Dressing the Part . . . for Girls!

[mirandaw]

I must say: bright leggings are a staple in my wardrobe, especially if it's the only splash of color in an otherwise muted palette.

[GreenePony]

This is a bit off topic...but since the campus is now crawling with undergrads, I can tell you what NOT to wear:

- lycra (especially when it's leggings of bright colours)

- crop tops

- baggy tank tops with no bras

- knee high stocking with a miniskirt

- heels you can't walk in

- bras as tops.

I feel like an old woman, but what are kids wearing these days!?!!?

I was used a southern belle sort of interpretation of what a lot of undergrads wear- that meant bits were more or less covered.

We walked around campus yesterday to get our IDs and I was shocked. 90s jean shorts with see-through thin tank-like things tucked in. Thin shirts that you would have to be dressed in the dark to not realize I can totally see your ill fitting bra (soooo many badly fitted bras if they are worn at all). Shirts with sleeves cut off and stretched so the armhole ends at the bottom of the rib cage...

My friend wore a cute semi-sheer top with a deep keyhole front and back for orientation but with a black cami underneath, it was very professional and the cami blended into the shirt. Is that so hard?

[ktel]

Ugh the 90s jean shorts is the worst trend going around right now. I don't think anybody looks good in it. They are called mom jeans for a reason.

[Dal PhDer]

Ugh the 90s jean shorts is the worst trend going around right now. I don't think anybody looks good in it. They are called mom jeans for a reason.

I agree! That and crop tops...who brought crop tops back!!?

I saw a girl in high waisted short shorts and a crop top on. Even with the highwaisted shorts on, the crop top was so tiny that you still saw her mid-drift!!

I just don't get it! I wear a V-neck and I feel like I am exposed!!!!

I must say: bright leggings are a staple in my wardrobe, especially if it's the only splash of color in an otherwise muted palette

I am all for leggings and colour! I think they're cute...but spandex hot pink leggings with a yellow bra top is a bit much for me!! That's like midnight club attire!!!!

EDIT: I sound like my mom...dear god....

Edited August 24, 2012 by Dal PhDer

[GreenePony]

I'm all for a well tailored high waisted trouser. BUT my pairs are pocketless (no mile-wide behind optical illusion) and from a 1930s repro pattern so they don't look 90s, vaguely 70s at worst.

Oh, and they have more than a 1" inseam. The 90s jeans I saw looked like the girls were wearing denim diapers.

EDIT: I sound like my mom...dear god....

I realized this past weekend that my mom dresses more "in style" than I do. I was very sad.

[wildviolet]

Nowadays I'm partial to dresses with cardigans, flowy knee-length skirts, pearl earrings, floral patterns, cozy sweaters, and a bit of lace. I guess the romantic in me is coming out.

[verklempt]

I continually feel like I dress like a granny compared to what I see on campus. What's wrong with jeans, high waisted skirts, t shirts/blouses, and a cardigan? I'm also really not impressed with people who do cover up but make minimal effort. In undergrad it was a big thing for sorority girls to wear nike running shorts and huge t shirts/fishing shirts. I don't get it. Also, sweatpants people, I'm looking at you.

[Dal PhDer]

Nowadays I'm partial to dresses with cardigans, flowy knee-length skirts, pearl earrings, floral patterns, cozy sweaters, and a bit of lace. I guess the romantic in me is coming out.

Pretty! I love the romantic look! I'm bit into white linen/lace shirts and a nice cardi! I love this idea of pearl earrings! Very collegial!

I continually feel like I dress like a granny compared to what I see on campus. What's wrong with jeans, high waisted skirts, t shirts/blouses, and a cardigan? I'm also really not impressed with people who do cover up but make minimal effort. In undergrad it was a big thing for sorority girls to wear nike running shorts and huge t shirts/fishing shirts. I don't get it. Also, sweatpants people, I'm looking at you.

I'm totally one of the sweatpant people/yoga pants girl. Sometimes it's just easier to go gross from the gym into the lab/library on a day when you know you won't be seen! haha

[BrokenRecord]

Nowadays I'm partial to dresses with cardigans, flowy knee-length skirts, pearl earrings, floral patterns, cozy sweaters, and a bit of lace. I guess the romantic in me is coming out.

