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Rarely do I see a man at Washington University make an effort in what he wears for the purpose of impressing his buddies; most attempts to look done-up are designed to impress the ladies.
It would seem, then, that what a man wears at Wash. U. should be somewhat based on women's opinions. I approached some ladies of Wash. U. with an all-important question: "If you had to tell a guy to invest in a good ____, what would it be?" The answer was almost always a good pair of jeans or a nice pair of sneakers.
Therein is the basic foundation for a successful, urban campus wardrobe.
So how do you go about buying the perfect pair of jeans? As silly as it seems, you must understand denim to understand how the style would fit on your body. Men's jeans come in four types of fits: bootcut, straight-leg, relaxed and slim. For those that lack fashion vernacular, the bootcut are flared from the crotch to the hem, the straight-leg is your classic jean, relaxed jeans have a baggy fit and slim-legs are tapered. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when purchasing jeans for your body. If you have big thighs, a relaxed fit will give you more room to breathe on top and an overall higher comfort level. If your legs are on the skinnier side, a slim straight-leg is probably the best.
Of course, in the end, the ideal pair depends on the look that an individual is going for, so tips from the retailers can always help. Richard Li, who worked as jean specialist at the upscale Manhattan department store Barney's, recommends going with smaller brands.
"Instead of trying popular jean brands like Sevens, Citizens, and Joe's, try brands that are more obscure," said Li. "They usually have a more masculine fit than their popular competitors. Check out Acne, G-star, Levi's, and old Paper Denim Cloth, [which] you can still order on Bluefly.com. Most importantly, the simple straight-leg is making its comeback, so stock up."
After selecting the fit that works best, consider the material and color. Each type of denim has a different thickness. To avoid having your legs sweat to death or freeze, choose thinner denim for the summer and thicker denim for the chillier seasons.
As far as material goes, raw denim is good because the jeans acquire character quickly through wear and washing. Keep in mind, though, that a huge downfall to raw denim is its tendency to stretch out a lot. If a pair is also labeled as selvage denim it usually implies that you are purchasing denim of higher quality. The use of selvage denim proves that brand names are not always the sole reason for outrageous prices: sometimes you're actually paying for the quality of the product.
Color-wise, dark denim is always a safe bet because you can wear it both night and day. Other colors to consider are a pair of dark charcoal or dark grey (almost black) jeans. Please stay away from light denim, because only so many people can get away with it-and most of the time, it's just not cute.
Now that you have a good pair of jeans, combine it with the right pair of sneakers and you're ready to roll out the door with a funky take on the urban look. For a safe pair of sneakers, go for Converse's Chuck Taylors. They've been around since the beginning of the 1900s and throughout the decades have helped reinvent looks from hip-hop to grunge. Chucks are still going strong and are available in core colors, seasonal colors, and prints galore. Converse sneakers are also available in hemp, denim, vinyl, suede and leather. For those who feel more experienced with urban style, try pairing your outfits with crazy Chuck Taylor prints, an original sneaker from Adidas or Nike Dunks.
Remember that no one is asking you to dress exactly like Kanye, but acknowledge that a little effort on your part goes a long way. If you make the effort, heads will turn.
