles.

Shirts: It's the oxford buttondown all the way. Various hues of yellow are big, as well as some of the darker blue shades. For sport styles, we find solid colors are strong in both the cloth and knit versions.

Walk shorts: Patch madras and white are the big favorites here. When the temperature warms up, shorts are about all you can see at the University of Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Rice.

Sweaters: They're just as important here as everywhere else. A half dozen from among the V-necks, cardigans and crew-necks in Shetland and lamb's wool, brushed wools and mohairs make a solid beginning. Alpacas are always good for B.M.O.C. status. "The heather tones, navy blue, yellow shades and olive blends are the favorite colors.

The West Coast: The top style for the Pacific student is basically a natural shoulder livened up with individual touches dear to the heart of the Western scholar. Jackets are worn a bit wider and longer than in the rest of the country. There are a lot of bright clothes on the Coast, but it's a good idea to step cautiously at first. Don't go overboard for the fad of the moment. It's better to wait for a while and adjust to your requirements, depending on the climate and the needs of your social life.

Suits: You must remember that the West Coast is a long one. Check, the weather at your school and fill in the specifics of your wardrobe accordingly. But black, navy blue, black-olive and dark gray are good choices for dressed-up occasions anywhere along the coastline. Tropical weights go big from Carmel on down. Vests are worn in the north, but rarely south of Balboa. The polyester and worsted blends are very popular, as are clear and mill-finished worsteds. A move toward hand-finished twists is just beginning in the Pacific Northwest area.

Sports jackets: First, it's that navy-blue blazer again. Then try a herringbone or Shetland. The linens, denims and seersuckers are always good for the warmer weather.

Slacks: Living on the West Coast helps a man develop a sharp eye for colors. As a result, color-coordinated slack-and-sports-jacket outfits are perhaps strongest out by the Pacific. These are particularly useful for sporting combinations in the blue shades, which have always been difficult to work with in casual clothing.

Outerwear: Ski parkas are still important out there, as well as suede jackets and three-quarter-length car coats.

Raincoats: One with a zip-in warmer is a wise choice. The nights are cooler and damper than the Chamber of Commerce likes to admit.

Shirts: The men out West like their collar and fabric styles about the same as the Eastern schools, but tend to prefer a more severely tapered cut around the chest and waist. Sport shirts in the northern areas run toward wools, corduroys and flannels. Down south, the usual plaids and stripes share in popularity with strongly shaded tattersall and hopsack styles.

Sweaters: There's hardly a sweater style going that can't make it out West. Colors are lively, with navy, yellow and camel's-hair shades leading the way. The vest in many suits has been replaced by a sleeveless V-neck pullover carefully color coordinated to the fabric of the suit.

All over the American campus scene, the emphasis is solidly on sophistication. In colors, fabrics and tailoring, the young college man of today demands and gets what he wants--the best there is. The styles depicted in our Back to Campus photos follow in this tradition.