Becky and I have been on a school uniform kick recently. Lately we've seen all of the school uniform clothes out and about, and it really got us thinking. Maybe we really missed out by not having to wear a uniform back when we were in middle and high school. Uniforms are just so sharp and well put together. I think it's pretty hard to look bad in a school uniform, although I'm sure it's possible. Maybe even having to wear school uniforms would have lessened the awkwardness of of those embarassing awkward years. We obviously didn't know how to choose flattering clothes, so maybe we would have looked better if we weren't left to our own devices. And if not, then at least we all would have looked like crap on the same level. So I started saying as a joke that I should have just worn a school uniform to school anyway even though we didn't have to. Would that have just made me super weird if I had done that? Probably. But then it stopped being a joke and I started seriously thinking - I could still do it if I really wanted to! So not only is this a "It's Going to Be a Thing" entry, this is a call to arms! Let's bring the school uniform to college! The new Urban Outfitters clothes are really inspiring to me in the "school uniform" respect, so for uniformity's (haha- I'm hilarious) sake, all of my inspirational pictures will be from them. (except for the one of the kids - obviously).
For any school uniform there is a list of basics that are absolutely required to put together any sort of respectable looking outfit. Here's my Top Ten (plus One for good measure) list of what you would need to have the most kick-"a" school uniform in college.
1. Cardigan
2. Blazer
3. Skirt
4. Suspendered Skirt and/or Jumper
5. Button Up Shirt
6. Khaki Shorts
7. Oxfords or Loafers
8. Backpack
9. Glasses for the more Studious Crowd
10. Belts
11. Hat
Looking a little deeper into the look - Steven Alan has designed this really great line called Lark and Wolff that is being sold at Urban Outfitters. I am seriously into his stuff right now and alot of his pieces would work perfectly with this look. Here is a link to a video interview that Urban Outfitters did with him. It's a really interesting video and you should totally go look if you're interested.
http://blog.urbanoutfitters.com/projects/lark_and_wolff/
Now there is so much more that could go on here. I didn't even get into sweaters, vests, ties, tights/socks, or watches. There are so many great pieces that go into a really good uniform. And keep in mind that plaids, knits, twills, navy blue, burgundy, and khaki are the key ingredients to the school uniform look. Really the key here is looking classic and put together. But of course, with any REALLY great school uniform, you have to try and break the rules a little bit and make it your own. So who's going to join me in bringing back the school uniform to the collegiate crowd?
Thursday, July 24, 2008
It's Going to Be a Thing : Back to School
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4 comments:
I think that wearing a uniform to school has been greatly romanticized in your post Amy. While I am certainly not against a good cardigan, pencil skirt, or button-up, I also think that having to wear a uniform to school would have been awful. It's not like you get options as to what skirt, shirt, pants, etc. you want to wear. At Pius, for example, my cousins only ever got to wear these horrible pleated pants or a really misproportioned skirt. And girls always had to wear knee high socks with the skirts (even in the coldest parts of winter). And you could only wear school approved pieces, so no cute fitted button-ups. I just don't think i would have enjoyed that.
I do love the idea of a new style for the fall that is loosely based on the school uniform aesthetic though. As i mentioned the other day, I'd love to bring above-the-knee socks or knee socks back. So much more comfy than tights i swear!
Yes, I may have romanticized school uniforms a little bit. But what fashion HASN'T romanticized its inspiration a little bit? I still hold though that uniforms would have some major pluses that I didn't see back in the day. Also with uniforms, I feel like you would feel more free to go absolutely crazy on your off days. Also, I think that what appeals to me with uniforms, just as with men's clothing, is that there is so little variation that the little things really start to count, and it takes a little more creativity to figure out how to break the norm.
and i say yay to thigh high/knee socks! I bought a pair of thigh highs in japan and i wore them once. i'm not gonna lie, they fell down a LOT and i felt a little skanky when that happened, but they were 300 yen, what did i expect? whatever - I'm wearing them next year!
Alright- so I did wear a uniform for a great deal of my formative years while I attended St. Johns. And while I can tell you right now that I look back almost with a sense of nostalgia at my uniform, I definitely HATED it while I went there. I understand what you're going for though, with the idea of incorporating a school uniform look into your own look and I do like that idea, if anything school uniforms embrace a classic style that will never get old. But, uniforms in general, were not enjoyable. I do look back on photos though and thank the heavens for them- I say, look at me in my plaid jumper, blue peter pan blouse with SJE emblem, and navy blue sweatshirt covering my jumper so it looks like a skirt instead! So chic! Now, I admit even in uniform we all still had our own fashion quirks. Certain girls wore knee-highs, I myself wore the white sock with the Mary Jane black shoe...ect, ect. The worst days were P.E. days- how do you make gym clothes you're stuck in all day look good? You can't. They're hideous!
Anyway, I forgot what the main point is- I don't regret being subjected to a uniform as a child, but I do like that I had the freedom to chose my styles (be them as ill-advised as they were) in my middle school and high school years. But, it's interesting to note that even the people who wear uniforms find a way to make them their own--so our unique fashion was never really TOO far away.
Glynnis - Yeah, that is TOTALLY what I think appeals to me most about uniforms. Everyone may be required to wear the same thing, but somehow your individuality still shines through just with little things. I like how it displays the indomitable spirit of the individual. You can NEVER eliminate the element of uniqueness in people. It's just so interesting to me.
It just makes me think of the De Stijl and Russian Constructivist movements in art. How they wanted everything to be uniform and to eliminate all traces of individuality. It's just not possible! Dadaism will always come and bite them in the ass. Just so interesting.
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