Getting dressed every day isn’t always easy. No matter how much I hated the uniform I donned at my previous school, there is something to be said for waking up every morning and knowing what you are going to wear. It’s hard to know what exactly to wear when: questions like whether something is special dress-worthy or whether it is okay to wear sweats to class have no definite answer. In the end, it is really up to your judgment. However, it seemed appropriate this week to try to fashion (no pun intended, I promise) a little bit of a how-to guide for dressing at Choate.
Now that it’s spring, there’s really no excuse for sloppiness in class dress. People notice when you show up in something that you clearly slept in. And the multi-coloured Juicy pants with the drawstrings tucked in—honestly? An easy substitute would be a pair of linen shorts, which come in just as many colours and are just as comfortable. Personally, I advocate dresses, and lots of them: they are entire outfits in one piece. Instead of Rainbows, try a pair of Bernardos, or just simple thin-strap flip-flops (Calypso and Gap both make good ones), which make you look a little less like you are going to the beach. Finally, I would beg all girls to remember: the bag you carry to school is actually a part of your outfit. I never wear my purple bag when I am wearing orange, and you shouldn’t either. Don’t buy a bag that matches only one thing that you own. Tan and navy are good standbys, but if you want something more colourful, pick one which really compliments your clothing. If you wear a lot of neutrals, yellow is a great solution. If you wear candy-coloured leggings with bright tunics, hot pink with silver metallic accents is just a bad decision. (In truth, all parts of that outfit are always bad decisions.)
Special dress is the perfect time to dress up. This does not mean putting a cardigan on over the cotton dress you wear to class every so often. If your closet isn’t overflowing with cocktail dresses, borrow! As long as you follow borrowing etiquette (you return it within a week with no stains or wrinkles), this is really the perfect solution. That said, I would once again implore everyone to be careful of what they wear. Mustard yellow is a difficult colour. Dresses which drape like sacks are neither attractive nor flattering. At the same time, it really is not necessary to wear the most low-cut top you own. Similarly, ankle straps really are not for everyone. Really. Trust me. And please, for the sake of the people in the balcony—if you are sitting on stage, cross your legs.
One of the best things about weekends at Choate is the total lack of dress code. Almost anything is passable, excluding, of course, the obvious: stains are still not cool. Ripped jeans do not look good on anyone. SoLows are not necessarily a great look. Just put on your favourite pair of plaid boxers instead; we all understand, as long as they are neatly pressed. That said, as nice as it is to be free of the restraints of our dress code, it is equally nice to see someone wearing a tank top and cardigan with their jeans, instead of an old college t-shirt.
Best Dressed: The Marber sisters.
Katie and Rebecca Marber pose as dynamic fashion duo.
