What to wear
 

So what is the "college style" I have read that it was BEBE and Express which is a big change from the highschool's A&F and A&E or are those cloths still popular? I dont kn ow if you understand what I am asking... Do you girls dress casual dressy or preppy? What are your fav. Name Brands. I know it varies just give your personal opinion. Please

that will really really depend on what part of the country you're going to school in, and what type of school you choose. some colleges are really dressy--abercrombie in class wouldn't cut it. these are going to be expensive private colleges in the south. if you're looking at new england, people will be a bit more sporty... but everything's still expensive. lots of northface and stuff.

i'll tell you how it is at my school. i go to a private college in virginia, and normal "school clothes" are black pants (not 'sex pants,' the trouser-y ones), black boots, and a nice top. it is not strange to wear pearls to class. everyone has the jcrew peacoat or one of those trendy black leather jackets. yes, there is some bebe, but not as much express (it's kinda cheap and low quality). my favorite brand is ann taylor for school clothes and cocktail dresses. there's lots of jcrew, banana republic, etc. not so much gap, ae, and abercrombie. we try to look a bit "sharper" or more professional than that. i guess a good rule of thumb is that if an 8th grader might shop there, i wouldn't.

but all colleges are different, and you should visit and see what people wear to class and out at night before you go on a major shopping spree.

[This message has been edited by twinstars (edited November 25, 2000).]

twinstars----

i was just wondering what school you go to?

i went to a private school in VA and that description sounds a LOT like it.....email me if you want.

http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

Ann Taylor for school? Wow! At LSU, if you go to class like that, people ask why you're so dressed up!

LSU has the dressy casual thing going, where girls wear expensive pea coats and diamond earrings with jeans or khakis. Its not unusual to see people at the rec center working out, looking all ratty, with diamond studs in and a Kate Spade bag next to their machine http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

A typical outfit for class is jeans, a party tshirt (or a nice shirt if you're not in a sorority) and a nice jacket if its cold. Everyone has the grey Adidias or New Balance sneakers, and a good pair of boots. We're a kind of mix abercrombie with bananna republic and kate spade campus http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

Don't carry a purse or everyone will know you're a freshman. That is still true, isn't it? (Please tell me yes or I will really feel like an old bat)

I went to a school in the Northeast where water in every form existed at all times -rain, snow, hail, mist you name it. And it was COLD. That is one thing you get over really quickly - you don't wear the cutest outfit, you wear the warmest one.

(stepping on soapbox) It kind of depresses me to see the "label" thing coming back. When I got to college, it was a relief that no one cared if I was wearing designer jeans (see, I told you I'm old) or not. Basically, whatever looked good on you was what you wore. Guess jeans were kinda big, but since they looked horrid on me, I skipped them and it didn't make me a social pariah. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif (stepping off soapbox)

It also depends where your school is located, if there's a decent mall near it or not. We would have had to travel 100 miles to get to an Ann Taylor!

i find this topic so funny...
at iowa, don't be surpirised if you see people rolling out of bed and heading to class... of course there are the people who take a shower, blow dry their hair, put make up on and wear the cutest outfir everyday.. but i'm not one of them :-) i think what you wear to class just reflects more of your personality... and i have everything in my closet from bebe to gap to donna karan to target.. and its great :-)

Wow, you guys all amaze me. I can't imagine going to a school like that!

Since we're way up here in backwoods Wisconsin, we are REALLY far away from anything other than walmarts and targets. So pretty much everyone wears sweaters and jeans every day. Seeing someone in anything other than that is a shock - I wore khaki pants the other day, and I couldn't beleive HOW MANY PEOPLE asked me, why are you so dressed up? Last I checked, khaki pants and a sweater don't equal dressed up!

As someone else said, there are SOOOO many people that don't even shower for class...just roll out of bed in their tee's and flannel pants, put on a few more layers to stay warm, and go to class...

