As we look towards fall—and those who hail from warmer climates begin to increasingly recognize how much they detest New England weather—we do get to become a little more creative with our wardrobes, largely due to the style and practicality of layering. Probably the most common and expected way to layer involves sweaters (which I’ll go into detail about later on), but there are more options that both men and women can look to. I mentioned zip-vests in my last article; soccer superstar John Moorhead ’09 demonstrates how to make a down vest practical: wear it with everything. Any sort of blue is recommended, but more boring—or bright—colors are perfectly acceptable. Another option is putting a flannel shirt over your outfit. I’ve recently seen this work and it can be used to make an overly preppy or formal outfit look a bit more casual. To end, I’ve convinced myself that nothing I say about North Face fleeces will ever persuade people to stop wearing them, but I beg that if you happen to be buying a new one, don’t buy black.

Getting more particular with sweaters, we need to become a little more daring. In reality, no one is putting a gun to your head ordering you to wear a boring sweater. Look at Mr. Easton, for example. He wears the coolest sweaters around and no one is giving him flak for it. It’s a little late to buy the darker oranges and yellows that correspond to autumn leaves, but green is an excellent option as it can be worn until about March. Gentlemen, try a low fitting V-neck so your collar can properly spread at the neck. As a final note, the first male who wears a cardigan gets to be the next “best dressed.”

As pupils of fashion, we need to take a good look at our footwear. While a dress code has been put in place to keep everyone looking decent, shoes were left out, probably because of the amount of walking the average Choate student does. Despite this, everyone should stop wearing sneakers. I’m not the only one who believes in this—there’s a certain sophomore girl who wears a bright pink boot, making her resemble someone with an actual medical problem, just to avoid wearing sneakers. Sneakers make us look quite a bit more disheveled and unkempt, and there are many replacements that provide a significantly better look with equivalent comfort. The best option is the Nike Air line produced by Cole Haan. Simply put, this is a loafer on the outside with a sneaker on the inside. These are comfortable and Cole Haan offers many different style options to choose from. Another choice is wearing Birkenstocks with socks (like a particular English teacher I know), but I think that’s probably going to be a less popular option.

In conclusion: brush up. Let’s make it very clear to Deerfield that a coat and tie are not the epitome of style or elegance.

Best Dressed: Kelly Costello ’10 and Michael Koh ’08.