Believe it or not, Tufts has a lot of stylish people. Between the 24/7-Pajama League, the Herve Bag-And-Tight-Jeans Brigade, and the Supersized-Sporty Sector, there are some very different styles that mix up the campus clothing collage. This week, "My Fashion Fix" decided to turn its gaze outwards and get a closer look at some students' and professors' refreshingly distinct styles.
Jaya Gupta: Low Key Luxury
Of all the styles out there, vintage is unquestionably one of the hardest to pull off, and one wrong move can be the difference between street chic and street-dweller. Fortunately, senior Jaya Gupta has a discerning eye. "I like old stuff and cheap stuff," says Gupta, who cites both Carrie ("Sex and the City," obviously) and her friends as fashion influences. Far from her upstate New York "prep" roots, Gupta pulls together bargain-basement clothing from Urban Outfitters and the Garment District, basics from the Gap, and vintage jewelry from Portobello market to create a style that attains that elusive Kate Moss-y vintage princess ease. Current fashion indulgences include a tank top addiction, ornate tarnished silver necklaces, and old Indian clothes from her mom's closet. What she likes about Tufts style: "It's a lot more diverse than my high school. I love it that people can just bust out and wear crazy stuff. I also like that I can wear a really ratty, safety-pinned T-shirt and people will think it's Gucci." What she loathes about Tufts style: chunky dress boots and guys who won't wear fitted clothes.
Fashion Advice: "I like people who are comfortable with what they wear. Some people can wear just a sweatshirt and jeans and it will look awesome."
Dr. Sinaia Nathanson: Respectful Elegance
Dr. Nathanson, a psychology professor specializing in conflict resolution, asserts clothing is a powerful social tool that reflects a variety of non-verbal norms. "There is a definite correlation between roles and dress code," she says. "Some people feel that if a physician shows up in a midriff-baring top, it subtracts a level of her professionalism. We want professionals to project something." Nathanson, who grew up in a European atmosphere, says both her upbringing and her prior work as a corporate consultant have influenced her conservative ideas on clothing. "Where I grew up, comfort was not the utmost purpose of clothes," Nathanson says. "I think dressing-up projects your respect for the students." However, she acknowledges that norms on a college campus are quite different from those in the business world; her first lecture as a student at Harvard was given by "an excellent professor" who wore only sweaty jogging suits to class.
Clothing can also act as a social barometer. "I like the fact that women are no longer compelled to look extremely feminine," she says. "A broader, unisex look has become more accepted, and it's nice that women are ridden of that burden of looking seductive all the time." And though you will never catch Nathanson lecturing in blue jeans, she likes that her students feel comfortable being casual. "In New England, there is that freedom of choice, and a minimum of taboos. It's great."
Fashion Advice: Amused at the ironic "fluid phenomenon" of fashion, Nathanson asserts, "there's not too much that is shocking anymore. Students try so hard with green hair and crazy clothes, but we [professors] have seen it before. We've been there."
Lorenz Sell: DIY Dolce
Junior Lorenz Sell is dying to give a makeover. "I see so many girls who have so much potential and they don't even know it," he says. "How a girl holds herself, her attitude, and her clothes can make such a difference." As for Sell's own style, he believes it's hard to classify. A fan of "fashion he can't afford" as well as vintage styles, Sell frequently mixes designer pieces with three-dollar thrift store finds and clothes he makes himself. Professing that D+G make "the sexiest clothes on Earth," he accessorizes with multiple facial piercings and also divulges a love of well-cut jeans and shoes. What he likes about Tufts style: those Euro sneakers are growing on him. What he loathes about Tufts style: girls who wear white athletic socks with nice shoes and guys who don't bother with their hair.
Fashion Advice: A fan of square cut boots and pointed stilettos for the ladies, Sell urges the women of Tufts to reconsider their choice of footwear.
Kit Stanton: The "Je ne sais quoi" Tomboy
As someone who wears "whatever pants are closest to the bed in the morning," sophomore Kit Stanton's fashion can hardly be called calculated. However, it is precisely this approach to fashion that makes her style so endearing. Confined to a parochial school uniform in high school, Kit now fills her wardrobe with a mix of thrift store finds and hand-me-downs from her older brother's closet. With her trademark backwards-baseball cap covering her long black hair, Stanton 's style is unisex, clean, and refreshing; androgynous style, normally very difficult to pull off without looking grungy or harsh, is charming on Stanton, who wears it with ease. Though she is not terribly interested in fashion, Kit does confess a weak spot for concert T-shirts. What she likes about Tufts style: guys in khakis and collared shirts. What she loathes about Tufts style: girls who wear identical tight pants and sweaters.
Fashion Advice: "Don't try to fit into the mold by wearing the same $200 jeans everyone else has."
Josh Wertlieb: Unapologetic Label Whore
For those of you who don't recognize his name, Josh Wertlieb is that guy who brings his own Kristal and flute to Latin Way parties. If you still don't know who he is, he's the guy with the raccoon fur coat. "People who don't know me probably think I'm cruel to animals or foreign," says Wertlieb. Either way, he is not one to blend into the woodwork. Citing Matt Via, his personal shopper at Louis of Boston, as a style influence, Wertlieb's tastes run to the extravagant. A clotheshorse of the highest degree, Wertlieb calculates he spends approximately $10,000 a year on fashion. "I just don't like knockoffs or things on sale," he says, explaining he would rather pay $400 for a Prada sweater than $50 for the same thing at the Gap. However, though his taste may be flamboyant, Wertlieb insists it's all in good fun. "I'd say I push the envelope, but people who know me know I just like to have a good time." What he likes about Tufts fashion: "Is there any?" What he loathes about Tufts fashion: people scrubbing it to class, girls who dress up while wearing white athletic socks (I sense a theme...).
Fashion Advice: "I cannot stress the value of ebay."
Professor Virginia Johnson: Style Scholar
As the instructor for "Drama 193: the Evolution of Fashion, Professor Johnson" and a costume designer for many Tufts productions, Johnson was an obvious choice for a fashion profile. Describing her style as "eccentric but put together," Johnson, like Dr. Nathanson, believes fashion can be a powerful tool in communicating professionalism. As a costume designer, Johnson recognizes the need to stay current with trends, "to help instill faith in my cast and colleagues." Though her on-campus style is conservative-funky, as a Filipino-American, Johnson also appreciates the fabrics and patterns of her heritage.
What she likes about Tufts style: variety and risk taking. What she loathes about Tufts style: "As a costume designer, it is often really hard to not feel like I am contributing to damage [on student's self-esteem concerning their bodies.] Sometimes a play requires the "perfect body" and I have to create it without making the actor feel like his/her body is inadequate."
Fashion Advice: "Wear what makes you comfortable and what tells the truth about who you are....And dress for the occasion. Know when to dress up and enjoy those times. The opportunities to dress to the nines are rare, so when the chance comes along, embrace it."
So chin up, all ye despondent about fashion. Style is alive and well at Tufts - you just have to look for it.