Although I personally am a no-name jeans and sweater kind of girl, I could never go to school without showering, doing my hair, putting on makeup and jewelry etc. I think I'd just feel icky all day http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/frown.gif

By the way, I go to a state school...that probably makes a difference in conjunction with the cold, wet weather!

[This message has been edited by Dewgirl (edited November 27, 2000).]

Dewgirl...
i go to a state school too and soo many people just get up and throw a few more layers on and head to class here - its very common :-) i prefer to take showers at night, so what can you do? but i never wear make up or get really dressed up, 8:30 am comes around awfully quick and getting up to do that takes up to much of my time :-)

My first semester of college, I attended a private school (Tulane). For the amount of money most of the people have, they dressed a lot worse than they do at LSU. The campus was divided into the hippie crowd, who wore clothes that were barely clean, and then there was the preppie crowd, who wore nice jeans and sweaters with pearls.

We don't have the extreme cold here, we have the exact opposite - extreme heat! In August, dressing up consists of wearing jeans with a tank top. At that time of year, people wear as few clothes as they can get away with. But they still accessorize! That's what I think is funniest about the fashion habits of LSU - no matter how grungy, you've got jewelry on.

Overall, I don't think private vs state school matters much. People are much better dressed at LSU ($1300 a year) than at Tulane ($20K+ a year)

Ok, college students dressing up for class? First, I've never heard of that, second, why? I don't understand why people feel it necessary to dress up for classes. At Shepherd, we did the same thing as Dewgirl, we hit the alarm clock rolled out of bed, put on our out of date glasses instead of putting in our contacts, pulled our hair back in a pony tail, threw on 2 pair of sweats, a t-shirt and sweatshirt, got our big bulky ski coat and some earmuffs and headed to class--still half asleep. If you saw someone in class before noon with their hair brushed it was a phenominon (sp?)!!!!!! Sure, it is West Virginia, but we are only an hour and a half from DC and not even that far from the Virginia border, and you could throw a rock and hit Maryland.

I just don't see the point. Neither did the students I attended college with. We used to joke that if someone was dressed up before noon, they were freshmen that wouldn't survive because they were too busy trying to look good instead of studying for class. The night time was the only time to dress up--and only thurs. thru sat. Dressing up didn't consist of a label either. Nobody cared who you were wearing. Everyone wore jeans and a nice top when they went out--and that was dressing up. Some girls wore the black pants with a pastel top, some guys wore kaki's, but pretty much everyone wore jeans. We had one bar in town, everyone went there, I was a bartender there, so I always wore jeans, a nice top--almost always black, and boots. That is about the extent of 'dressing up' where I went to school.

Wow, i think its crazy to hear that abercrombie is too low to wear to class. My freshman year i went to a private school that was very expensive (Baylor University) and I will say that yes you had those people who wore nice dresses or outfits to class, but mostly everyone just wore jeans and a t-shirts. Even the sorority girls. They would wear jeans and maybe like a crush tshirt or whatever. The frat guys were mainly the same except with an addition to wearing a cap. Although, i was always one to wake up early enough to take a shower, fix my hair, put on make-up and wear something nice. There were days though that i didnt really care what i was wearing. That started happening later on towards the year. Now i transferred schools and am attending a public school. Things are basically the same, some people dress up but on the average everyone just wears jeans and a top. Going to class shouldnt be a fashion runway. You are there to learn and thats it. MOST college people know that and arent petty about what you are wearing. You could say it depends on your school, but I have been at a private southern baptist university and now a public one- and things are really the same. You do start seeing cuter outfits at night when you go to clubs, or parties, but after all that does make sense- to wear nicer things to parties. You shouldnt have to dress like you are going to a big social gala when in fact you are going to accounting!! I am really fortunate i didnt and still dont go to a school where people are so shallow about what you wear or where you buy your clothes from.

[This message has been edited by bucutie02 (edited December 03, 2000).]

