Back to Campus

The education explosion continues and brings with it a sartorial question for undergraduates: how to stand out in a swarm of gentlemen and scholars and avoid being just one more face in the registration line. The solution for those aspiring to the status of Playboy Man On Campus is to select a wardrobe that's distinctively right not only for you but for your own collegiate area as well. To help you stock up on appropriate wearables, Playboy once again presents its annual back-to-campus clothing guide, a regional rundown of P. M. O. C. styles making the academic scene from Amherst to UCLA. But first let's take a look at over-all campus trends.

Suits: College men still prefer the Ivy League--inspired natural-shoulder, three-button models with straight flap pockets and belt-loop trousers. We recommend a minimum of three. While dark colors--in both solids and pencil, pin and chalk stripes--are making top marks across the country, be sure to upgrade your wardrobe with at least one suit that has a matching vest.

Sports jackets: Blazers in (text continued on page 184)olive and burgundy as well as classic navy blue are all-campus favorites. We're glad to note, however, that bright plaids in Shetlands and tweeds have rapidly become the second choice of fashion-minded collegians. While most sports jackets retain the Ivy look, there is a growing trend toward English tailoring that features a slightly nipped-in waist and medium side vents.

Slacks: Slim-fitting ones are de rigueur on all campuses, but leave the skintight styles to high school dropouts. Dress slacks are being cut with a slightly higher rise for above-the-hips buckling. Casual models in denim, poplin and corduroy retain a short rise for the look of informality. Both types should just touch the shoetops. We feel that the campus-wardrobe minimum is two pairs of gray flannels, one pair of hopsack or corduroy, four pairs of chinos and two pairs of poplins.

Shirts: Oxford buttondowns still come in first on all campuses, but to avoid the day-to-day uniform look, pick up a few pin and tab models. A Best-dressed Man On Campus' shirt stock should include a minimum of 12; one third white, one third a mixture of solid colors (blue, yellow, beige and pink) plus some stripes, and one third bold tattersall checks and over-all prints.

Ties: The style is broad and bold. Two-and-three-quarter inches is the most popular width, but the trend spreads all the way to three-and-three-quarters. The superwide tie looks best with more extreme suit styles that have wider lapels, a strong suppression at the waist and deep side vents, rather than the classic Ivy model. Old favorites such as striped reps, paisleys and wool challis are still being knotted up across the nation.

Outerwear: Unless your campus social calendar includes an overabundance of dress-up cold-weather occasions, one slightly formal topcoat should suffice. Make it a semi-chesterfield or a well-cut polo model. If this year's clothing budget is a bit tight and you're looking for a casual style to do double duty for dress-up dates, check out the latest look in dark-toned British warms.

Raincoats: Collegians are braving the elements in poplin balmacaan models in natural or oyster color. A dark-blue one does yeoman's service as a lightweight outercoat when going formal. Regardless of how fair your campus clime is, you'd be wise to invest in raincoats that come with zip-in linings--thus preparing yourself for wherever an impromptu get-away-from-it-all weekend may take you.

Formalwear: Stick to a black, natural-shoulder dinner jacket with faille semipeak lapels or satin shawl collar. If you're a freshman or transfer student, you'd be wise to wait until after you hit campus before buying formal garb. Once your social calendar is established, however, give serious consideration to picking up a formal outfit. Rental shops are handy, but they can also make for last-minute fitting problems. The separate jackets introduced in Playboy (The Playboy Dinner Jacket, November 1963), for example, are stylish standouts.

Shoes: Six pairs are a good start. Before leaving for school, look over your collection and leave the beat-up ones behind. The well-shod college man's shoe rack should contain at least one pair of black slip-ons, one pair of wing-tip bluchers in Scotch grain or cordovan, one pair of moccasins, one pair of plaintoe bluchers, and some low-cut desert boots and deck or tennis shoes.

Socks: We'd advise a minimum of ten pairs. Take along plenty of white and dark crew socks as well as dark-toned ribbed wool and stretch-nylon socks in over-the-calf lengths.

Belts: It's a cinch you'll need six to eight. Make your selection from sporty models that come in webbing, elastic and fabric, as well as dress leather styles that come in black and brown. Be sure to include one or two with cowboy buckles to coordinate with as well as hold up Western-style slacks.