This!! I love pearls, cardigans and floral patterns too!

I'm totally one of the sweatpant people/yoga pants girl. Sometimes it's just easier to go gross from the gym into the lab/library on a day when you know you won't be seen! haha

Right there too. I'm not too partial to sweatpants but I LIVE by the yoga pants

[BrokenRecord]

This is a bit off topic...but since the campus is now crawling with undergrads, I can tell you what NOT to wear:

-lycra (especially when it's leggings of bright colours)

- crop tops

- baggy tank tops with no bras

- knee high stocking with a miniskirt

- heels you can't walk in

- bras as tops.

Yes!! I went back to my u-grad for my immunization records and was SHOCKED at to what these girls were wearing. Literally, see through tops, butt cheeks literally HANGING OUT of their cut off shorts, belly shirts, HEELS (on a VERY hilly campus!). I really don't know who they're parents are that will drop them off that way! My u-grad received a lot of flack because they are starting to institute a dress code as they should!

[mirandaw]

Well, brokenrecord... You are in EXPOSURE science

[wildviolet]

The undergrads moved in this weekend... and there are some crazy outfits! Short shorts (okay, so I wore them as a freshman, too) and tight tops or tank tops with skinny straps. Our campus is huge and unfortunately my building is next to the bookstore so at this time of year the place is absolutely crawling with undergrads. I hope the seniors in my course will dress more appropriately.

[BrokenRecord]

The undergrads moved in this weekend... and there are some crazy outfits! Short shorts (okay, so I wore them as a freshman, too) and tight tops or tank tops with skinny straps. Our campus is huge and unfortunately my building is next to the bookstore so at this time of year the place is absolutely crawling with undergrads. I hope the seniors in my course will dress more appropriately.

*Thread hijack*

FWIW, I'm kind of in love with your blog!! :wub: :wub:

[rockandroll]

After all of this discussion and shopping, I decided to make a blog in the same vein as What Would a Nerd Wear to chronicle my outfits every day. I feel like having pictures to look at regarding what other students are doing around the country can be super helpful- it was for me over the last few months. If anyone's interested in following me, you can find it at http://intellect-fashion.tumblr.com .

Edited August 28, 2012 by rockandroll

[Dal PhDer]

Every time I go on campus and see an undergrad that's showing WAY too much, I think of you girls!! haha!

Edited August 28, 2012 by Dal PhDer

[Pitangus]

I can't stand feeling hot, so I'll probably be wearing dresses, skirts, and shorts until the weather gets cooler. But whenever I wear something short I still follow the "fingertip rule" from junior high: when you stand up straight with your arms held at your sides, your fingertips should touch fabric.

For tops I follow the "three finger" rule: if the sleeve/strap is narrower than the width of three fingers, then I bring a light button-up or something to put on when I go inside for a class or something. I have very small fingers, so this rule is pretty forgiving for me!

Funny how I am old (and young?) enough to wear whatever I want, but I still find myself following "rules" like that.

Speaking of rules: what do you all think of "no white after labor day"? I know it was still a rule for my mother's generation, but do young people today still uphold it?

I think it's a little silly to have to put away a white sundress or skirt in early September, especially when it's still 80 degrees F outside until October in many places (even places that do get cold eventually), and of course white fabric is cooler than darker colors.

I personally have a slightly-off-white tunic that I love and is easily wearable in fall weather, so the thought of leaving it in my closet until spring is a bummer. Maybe if I tell myself it's a "winter white"...

[wildviolet]

*Thread hijack*

FWIW, I'm kind of in love with your blog!! :wub: :wub:

Thanks! You should start one, too. I've found it very helpful, especially for practice writing every day, even if it's just a few paragraphs. Just getting in the "writing mode" is going to be important for grad school success. Witness: "The act of writing is the act of discovering what you believe." --Gustave Flaubert. And grad school is all about discovering what we believe and communicating it to others in a coherent and convincing way. Good luck with your studies. Glad to see you around GC.

[wildviolet]

Speaking of rules: what do you all think of "no white after labor day"?

I say wear white whenever you feel like it! Forget the rules!