I might be a guy but on my campus Rose-hulman it seems as if people wear whatever works and usually that just goes fine with everyone else. As a guy it's nice to look nice but in the morning I usually roll out of bed, get a shower if I can and head to class, but usually I wake up with about 5 minutes till class but that's not bad since I only have to walk abuot 3 minutes, it's all good, take it easy,
mike

Ok, just killing time while studying for finals. thought I'd chime in.

I am one of the ones that "dresses up" for class. Not to the crazy extent that twinstars goes to. I am a college student -- don't have dough like that!

Jeans and greek shirts are common all over campus. People here dress casual, but dress nice. We take jeans and T-shirts to a whole new level. If it's jeans, it'll be SeanJohn jeans. If it's a t shirt, it's a BabyPhat baby-T, and, of course, a brand new pair of sneaks. I, the northerner, prefer Tims, myself.

Plus, there is A LOT of skin. It's Florida, tu sabe? When it's hot out here, booty shorts, tanks, and bare middriffs. Forget trying to look cute: it's HOT!! We have to walk across campus in this humidity - dress appropriately.

I go to campus for class, to see friends, to go to work. I live on campus. My big rule in life is: Don't be Sloppy. That goes for all aspects of life. Always look like you got your shit together! No matter what I'm wearing, you better believe my hair is done, my nails are neat, and my face and body are clean. I am representing my organization all the time - we don't need a reputation of bums!

Does everyone still borrow clothes from each other? I think I bought 2 formal dresses thru the 4 years of college and borrowed the rest - - saved a lot of $$!

This sounds interesting, so I might as well chime in too. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

At my school dressing up is wearing a nice sweater, slacks, and make-up to class. Whenever you see a girl wearing a dress or a guy wearing a suit and tie, you know she or he must have an interview that day. At parties everyone dresses up, but it's still nothing more than black pants and a cute dressy top. (Of course we all wear dresses to formal chapters, but that's really another topic http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif .) It's really kind of funny how everyone here is so relaxed about that kind of stuff because the way we tell the difference between our university's students and people from somewhere else is by how they fix their hair, wear so much make-up, and expensive dressy clothes.

Despite the fact that I go to a school in Wisconsin, we are actually pretty trendy. It probably is that all the East Coasties bring the fashsion back to us when they return in the fall. What I am listing is what GREEKS wear, as we are normally the most trendy in Wisconsin

J Crew, Banana Republic, Abercrombie (although it is going out), Express, BEBE,
Ralph Lauren,

Everyone here owns a peacoat and some form of The NorthFace jacket

All sorority girls sport those cute Tiffany's Bracelets, Kate Spade purses and backpacks, Gucci or Channel shades, and some new frech backpack that I do not know what is it called (Manhatten Portage makes a rip off version)

I go to a school with lots of different people and styles. You can always kinda tell certain types of people. I know it sounds shallow, but bear wit me. It makes sense, I swear. First, you've got the sorority girls who will most often wear flare jeans and some kind of greek shirt. We've got 14 sororities, and we all get shirts all the time, so it's VERY common. Pretty much new balance, adidas, something that goes with everything. Of course there's those days that you wake up really happy and just want to look good for yourself, or even on a test day, and put on some "business" type pants, or maybe a skirt, and a nice top. Button down, turtleneck, etc. BRep, gap, express, guess, and Limited are good choices. But it's really about what you feel you look fabulous in. If you're a bargain shopper, you can find some good buys. You'd be surprised. One more thing. It's a common topic among myself and lots of my sisters; you can almost always tell a fraternity guy from some random. We like to call it the "fraternity boy garb." Khaki shorts or pants, brown sandals or Docs, a party shirt, or the most common...plaid shirt and fleece vest. Usually followed by a hat or visor. It always cracks me up to see the stereotypical "fraternity guy" around campus. But we're just as bad. You know when the sororities are going out because you see throngs of girls in their black bitch pants and backless shirts and leather jackets going out to bars. It also depends on which bars or fraternity house you're going to.

