Spring Break
Parting advice from a veteran fashion guru
Hop Couture
Issue date: 4/26/07
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When I began writing Hop Couture nearly four years ago, during second semester of my freshman year, I had a reason for my rhyme. Furthermore, I had a genuine cause.
Frankly, I came to Hopkins and I didn't like what I saw. It wasn't the campus, the professors, classes or even the students themselves that irked me. Oh no, these components of our venerable university were sound. That which needed immediate attention was Hopkins' fashion sense - or lack thereof.
In short, never had I laid eyes on a community of bright, well-to-do individuals who dressed with such disregard. Oh, the horrors! There were grown men roaming the campus in clothes clearly purchased by their mothers. And then there were the young ladies who, believe it or not, were still bobbing about campus with scrunchies in their hair.
No, no. This would not do. Something had to be done; and that something had to communicate effectively about fashion, and, above all, take on a persona that would be entirely UN-Hopkins.
And so began Hop Couture.
Now as I prepare to leave the incubator that is college life, scribing my departing column, I hope to impart some passing knowledge.
This is my final will, if you like - a "goodbye" guide to ensuring an existence free of fashion fouls. And while I've spent many a column inundating my readers with a deluge of quirky new fashion finds by designers as generally un-wearable as Christian Lacroix and Gareth Pugh, this here is my foolproof, straightforward guide to looking your best no matter the season or future trends.
My first rule of thumb: when in doubt, stick to the classics. This means stepping back and thinking, "which styles and items remain constant staples in a tasteful person's wardrobe?" Look to fashion icons like Jackie Onassis and Warren Beatty. The former sported chic Chanel, the latter clean-cut three-piece suits. Neither will ever fall from grace.
Second, never wear the same outfit more than once in a two-week span. Even if you have just 14 outfits, spreading them out over a fortnight will make your wardrobe appear plump and plentiful.
Frankly, I came to Hopkins and I didn't like what I saw. It wasn't the campus, the professors, classes or even the students themselves that irked me. Oh no, these components of our venerable university were sound. That which needed immediate attention was Hopkins' fashion sense - or lack thereof.
In short, never had I laid eyes on a community of bright, well-to-do individuals who dressed with such disregard. Oh, the horrors! There were grown men roaming the campus in clothes clearly purchased by their mothers. And then there were the young ladies who, believe it or not, were still bobbing about campus with scrunchies in their hair.
No, no. This would not do. Something had to be done; and that something had to communicate effectively about fashion, and, above all, take on a persona that would be entirely UN-Hopkins.
And so began Hop Couture.
Now as I prepare to leave the incubator that is college life, scribing my departing column, I hope to impart some passing knowledge.
This is my final will, if you like - a "goodbye" guide to ensuring an existence free of fashion fouls. And while I've spent many a column inundating my readers with a deluge of quirky new fashion finds by designers as generally un-wearable as Christian Lacroix and Gareth Pugh, this here is my foolproof, straightforward guide to looking your best no matter the season or future trends.
My first rule of thumb: when in doubt, stick to the classics. This means stepping back and thinking, "which styles and items remain constant staples in a tasteful person's wardrobe?" Look to fashion icons like Jackie Onassis and Warren Beatty. The former sported chic Chanel, the latter clean-cut three-piece suits. Neither will ever fall from grace.
Second, never wear the same outfit more than once in a two-week span. Even if you have just 14 outfits, spreading them out over a fortnight will make your wardrobe appear plump and plentiful.
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