In The Past, it was possible for us to offer counsel on collegiate wardrobe needs with a fair degree of regional acumen. Eastern undergrads were traditionally the most fashion-conscious, with the South coming in a close second. Midwesterners, predictably, were middle of the road, neither too relaxed nor too dressy. Southwesterners were divided into two camps--the let's-go-to-blazers crowd and the wild bunch, who (text concluded on page 188)Back to Campus(continued from page 169) wouldn't be caught dead in anything but boots and Levis; while the West Coast was out the window, with students in suits and bathing suits seated side by side. Today, however, the college fashion scene is so diverse that regional differences have all but disappeared. Still, there are important style trends manifesting themselves nationwide.
Take plaids, for example. According to advance reports, plaids of all shapes and sizes, from authentic tartans to glens and giant windowpanes, will be seen on quadrangles across the country made into everything from duffel coats to dress shirts, from socks to suits.
Then there is the layered look, which begins with a shirt that features a long-pointed collar, over which is worn a U- or round-necked sweater and then a sports jacket. It's low key, in a rather English way, and very comfortable--especially on brisk days when you wouldn't mind a little extra padding for those walks to class.
The nostalgia craze for sights and sounds of other eras is also manifesting itself on campus in the form of funky old-fashioned garb that, a few years ago, would have gotten you laughed out of the dorm. Baggy Forties-type slacks worn with a skinny rib-knit top and stacked-heel shoes; sleeveless, crocheted sweaters that look as though they were knitted by someone's grandmother--all, now, are good bull, as Southwesterners used to say. Nobody's kidding himself into believing that this is great fashion. It's nothing but students having fun with what they put on their backs--an approach to dress that's been missing too long from the college scene.
In the suit department, styles are still shaped with ultrawide lapels, high arm-holes, deep center vent or side vents and, often, a half belt in the back. Tweed models with hacking pockets that give the wearer a country-squire look, too, are gaining increased popularity, as are three-piece suits. The important point here is that undergrads now are wearing suits because they want to, not because they have to. Styles today feel good and look great, which puts them in step with the whole personal-expression movement that has swept menswear in the past few years.
So what else is there to say? This fall, pick the duds you like, put them on and have a ball. That's really what fashion is all about.