I agree with preppy, the malls suck here. But i don't like jeans, all my friends pick on me because I won't even shop for them. She left off the party shirts. and the oh so sexy sunglasses we all wear when shaking off a hang over.

To be honest I hate it when people come to school thinking it's a fashion show. Don't get me wrong, I don't support going to school looking like slobs, but at my campus some people (usually the females) think that it's time to go clubbing or something. GAP, A&F...it's no biggie here. The main look of the majority? Whatever's comfortable-usually board shorts, normal top, and slippers (you guys call em flip flops). That's your typical UH student!

Of course, going to school looking decent doesn't apply to me during finals week. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/tongue.gif

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*I'm an Alpha Gam...Yes I am, Yes I am!*

Well I go to a very small, preppy midwest private school. I don't even think about going to class unless i am showered, with hair done, make-up on, nails painted, toenails in spring and fall. Casual dress is Gray/black/tan pants, no slut pants, but slacks, textured pants, ie-tweed. Black peacoat and Black leather coat a must, along with a North Face coat of some sort. As for tops, a sweater set of some sort, or any elegant tight fitting shirt. For more dressy, skirts, wrap around dresses, tall boots. Kate Spade for more dressy days, Vera Bradley for casual days. Pearls everyday, sunglasses a must. Guys wear khakis with dress shirts, some days polo shirts with sandals, or loafers with no socks. Many tiems dressier, adding a tie to the shirt, but leaving it untucked to keep some sort of grunge to it. Tiffany bracelets, a gucci watch, and diamond earrings are must haves. If you must resort to wearing jeans, they have to be dark denim, and wear them with boots. Hope this helped some

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KKG the only letters you need to know

Wow...these descriptions of Kate Spade, Northface, tiffany, pearls, Timberland, etc...all scare the heck outta me!!!

Is going to college on the West Coast like this also???!!!! I hope not, otherwise I'll be bankrupt!! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/eek.gif

Newbie, I wouldn't worry. Just look nice and you'll do fine. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif

"Urban" campus life here is pretty ecclectic - you get girls wheelin up in porsche boxsters, totally done up and such, and even random kids wearing brooks brothers and ish to class, sitting right next to granola, all behind a bunch of abercrombie guys and skater chicks, then the roxy/redsand crowd comes in and messes with the urban chic "eurotrash" crowd . . .

i pretty much subscribe to the "messy prep" style - nice, but i still don't care enough (aka don't tuck in the shirt, press the pants, that ish) to be whatever. Here, most common would probably be sweaters or decent shirts, khakis and jeans (at least among the greek population) - close would be the armani exchange club crowd, then probably the surf crowd or urban outfitters folk. it's all good really - rock your own thing, and don't worry about it

1* bebe
2* betsy johnson
3* arden b
4* express
5* banana republic
6* jcrew
7* gap
8* abercrombie
9* D&G
10* Kate Spade
11* Prada
~those are my top favorites! there are tons more.. but i dont want to think~

After paying off my utilities, my car, my insurance, and my bills...I think I'll pass and go straight to Old Navy, Ross and those other el cheapo stores. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/frown.gif

If I had mommy and daddy's credit card http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/tongue.gif then maybe I'll try those stores listed above. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/rolleyes.gif

well im still in high school, so i am still living off my daddys credit card! probably will be for all my major necessities through out college since my dad doesnt agree with me getting a "real" job.
( i just coach gymnastics on a "whenever" schedule.. it's my aunt's business)

Prada in HS?! Good Lord....I go to a pretty stylish college, own some Prada, and love it, but still.....in HS.... whoa! After all, this is a COLLEGE style thread, not HS.

[This message has been edited by dzsweetiee (edited April 09, 2001).]

im a hs senior and when i do dress up it's express and guess, and wherever else you find something cute. But for school it's t-shirts and jeans, it makes a lot less hassle when u don't have to worry about what to wear. I hope i can manage in a sorority,my money doesnt grow on trees

OSU has every kind of dress code imaginable. We are one of the biggest campuses in the country. I refuse to start spouting off labels, because it just fits with the stereotypical image that we spend so much time trying to say is false, but I will say that the last time I saw someone at OSU wearing pearls, it was for a composite picture, and she took them off the second her picture was taken. We tend to stick to our lavaliers during the day.

