By Yasmine Parrish
The Howard University Hilltop - Life & Style
While its well after Labor Day and winter's right around the corner, there are plenty of people still wearing white.
Although in years past this was the biggest fashion faux pas, now a person is not only excused for wearing white after Labor Day but is given bonus points for being so daring. In today's free bird society there is only rule when it comes to fashion: there are no rules.
Though Emily Post and her do and dont's of fashion once ruled society's wardrobe, they have all been tossed out the closet door by the fashionistas of today.
All over campus, Howardites can be spotted breaking all the rules when it comes to fashion. The most noted fashion faux paus of the yester years is mandatory panty hose when wearing suits or skirts.
"You have to wear panty hose" said senior fashion merchandising major Alondria Jones, "that's not true anymore. Traditionally when women wore suits or skirts you had to wear hose- now, not even my grandmother wears hose, she bare legs it."
Doreen Vernon, a professor in the fashion department, couldn't agree more and even had something to add pertaining the freshman School of Business students, "someone needs to stop requiring those poor kids to wear panty hose. I just hate when I see those students in those baggy panty hose" she exclaimed. While stockings may not be the most fashionable staple black tights are all now all the rage.
"Black tights and white shoes!" Vernon said, "that's great! It's Prada, it's like 1960's Mod. That's not a faux pas, that's fierce."
While jeans and t-shirts with tennis shoes are suitable choices for classroom apparel, they are not the only choices now found on campus. Sneakers are now being replaced with pumps and men's dress loafers and pencil skirts and slacks are taking the place of jeans.
"People aren't just saving their 'good' clothes for church anymore" said George Lander, a freshman fashion merchandising, "it's okay to look nice during the week too!" he continued.
"Now you can mix prints- in fact that's almost what you have to do this season" commented William White, Jr., a sophomore fashion merchandising major.
From polka dots to paisley print all the way to stripes, mixing prints is no longer a crime in fashion, in fact- the person that can pull it off is often deemed most fierce and fashion forward.
"You can wear polka dots and stripes, or paisley and stripes and still look fashionable; a gentleman could wear a black suit with a pinstripe button up with a printed tie and a handkerchief that matches absolutely nothing but your instantly a power player."
White continued. While men's fashion has always taken a back seat to the avant gaurde styles of women's runway, men are no longer in bondage to wearing muted colors.
"Wearing bright colors doesn't mean you're gay" said Amber Grant, sophomore fashion merchandising major, "color is more of a fashion statement than an indication of your sexuality."
Today, very few of the old rules of style apply. Red -heads can wear red, black isn't the only color appropriate for funerals, and linen is still okay after Memorial Day. It's an indication of how far fashion has come. But even though there are technically no rules in fashion, there are some things that are still not considered in good taste.
"Don't match your eyeshadow with your clothes," said senior public relations major Alisha Croom, "that's just tacky."
As you know I dont dress up for church, neither do my kids. So when my husband's grandmother died a few weeks ago...we had to do a quick inventory of "dress" clothes to see what still fit and what was there. I spent a bit of time on the phone with my mom going through what the kids had and it came down for my daughter between a pair of clogs and some white dress shoes. It was after labor day...We both hesitated and decided the clogs were a better choice. Neither of us could come to the conclusion that the white dress shoes would look right in this situation. I personally know clothes dont make a difference, but the last thing I would want to do would be to offend my mother in law by dressing inappropriately at her mother's funeral. It all worked out just fine...but your story brought it to mind...that even recently I was dictated by the "you dont wear white after labor day " rule.
ReplyDeleteThe clogs were a better choice in this case, like you said.
ReplyDeleteI hate having to look for stuff, so even though I don't dress up too much (outside of church or the occasional work assignment) I have a stockpile of dressier stuff that will fit if I need it.
It's always a good idea to be prepared, like they used to say in the Boy Scouts. I never Scouted, but it's a good maxim to live by.