The state of fashion at this school is depressing. Seriously, the next time I see someone sitting in class next to me wearing oversized pajama pants, an oversized sweatshirt, slippers and a bad case of bed-head ... I may scream.
Since when did classes become an extension of the bedroom? Since when did it become okay to wear your bed clothes in public? Since when did people stop caring how they look?
On Monday night, I was in Brown and Brew at 10 p.m. working on a group project. My attention was diverted, however, when I saw a male student walk into the coffee shop wearing - and this pains me to type - red, reindeer-printed pajama pants.
This is just wrong on so many levels. First of all, what kind of self-respecting college student owns reindeer-printed pajama pants? Second of all, what are the pajama pants doing in a coffee shop? Would you go to Starbucks in Boston in your pajama pants? No. So how come this is acceptable at Brown and Brew? Simply put, it's not.
After pondering this situation for a long time, I've realized that the problem is simple: Tufts students have become too comfortable in their surroundings. Yes, we go to school on a beautiful, enclosed suburban campus, but when you walk out the front doors of your dorm or house, you are in public. Please dress accordingly.
Just because you don't live in downtown Boston, it doesn't mean that the Academic Quad is not a public space. You wouldn't go to Park Street in your boyfriend's oversized sweatshirt and fuzzy Ugg slippers, so I don't want to see you in class dressed that way either.
Whew! I feel relieved to finally get that off of my chest. So now that the sorry state of dressing at this school has been acknowledged, what can be done about it? Lazy people will be lazy, and I will be the first to admit that getting dressed in the morning does take effort. Here are some simple ways to make yourself presentable.
The easiest way to make yourself ready to enter into public is a pair of jeans. If you really like your sloppy shirts and tousled hair, at least throw on a pair of jeans to provide some proportion.
As mentioned, putting on jeans takes less than thirty seconds, no matter how tired you are, and it shows that you care about the way you present yourself. Not only will you feel better about the way you look, but your peers and your professors will treat you differently. Trust me, I've tested this out.
If you aren't willing to give up your baggy sweatpants, then at least do us all a favor and wear a t-shirt on top that fits you (a.k.a. not ten sizes too big) and flip flops, no slippers. If it's cooler out, wear a jacket, not a sweatshirt, or else you will just look like one big ball of fleece.
Everything I've mentioned so far can and should apply to both males and females. Sorry guys, but I have one final solution for just the ladies out there (but you'll thank me). I've been saving the best for last: the ultimate solution to the schlump problem. Are you ready?
Three words: black yoga pants. These babies are extremely comfortable, extremely flattering, and when worn with your big t-shirt or sweatshirt, give off the "I'm-going-to-work-out-later" vibe while keeping you looking cute and presentable.
And if you're one of those people who wakes up at 9:05 for your nine o'clock class, do not fear; simply go to bed wearing your black yoga pants, then sprint out of bed when you wake up.
Depending on how you view the situation, there's another advantage to the black yoga pant.
As I've been told by numerous male friends of mine, every guy will be checking out your rear when you step out in a pair of these babies.
Call it chauvinistic or call it a compliment, but black yoga pants always have a way of making booties look beautiful. With some varieties you may become a victim of VPL (visible panty lines) so if this is one of your pet peeves, choose your underwear accordingly.
The best place to buy a pair of classic, nicely cut, durable black yoga pants is from the Canadian yoga-wear specialist: lululemon. A phenomenon in my home country for many years, lululemon is the answer to wanting to dress comfortably while still looking good.
Newly opened on this side of the border, lululemon has a small store located at 376 Boylston Street between Arlington and Berkeley (though it's only open Thursday-Sunday). Prices can get a little steep, but I still own my very first pair of lulus, and four years later, they look as good as new. Trust me, they're worth it.
Other convenient places to snap up a pair of black yoga pants are Victoria's Secret (two pairs for $40) and American Apparel ($35).
If you only take away one thing from reading my column, let it be this mantra to yourself: I am a smart, creative, good-looking person, and I deserve to dress myself in a way that showcases this to the world.
-Jyll Saskin is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major.