Holy cow!!!! Bebechick--all that in HS???? !!Whoa...

Seriously, though, future prospectives--I REALLY hope you guys aren't scared by these replies stating all these huge designer labels!! B/c those people that wear all those labels are certinaly in the minority of the college population, at least the school which I attend and the schools that I have visited, in California, NY, and the like.

We do take good care of ourselves--always dressed nicely--that does NOT mean automatically designer labels however. It means that we look well-groomed and presentable and neat. It looks like we had a shower, put on clean clothes, and took at least a little time to make ourselves look nice. Most of us only wear T-shirts, jeans, sweaters usually. All you need is to look presentable--that's all. So don't be scared future rushees!!!!! I guarantee that if you make yourself look well-groomed and neat, regardless of the label, you will be respected.

[This message has been edited by Theta-cutie (edited April 17, 2001).]

Theta-cutie: AMEN!!!! I couldn't have said it better. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif

Really--we're here to get an education, not mooch off our daddy's credit cards....

From the guys perspective at a school in the Rocky Mountains, it's mostly jeans and whatever for a shirt most of the time. I'd probably be considered more dressy 'cause I wear khakis mostly and rarely jeans. It just goes to show that everything is different depending on where you go to school.

The college style, is how ever you feel that day! Theres days you wanna look cute, and be stylish there are some days you 'd rather stay in bed and watch the cartoon network all day(occasional habbit http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif
But around these parts(ok that sounded country, so let me try it again) In this area, we college kids wear anything from A&F, American Eagle, Old Navy, Gap,Aerospotales, Express, Lerner, Tommy H ,DKNY, Addidas,Nike
IceBerg,Nautica
It's all about u, if u didn't wear certain brands of stuff then don't do it just to impress people, college is what u want and how u feel.
Be cool~ and feel the breeze
DGPhoney~

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"Simply the Best, Delta Gamma Pi"
http://everythingblack.websitenow.com/citron

I agree. I actually believe College is less about what you wear to class like it was in high school. After all, during the day, your education comes first. If you are waking up early enough for classes, then mad props...the last thing you should be worried about is eyeliner and mules. That said...

Staples...
Girls

-day-
A pair of jeans (usually Abercrombie, J.Crew, Gap)
Shorts( khaki shorts from Abercrombie, J.Crew, Gap or a surf company...after all we are by the beach...LOTS of Hurley and Roxy around here)
Sweaters ( Nordtrom, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, JCrew, etc)
Sweatshirts( Letters, college logos, and surf brands.)
Shoes (Reefs or JCrew sandals, JCrew or Steve Madden slides..hardly any closed toed shoes here except for Jack Purcells and etnies etc. during the day)
OH..and you MUST have a cute pair of glasses(mostly arnettes, Guess, Gucci, Ralph Lauren)

-Night-
Dark denim
peacoats(Jcrew, Banana, etc)
Black pants(flat front, straight leg)
Abercrombie turtlenecks and JCrew sweaters in the winter, 3/4 cute shirts or simple refined tanks in the warmer seasons with a sweater over the shoulders)
Abercrombie jean skirts
Black boots (Ann Taylor makes great ones or go for the nice Italian leather ones in Nordstrom)
Random knees high boots to wear clubbing in Tijuana.
skirts(all materials, knee length and short ones with the built in shorts for dancing)

-Jewelry-
A pair of pearl/diamond/silver studs
Tiffany chain link bracelet
Sorority Lavalier (but not when you are drinking!)

-GUYS-
Most all guys here wear Abercrombie cargo khakis and jeans with polos or fraternity event T-Shirts with reefs during the day.