Gloves: Two pairs are the minimum. Keep one for everyday activities such as walking to class and driving; reserve the other pair for evenings on the town.

Walk shorts: Check out the campus before you buy. Some schools allow walk shorts in class, while others restrict them to dorms or fraternity houses. Madras, poplin, seersucker, cord, twill and denim are all top-drawer choices.

While the preceding sartorial generalizations can be made about the national college scene, styles shift from one region to another. To make sure that you head back to campus properly attired, the following sections discuss the fashion requirements of individual areas.

The Northeast: The home of the conservative Ivy League look, Northeastern schools still pay homage to style traditions, but they are also quick to try out European-influenced innovations. For example, Mod garb--in various degrees of modification--”; will be worn on the majority of Northeastern campuses.

Suits: The trend is to tweeds in rich brown tones. When the men of Brown rally round their beer steins, it's a good bet they'll be wearing either solid-color or patterned tweed suits. However, when the occasion calls for a dressier look, they favor dark-gray or blue worsteds and flannels with subdued stripes.

Sports jackets: You'll want a minimum of four. Begin with a couple of blazers, one navy blue and the other either burgundy or a gold-brown combination, then add a bright plaid Shetland model and a herringbone. Three-button coats are still preferred by most North-easterners, but Mod-type four-button models are being donned on a few campuses.

Slacks: Undergrads from Maine to Princeton are brightening up their slacks wardrobes with bold glen plaids in combinations such as brown and gold, and olive and orange.

Shirts: We recommend at least six sport shirts. Velour is high on the scoreboard, along with madras, glen paid and small tattersall checks. In dress shirts, the ubiquitous buttondown is way out front in popularity, but some students have graduated to tabs and pin collars.

Sweaters: V-necks, crews and bulky Mod turtlenecks in lamb's wool. Shetland and cashmere are the style setters. Thick "Irish fisherman" sweaters are big on some campuses. They're great for after-ski hosting and toasting.

Outerwear: Northeastern winters are long and cold, so add a warming trend to your wardrobe with several outercoats. For stadium sessions as well as those long treks to an eight-A.M. English class, we recommend a shorty bench-warmer jacket, a Navy-oriented "c.p.o." (chief petty officer) or buffalo-plaid outer shirt. an English peacoat or a Western three-quarter-length shearling coat. Denim wrangler jackets are great for top-down drives along the coast as well as touch football on the quad. Naturally, you'll need a dressy overcoat, so check out the latest semi-chesterfields and rich tweeds.

The South: When it comes to clothing the student body, the last thing a Southern or Southeastern student wants to do is rebel. Rather, he follows in the sartorial footsteps laid down by two factors: tradition and climate. New fashions get a thorough looking over before being accepted as part of the well-dressed scene. While unstudied casualness that borders on sloppiness is accepted at some campuses north of the Mason-Dixon line, at Southern schools such as William and Mary and the University of Virginia it's an unforgivable sin. But in an area that stretches from the sun-drenched lawns of the University of Florida to Tulane, there is plenty of room for fashionable diversity.

Suits: Dark colors in both stripes and solids (we like the golden-brown tones) suit the needs of Southern gentlemen. Lightweight worsteds in both two- and three-button models are the most popular, (continued on page 227) Back to Campus (continued from page 184) but prepare yourself for the inevitable cold snap with one or two regular weights. Dixie college men will also be playing it close to the vest this season with elegant Southern adaptations of the traditional Ivy League three-piece suit. Campuses farther North, such as Vanderbilt and Kentucky, favor midweight tweeds and flannels, while their Deep South neighbors choose cooler versions in Dacron-cottons, poplins and whipcords. The bold-glen-plaid suit--a look we like--is rapidly becoming an allcampus leader. It not only makes a stylish switch from dark shades but also goes well with two-and-one-half- to three-inch-wide ties.

Sports jackets: Blazers are worn on all campuses. We recommend that you supplement your navy-blue one with a camel, dark-green or burgundy model. If you're studying way down South, pick a blended fabric to give you body without too much warmth. Southeastern men favor Shetland and tweed sports jackets in bold plaids and solids. Linen coats are also worn during the balmier months. On some campuses, old-school pride ties up with fashion in the form of poplin jackets with university emblems. (Check for on-campus acceptance before you buy.)

