DaCosta on the Scene: Style for the while
By Christopher
Remember the days when shopping was as simple as going to Old Navy and picking up the latest in Performance Fleece? Too bad that went out of style as fast as Arnie was sworn in. Somewhere between my bout with high school senioritis and the tail-end of my college sophomore slump, I lost my uncanny ability (aka luck), to coordinate and accessorizeâ€"â€"reducing myself to a walking fashion fiasco of flip flops and sweats. Perhaps it was the rigors of college that forced me to begin wearing sleepwear to class.
A graver explanation could be our nation's economic meltdown spurring a mini fashion-depression. Is it just me, or does Valley Fair have nothing but spinach artichoke dip and cheesy gift ideas?
In either case, my closet full of jumbo-sized campus organization t-shirts are a diagnosis of a fashion malady of some sort. I've noticed that others on campus have caught the bug.
Among the most common of the college campus faux pas is the socks with Birkenstocks atrocity. I think everyone has had the thought: "my feet are cold but I don't actually want to put on closed-toe shoes." Sure, your Birkenstocks won't smell like foot but this is the only case when hygiene need not apply.
On the other side of the spectrum, in the depths of Santa Clara's campus, there exists an elite class of fashionistas. You know exactly who you are. You wear skin-tight, $200 Seven jeans. For you, Coach isn't synonymous with 'economy class,' it's simply carry-on. These Carrie, Sam, Miranda and Charlotte wannabes rival the Manahlo Blahnik-wearing divas. This is a college campus not a New York City catwalk for fashionable foursomes. High-end fashion here at Santa Clara tends to be distasteful and played-out.
Speaking of played-out, Pharrell (of The Neptunes fame) is often seen sporting trucker hats on the red carpet. The trucker hat may look good on someone who has achieved rap-star status but not the average student. My friends and I recently decided that trucker hats belong on overweight freight drivers only, not a Santa Clara partier wearing low-slung hip-huggers.
Avant garde flair, however, is acceptable in manageable doses. DIY and old-school fashions have become exceedingly popular, giving the novice hipster the reins in trend-setting. For an edgier look, some have discovered the multi-faceted necktie; belts and headbands tend to be popular uses for this item.
For the fashionably fabulous and the undeniably uncoordinated, Scene has compiled a brief guide to threads and treads for this fall.
The boys of "You Suck" (on the left) have a delightfully inspired sense of fashion, taking cues from the 80s fitness fashion scene and Calvin Klein's latest ad campaign. Included this week are our usual round-up of fashionably hip beats and movies. Enjoy this week's edition of FashionScene.