Night...I hate to say it, but it depends on the fraternity.
You'll see a lot of Structure fitted shirts and Diesel jeans and then guys who live in Hurley and Quicksilver and native west coast skater brands.

(BTW..this is kinda greek fashion...I can't speak for everyone)

Hey i wanna tell you all, from my stand point university is not high school, if you are worrying about what you are gonna look like or what the style is, man no offense but u gotta check yourself, go with what you want, what you think looks good, what's comfortable to your. Whoopie if someone doesn't like it, university is sooooooo different from hs, to be honnest from what i see, nobody cares, i went to school one day as a test in a long brown checkered jacket 3/4 length, brown polyester bellbottoms, brown dress shirt and brown tie, to see what response i could get, no one cares, if you feel confident with what you are, what you wear and who you are, no one can say anything. But for me i love the preppy look, a&f, aeropostale, gap etc. but more than anything i put on my letters on anything i can, i'm a walking billborad for my fraternity. Bottom line be yourself, don't fit the norm, you WILL get more respect for this trust me, start your own fashion! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

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Edgar A. Hartling
Zulu and Constitution Contact
Zeta Psi Fraternity of North America - Alpha Mu Chapter
Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia

for class if it's like cold out a lot of us wear our "high school" abercrombie sweaters n stuff...if it's in the spring then we bust out our capris and spring dresses...in the parties the normal attire are black bootcut pants (usually express) and a sparkly one shouldered or halter top. then we usually curl our hair or put it up, and we use a lot of body glitter =) our school is located in the middle of nowhere and we dont have a mall so everyone goes online shopping for clothes. i especially like www.victoriassecret.com/sale coz they have great tops and other items for like half the original price!

Wow--good topic. I know that when I was heading for my freshman year of college, I was worried about these very same things. It was so important to me to look not only MY best, but THE best. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif That got old real quick, let me tell you. I think that a few of the people on this board have encouraged y'all to just be yourself, wear what you have with CLASS and CONFIDENCE. Basically, don't look like a hoe', that's my advice. I happen to love fashion but I also have sisters who cannot afford to buy the latest and greatest, and to be honest--they're totally resourceful and we ALL look great when we go out. It really doesn't matter--espeically if you're in a sorority, you end up borrowing clothes anyway and your Big will help you out if you're fashionably challenged. Good luck to all of you thinking of going Greek! Just remember that there is truly diversity in the Greek system and differences are embraced, whether or not stereotypes support that truth! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

Oh my! I agree with everyone that is shocked and disgusted with the $$$$$$$$ spent on clothes for class! Some days I'll get up and black/gray-pants it, but more often than not, it's a homecoming sweatshirt (winter) or Greek Tshirt (any other time). I'm like the guy who said he's a walking billboard... I'm going to school to get an education so I can work and buy myself these things LATER, not so that Daddy can dress me up like a Barbie to impress people. Sheesh, people, why do you think we have this image problem?!?

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Beta Xi 1144
Southeast Missouri State

At my school (I go to school in RI, with a lot of kids from Boston, NYC, and Cali), people can get pretty dressy (like my sisters and myself), and there are a lot of eccentric dressers (who are dressing like that primarily to be seen). Of course, my school was ravaged in the pages of Vanity Fair for the "stylishness" and wealth of its student body, so maybe my perspective is warped.

Kate Spade is very popular. I'm the only person who wears Ann Taylor (it's a lot more popular in the South, and we have an outlet not too far away--so I can get amazing winter and fall clothes for 8-15 dollars an article!). I was into A&F in HS, but not so much anymore (I'm less outdoorsy and label-conscious than I was back then, and I have less disposable income http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif). A lot of people do Prada here, Herve bags are really popular as bookbags (not many people do the backpack thing), a lot of people wear the Tiffany heart bracelets and kidney bean necklaces, Tag watches, and a lot of GAP, BeBe, and BCBG.

I'm not bitter about people "using Daddy's credit card" or any of the sentiments being expressed here. My HS was much more status-conscious than my university, so it's not about "spoiled sorority girls".