Slacks: Bold-plaid slacks in both tropicals and worsteds are coupled with camel and navy-blue blazers. Poplin slacks in blue and brown are popular for casual dates and T.G.I.F. beer blasts.

Shirts: Oxford buttondowns still rank as the favorite, but tab- and pin-collar styles with French cuffs are gradually gaining acceptance, so pick up a couple of pairs of cuff links. Balance your dress-shirt selections among whites, blues, yellows and stripes (the wider the better). Sport-shirt styles range from short-sleeved buttondowns in cardigan and pullover models to Henleys in stripes and solids.

Sweaters: V-neck and cardigan alpacas in bright shades such as fire-engine red and kelly green have a strong Southern following. A lightweight turtleneck in a medium or dark tone will come in handy on a chilly night.

Walk shorts: Let university regulations be your guide; some Deep South colleges have approved walk shorts for classroom wear, while others restrict them to after-school activities. Madras, poplin and seersucker are excellent choices.

Outerwear: Whether you've chosen North Carolina or Rollins, you'll need some type of outer garb for inclement weather. For keeping dry during a sudden Southern squall, Dixie undergrads buckle up tan English trench coats that feature epaulets and button pockets. However, Southeastern men prefer a poplin balmacaan coat in oyster or white (pick one with a zip-in lining) when the going gets wet, and a semiformal chesterfield in black or deep brown for more formal doings. Add a wool bold-plaid bench-warmer jacket for extra fashion points.

Shoes: Supplement your basic shoe wardrobe with several pairs of casual slip-ons. For heading out on a weekend sail, you won't be caught flat-footed if you've stowed away a pair or two of canvas-top deck shoes.

Formalwear: After you've acquired your basic formal fittings, pick up a madras dinner jacket for a colorful change.

The Midwest: The heartland of America is famous for its sudden climatic shifts, so we'd advise you to plan your selections well in advance to avoid being caught sartorially out in the cold. You'll want hefty fabrics in traditional garb to dominate your wardrobe, but leave room for plenty of lightweight wearables and a few innovations.

Suits: Midwesterners favor the natural-shoulder, three-button suit (make sure it has a vest) in dark shades. Navy blue is the top contender, with dark grays and medium browns strong second choices. The Northeastern tweed trend will extend well into the Midwest, with brown shades coming on strong.

Sports jackets: Bold-plaid Shetlands are the Big Ten favorite. The navy-blue blazer--a coast-to-coast classic--is a stylish staple worn from Ohio State to Kansas.

Slacks: Be sure to coordinate dress slacks with sports-jacket selections, as extreme combinations are frowned upon. For fall and winter outdoor activities, stock up on corduroys, poplins, twills and Western-style denims.

Shirts: Oxford and broadcloth button-downs in tattersall checks are teamed up with suits and blazers for both semi-dressy and casual occasions. The traditional look of madras is still popular, along with paisleys, plaids and checks.

Sweaters: For cold-weather comfort you'll want at least six. V-necks, crews and cardigans in Shetland, lamb's wool and mohair all make top grades. Bulky Mod turtlenecks in blues, grays, greens and yellows, worn under sports jackets and cardigans, give Midwesterners a jaunty Carnaby Street appearance.

Outerwear: Winter weather hits the Midwest early and often lasts until late spring, so plan your wardrobe accordingly. In addition to ski-oriented styles such as hooded parkas and quilted short coats, Western-style wearables, including shearling coats in waist and three-quarter lengths, have found a home off the range. Also take your pick from toggle coats, three-quarter-lined bench warmers, Navy-oriented c.p.o. shirts and peacoats, and fleece-lined herringbone and plaid wool jackets.

Shoes: Well-shod Midwesterners favor loafers in black and dark brown for both casual and dress wear. You'll find that rough-hide boots in mid-calf lengths make great shoes to wear in winter's blizzards.

