College Fashion Discussion

[ctrlaltelite]

Originally Posted by Doctor

Nobody is about to actually dress like that at college. Not my college anyway... and I'm in the law school which has a reputation for being the best dressed.

just about half the people here are either in college or involved in academia, at my school some people dressed similar, mostly people in my major, although their clothes were pretty ill-fitting compared to hunter parrish.

 

[Cavalier]

Originally Posted by rlx

Over the last year, I visited colleges all over the east coast and midwest (U.S.) with my son. Never saw anyone dressed like this. Mostly jeans and t-shirts.

people dress like that all over, even here around Ohio State (hipsters++)

 

[Cavalier]

A shirts off eBay $6-8 a piece, a pair or two of raw denim and a pair of shoes you like... not rocket science or very expensive

Sell your TR and RR jeans while there is still someone dumb enough to buy them

 

[ctrlaltelite]

to the op: many of the pieces in that shoot can easily be found at a thrift store, tweed or corduroy sportcoats especially. if they have leather elbow patches that's a plus, these could easily be paired with a button down under a college sweater or a sweater vest. one thing i did a lot of was buy a ton of beat up dress shoes, one pair of black and one pair of brown/burgundy brogues, a pair of plain loafers, and maybe just a plain pair of captoes. you can easily find these for around 10 bucks. recently urban's taken on some of these and selling them for 38 bucks in store.

seller walneal is letting a bunch of sweet sportcoats go, for really good prices too: http://www.styleforum.net/showthread...28#post2274228 as far as buttondowns are concerned, i'd reccommend a decent number of solid oxford shirts, two whites, a blue, and a pink or mint green is a good start, and checks like tattersall, candy stripe, or prince of wales. many of these can readily be found in a thrift store, albeit sometimes you'll have to shop in the boys' or women's sections to find a good fit. YMMV though. but i mean, if you pair the beat-up shoes, a well-fitting buttondown, and a classic-looking jacket it's a great way to tap into the prep-chic trend for cheap, especially at a place where it's most appropriate.

 

[ctrlaltelite]

i am also around your height, 5'8 and 36 in suit jackets, and find that a boys' L or XL in brooks brothers, polo, or cheap wal-mart/target shirting generally fits well.

 

[Doctor]

^^ This is some good advice. Actually, I'm going to take it myself

 

[AntiHero84]

I'm going to echo many of the other posts, but do not underestimate the power of thrifting. Especially in regards to dress shirts. Look for Brooks Brothers, Polo, Lands End, etc. and take them to a dry cleaner/tailor to have them altered. You'll come out with a shirt that fits like a glove and spend a fraction of what they would cost retail.

Also, getting a solid pair of jeans is a great investment. Around six months ago, I splurged for a pair of APC and haven't regretted it since. Crate and Ande Whall are also good beginner brands.

In regards to casual shoes, look for something cheap and classic. Vans authentics are my favorite, but Converse All-Stars and Jack Purcells seem to be favorites here as well. I'm also on the hunt for some Allen Edmonds. They will be a good investment since you will probably be looking for a job in a few years. Get something basic like some plain oxfords or captoes. Wingtips would also be a safe bet.

 

[ctrlaltelite]

average thrifted shirt = $5, tailoring costs 20-30 bucks, if you're a college student you may as well buy sale BR, j crew or gap at that price.

 

[AntiHero84]

Originally Posted by ctrlaltelite

average thrifted shirt = $5, tailoring costs 20-30 bucks, if you're a college student you may as well buy sale BR, j crew or gap at that price.
I agree with you, but I find that J Crew/BR/Gap shirts still fit a bit awkward. I've even taken some JCrew shirts to have the waist taken in, so it would billow out when tucked. It may cost about the same, but it looks much better. Not to mention, I love the Brooks collar roll, but I hate how even their slim fit shirts are blouse-y.

 

[ctrlaltelite]

hence, if you can, buy boys sizes. it's considerably cheaper too.

 

[AntiHero84]

I've heard that. Since the OP is 5'7", this could work.

Since I'm 16/34, I'm afraid I'll have to keep getting my stuff altered.

 

[miekjoens]

im a college student too and this thread just inspired me to buy a pair of apcs. thanks guys.

 

[Doctor]

I get most of my clothes altered. All my button downs except a few have been tapered/run in for a slim fit. It makes a huge difference... And also means I don't have to shop endlessly just for something that tapers enough. I take a L/XL due to the size of my shoulders and required length, but my waist is 32-33". But I go the cheap way... I send them to my mother for alteration. She's good at it

 

[v3l]

As a college student, I mostly stick to J.Crew, H&M, and Uniqlo. I started shopping at J.Crew (before I started working there part-time) because off all the discounts they have going on virtually all the time. I don't think I've ever paid full retail for anything from there. Sure, the stuff could be slimmer, but I find that most of the stuff fits pretty well off the rack. Plus, I'm too cheap/lazy to get shirts tailored. Besides, the truth of the matter is that since you'll be wearing a nice fitting shirt with a collar, you'll look better than most guys on campus. Even though H&M isn't the best quality, I find they have a lot of slim-fitting stuff to fill out my wardrobe. And I fell in love with Uniqlo when I was in the city last year. Great for basics and any color sweater you can imagine. The only downside is that it's always a mad house there, but it's usually worth it in my opinion.

For pants I stick with my APC NS mostly. I have a pair of khaki-ish jeans from Uniqlo and gray ones from J.Crew that I love. And a pair of chinos from Uniqlo that I sometimes wear. It's mostly the jeans though.

As far as shoes go, I usually stick with my Sperrys (navy authentic originals and tan suede chukkas), Clarks DB, and Converse Jack Purcells. I have a pair of brown dress shoes that I've had for awhile that are hideous, but I haven't replaced them yet because I don't wear them enough. I wouldn't splurge on nice dress shoes for awhile because honestly, how often are you going to dress up?

I think that covers basically everything I wear. I spent most of last year updating/upgrading my casual/basic wardrobe from high school. Now, I'm starting to save, so I can afford to get more interesting pieces.

 

[ctrlaltelite]

Originally Posted by rlx

Over the last year, I visited colleges all over the east coast and midwest (U.S.) with my son. Never saw anyone dressed like this. Mostly jeans and t-shirts.

these days it's the exception rather than the rule, but i mean among ivy leaguers i'm sure there's still a strong presence of that style, just ask gary drinkwater.

i think the notion of the well-dressed student is a nice thing to aspire to, and i've been out of school for just about 2 years now... maybe i'll go to grad just so i can steez.