Edited August 29, 2012 by wildviolet

[GreenePony]

Speaking of rules: what do you all think of "no white after labor day"? I know it was still a rule for my mother's generation, but do young people today still uphold it?

I think it's a little silly to have to put away a white sundress or skirt in early September, especially when it's still 80 degrees F outside until October in many places (even places that do get cold eventually), and of course white fabric is cooler than darker colors.

I personally have a slightly-off-white tunic that I love and is easily wearable in fall weather, so the thought of leaving it in my closet until spring is a bummer. Maybe if I tell myself it's a "winter white"...

I just bought a white shirt that is tailored near perfectly that normally sells for 160, you bet I'm wearing it year round. I've never been one for white bottoms though, I have a white and grey chevron skirt that's close enough that I may wear a little bit in the fall, it's just a bit seasonal with length and style.

[ktel]

I can't stand feeling hot, so I'll probably be wearing dresses, skirts, and shorts until the weather gets cooler. But whenever I wear something short I still follow the "fingertip rule" from junior high: when you stand up straight with your arms held at your sides, your fingertips should touch fabric.

I totally use this rule all the time. Although sometimes even when I follow this rule I still feel like my skirt is too short.

[verklempt]

Pretty! I love the romantic look! I'm bit into white linen/lace shirts and a nice cardi! I love this idea of pearl earrings! Very collegial!

I'm totally one of the sweatpant people/yoga pants girl. Sometimes it's just easier to go gross from the gym into the lab/library on a day when you know you won't be seen! haha

I mean people going to class in sweatpants/yoga pants. I think a little effort when attending class goes a long way.

[eisoj5]

I've been lurking in this thread ever since I was admitted, so time to post now that I've had a couple of classes

It's been in the 90s here this week, and I simply can't wear long pants/jeans when it's this hot or I end up really, REALLY cranky. So for my first class yesterday, I wore a sleeveless black top and a knee-length Eddie Bauer skirt that I just found at Goodwill this past weekend. Today I wore a t-shirt that I reconstructed last summer plus a flouncy denim skirt. I figure I fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum of dress among the women in my cohort. I'm loving wearing skirts again--the job I left last month really was much too active (and dirty) for skirts.

[Pitangus]

I totally use this rule all the time. Although sometimes even when I follow this rule I still feel like my skirt is too short.

Me too, but then I remember why my closet is full of these skirts and shorts in the first place: anything that goes lower than the top of my knee makes me look like I'm a 7-year-old kid wearing her older sister's skirt. I'm probably close to the average female height in the US, but my legs aren't very long, and longer skirts and capris just don't flatter me at all.

Most skirts/dresses I own hit 1 1/2 to 2 inches above the top of my knee, which seems modest enough and keeps me from feeling stumpy.

I'm really just looking forward to fall weather though. In addition to my dislike of the heat, I also prefer pants or tights/leggings (under my skirts/tunics). My fall/winter items easily outnumber my summer ones, so I'm not loving the continued hot weather into the school year.

I just bought a white shirt that is tailored near perfectly that normally sells for 160, you bet I'm wearing it year round. I've never been one for white bottoms though, I have a white and grey chevron skirt that's close enough that I may wear a little bit in the fall, it's just a bit seasonal with length and style.

I'll never give up my white shirts! I don't own any white skirts or pants, but I think I'll be keeping that tunic out until October...

[ktel]

Maybe my leg to arm proportions are weird, but there is about 5-6 inches between the top of my knee and the tip of my finger, hence why I think my dresses are too short when I do that! Must have long legs or something. I'm 5'9 so tall-ish.

[Pitangus]

Maybe my leg to arm proportions are weird, but there is about 5-6 inches between the top of my knee and the tip of my finger, hence why I think my dresses are too short when I do that! Must have long legs or something. I'm 5'9 so tall-ish.

Haha, I'm 5'4"but my legs have always seemed a bit short to me. I can go about 4 1/2 to 5 inches from the top of my knee with the fingertip rule, but that is a little more than halfway up my thigh, so I usually aim for a couple of inches lower than that. As long as I'm touching fabric, and not just the hem, I figure I'm being reasonable. I also tend to prefer things with a bit of ruffle, pleating, or layering, so that they don't look too tight.

Then I go out on campus amongst the denim diapers and feel pretty safe!