The Southwest: With the sudden national surge of popularity of Western garb, the Southwest has finally come into its own as an important fashion area. From Oklahoma to New Mexico, men heading back to campus are taking fashionable steps to ensure that they arrive with the proper attire.

Suits: Dark tones with blue or burgundy pin stripes in natural-shoulder, three-button models are the most wanted. There's also vested interest in three-piece models that range from worsteds and corduroys (for the Northern climes) to featherweight blends farther South.

Sports jackets: Both navy-blue and French-blue hopsack blazers are acceptable down here. Bold Shetland plaids score high, along with the latest offerings in seersuckers and denims. We recommend that you divide your selections between light- and medium-weight styles; balmy late-fall days rapidly turn into chilly winter nights, when a hearty fabric will be welcome.

Slacks: Round up at least nine pairs, including denim and scrubbed denim in shades of faded blue, wheat and tan, along with chinos, poplins and corduroys for casual wear, and worsteds, flannels and whipcords for big dates. Bold-plaid slacks are teamed up with a blazer or sweater for dates.

Shirts: You'll find a whole corralful of short- and long-sleeved sport shirts in plaids, wide stripes and solids from which to choose. Buttondown dress shirts are still preferred, with tabs running second.

Sweaters: This is big sweater country. Southwestern guys are always ready to pull the wool over themselves when new styles hit the stores. V-necks, crews and, especially, cardigans in lamb's wool, Shetland, mohair, double-knit and brushed wool in rich tan, burgundy, navy, yellow and camel all make the team.

Walk shorts: In Texas and Oklahoma, walk shorts are a warm-weather uniform. Denims, poplins and madras are the Southwestern champions.

Outerwear: Be prepared for sudden storms (Southwesterners call them "Northerns") with a c. p. o. shirt (preferably in navy), a corduroy or loden short coat or a three-quarter-length shearling. An unlined poplin golf jacket in tan, yellow or navy also helps cut the chill.

Shoes: This is the stomping ground for cowboy boots in rough suedes and hide, but you'll also want several pairs of cordovan shoes in addition to the basic stand-bys.

The West Coast: Styles along the Pacific Coast shift constantly, but despite some of the highly publicized far-out attire, most West Coast collegians select time-tested fashions. Your best bet is to stock up on traditional wearables, avoiding possible flash-in-the-pan fads until you've visited the campus.

Suits: Here, again, you should make your selection with an eye on the thermometer. Southern California scholars favor vestless tropical weights in medium to dark shades, while farther North, tweeds and hopsacks in browns and blue-olives are more accepted. Hollywood-style suits with wide shoulders and longer jackets are still being worn, but most college men prefer the natural-shoulder Ivy look.

Sports jackets: Navy-blue blazers are this area's first choice in casualwear. But have on hand a madras and light-colored hopsack for after-class recreation.

Slacks: Scrubbed denims, light-blue and tan poplins and corduroys in browns and light tans are the coming look. Red plaids and checks teamed up with blazers also make it big on the Coastal scene.

Shirts: West Coast matriculants choose solid-color knits (navy is strong) as well as bright-hued velours in both button-down and Henley collars. But, while the look is colorful, they eschew coupling patterns such as small tattersall checks with patterned coats and slacks, favoring, instead, a more conservative pattern and solid-color combination.

Sweaters: V-necks and cardigans in camel, navy and yellow are winners, with turtlenecks running a close second. Generally speaking, the farther South you go, the fewer sweaters you'll need, but even in the warmest clime you'll find they come in handy as after-swim warmers.

Swimwear: Surf-oriented "jams" or "baggies" are the pace setters at most schools. However, you'd be wise to see what the student body is wearing before you buy. West Coast swim styles shift with the tides, so by registration time, new offerings may have hit the beaches.

Outerwear: In the Northern sections, you'll need a lined corduroy or shearling short coat for sporty occasions and a camel's-hair or herringbone topcoat for dressing up. Farther South, poplin golf jackets in yellow and blue, along with tan and dark-blue raincoats with zip-in linings, should provide ample protection.

So that's it--this fall's back-to-campus migration rings in an academic year in which collegians across the country are styling their wardrobes with the latest looks. For a preview peek at what may be the college and clothes of your choice, we refer you to the on-campus photos highlighted with this feature.