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Good college events" clothing?

imperialism

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I was just wondering, what would be the recommendations for college clothing? Its my first week of college/university in a few weeks.

For regular classes, I don't really care too much, so I usually throw on an old t-shirt and shorts back in high school. Same with college, but I'd like to try something different for special events.

Basically, I've got several events where I'd like to go in something a little better:

-Public speaking competitions (not too formal, just the regular college ones)
-More "formal" parties (b'day dinners, etc)
-Informal dating (amusement parks, etc)
-Any other events which might require more than a t-shirt and jeans


I would really appreciate any advice anyone could give on this situation.
 

Mike

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My advice is to watch what you wear to parties, especially frat parties or any place with hundreds of drunken assholes.

True story: two weeks ago I went with my friends to a party at a frat house. Now, I hate these parties- too many people pushing, and there always ends up being a fight. But we know some guys in this frat and I hadn't seen them for awhile. So, my friends and I are on the dance floor and it's an alright time when some jerk chucks a full, open beer can across the room. It hit my friend in the face and drenched him, and me who was standing right next to him. We both had on nice clothes (too nice for that place) and both my trousers and pull over sweater were soaked. They're both washable but dry cleaning is recommended for the sweater. It shrunk a bit and I ended up smelling like cheap beer the rest of the night. Moral- watch what you wear to certain places.
 

aybojs

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As a current college kid I'll second the bit about watching what you wear. I prefer to wear all my nice shirts/pants/shoes/etc to class and during the daytime when I won't have to worry as much about their condition. Whenever I go out to party or drink with the guys I just put on some old chinos, a sportshirt or polo, or college t-shirt/sweatshirt, and some sneakers so it won't be a big deal when my clothes inevitably get beer spilled on them or get soiled by someone's stray cigarette smoke.
 

imperialism

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Thanks for the advice guys.

Also, just wondering - is it a good idea to wear leather shoes with jeans and a polo shirt? Or would sneakers make a better choice?
 

davei

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Also, just wondering - is it a good idea to wear leather shoes with jeans and a polo shirt? Or would sneakers make a better choice?
I think that's a great choice. Depends on the shoe of course, but IMHO leather shoes are way better. I really dislike sneakers with jeans.
 

imperialism

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I'm pretty set with the t-shirts. I've only got a few polo shirts, might buy a few more.


As for jackets....what do you think about wearing those sports jackets with the "crispy" material? I'm not sure how to describe it, but its sort of "crinkly" like a gift wrapping (made of mostly cotton with some polyester), waterproof, whiteish, with a few stripes down the arm.
 

southerncollegeboy

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As a college sophomore I want to back up what CTGuy said, and continue something he alluded too which is that you have to know what to invest a lot for and what not spend much money on.
Your winter jacket is very important, so make sure it's nice.  Regarding jeans, you'll probably have a couple of pairs, some nicer than others, but be sure you have at least one that can be an old reliable. It doesn't have to be fancy, just comfortable and fairly normal.  Same goes with polos, casual button-downs and sweaters.  You may have some that are real nice or stylish, but be sure you have one of each that is very simple and won't be out of style by the time the next music video rolls around.
I've also found that if you want to be seen as stylish but not too "out there" then it is important to know the stylish tempermants of the people at your university. For instance, I came from a private prep school to a large public university so my first semester I still had a tendancy to occasionally wear blazers, ties, and Sperry's to class. Needless to say, I have since learned that those who didn't know me at the time thought I was a snob because of the clothes I wore.
I still am able to express my feelings of style, but have learned able to mute it in regular day to day dealings (for example, losing the tie or wearing a sweater instead of a blazer).
Regarding the jacket you mentioned--I think I know what you're talking about. If it is a heavy jacket then I would keep it for other occasions and invest in a nice wool coat. If it's a light jacket it should be fine for the spring and early fall. If it's a pro team jacket I might be a little leary, but if it's an adidas or track style you'll be okay.
 I personally feel like the three most important style tips I can give to incoming college students are to A) get clothes that are classics and won't be out of style in two years (because you probably won't be buying a lot of clothes), B) be your confident self (in clothes and in general) and you'll get along fine, because nearly everyone in college is looking to make friends, and C) don't worry as much about your clothes  (I'm definitely guilty of violating C).

Cool.
 

norcaltransplant

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As a recent college grad and future struggling grad student (what a wonderful economy to begin my life), you can wear decent clothes on a budget... it's pretty unreasonable to find most of A.Harris' deals unless fashion is your primary hobby.  Here are some suggestions from my personal experience:
1) Shop online from brick and motar stores.  Banana Republic probably has the best staples for the price.  I never pay more than 19-29 dollars for my chinos.
2) Stick with the basics. Polos and button downs (avoid T-shirts with Greek letters, even if its your own Greek. Non-Greeks are inherently biased against this look.  I usually saved my letters for fraternity events or wore hats/sweatshirts casually).  If you have some cash find a decent dry cleaner and get your shirts LAUNDERED for $1-1.25 (browse for deals...college yellow pages are a great source for this).
3) Depending on the formality of your school, buy one nice suit at the beginning of college and one near the end (at the very minimum).  Stick with relatively neutral colors... I prefer charcoal followed by navy, and then black.  If you favor a business major extra sportcoats are a must for summer internships.
4) Use bluefly or yoox for clubbing/accessory pieces. Remember style varies from city to city and club to club.

Addendum depending on the college:
5) I had an average of two formal and three semi-formal events per year.  You might want to shares ties to limit expenses or invest in about 5-10 quality pieces (I chose the latter).
6) Buy a tux if you intend on attending more than three formals. (4x100= 400, not that ugly of a tux).
7) Save the sneakers for working out.  Women love footwear for whatever reason (and men do too, if your worried about attacting other men).
8) Allow your style to change.  I began college with some nice stuff but have since leaned towards classic brands and professional wear (btw, zara is probably the best place to shop for afforable club wear.  It's a great go-between until I can afford Costume Nationale or Helmut Lang).
 

imperialism

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Thanks for the advice, guys.


Southerncollegeboy: By "classic", would clothing without any labels or much patterns count? I've basically got a few pure black, one pure navy, and a pure red polo shirt, based on regular designs, as well as 2 one-colour cargo pants (black and red).


Norcaltransplant: How do you buy clothing from the Internet? I know the procedure, but I'm not sure about any foolproof ways to make sure the clothes look good on me. I know my size and all, do you think most clothing companies allow you to return goods if you find them to fit poorly, or just look bad (once you wear it)?
 

southerncollegeboy

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For me, classic means styles that have always worked. For instance, a navy polo shirt and cordorouys with nice shoes will always look contemporary. On the other hand, vertical stripes on a polo may go in and out of fashion.
Personally, the cornerstone of everything in my wardrobe is very basic--blues and reds and navys and whites and light blues. From that I can build a piece or two at a time, say throw in a madras or stripes pattern.
As far as labels, a lot of what I own in the way of polos are Ralph Lauren, and though I do think they have superior quality and fit, I'm also probably (unfortunately) attracted to the jockey and horse--which you obviously don't have to do. So to answer your question, the less logos the better.
 

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