CampusIntel

It’s safe to say the majority of STU students are familiar with the Facebook group “Overheard at STU.” But what about those weird and wacky style sightings? You know, the ridiculous outfits and trends that make you think “Are they for real?”

Hey there. I’m a first-year journalism student from small-town Nova Scotia. I plan to rant about what’s in, what’s out, and what I have to say about all that. I’ve got an interest in fashion, but don’t expect to see me buying into every hooker boot, furry vest trend.

Let’s talk weekend wear. There’s a gaping contrast between evening and morning clothing choices, for obvious reasons. At night some girls just can’t get enough of tight skirts, tight shirts, tight anything. And then there’s the always classy choice of the magical shirt turned dress. Don’t get me started on that one.

Now in the morning there’s a chameleon effect. Baggy sweatpants, t-shirts, hoodies.. you get the picture. I understand the need for comfort. And yet I get the impression that subconsciously it’s a competition to see who can make the largest transformation. It’s like a math equation. To achieve the best results I put minimal effort into my morning appearance to appear as if a rough night occurred. Then I can put any amount of effort into my going out appearance and get compliments for the miraculous makeover.

But enough of that. This season’s trends have great potential for weekend attire that even I won’t deem inappropriate. Denim leggings are hoping to become the perfect mix between the look of skinny jeans and the comfort of normal leggings. Done with a longer shirt, heels and confidence, this look is sure to be a winner. And they can easily switch to day wear when done with boots and a tunic-style top. If you’re looking to pick up a pair check out Smart Set, American Eagle or Garage for $20.

In the tops department, designers have been putting the focus on necklines. Cowl necks made a comeback from the 30s and were a quick go-to item for going out. Slowly they’re finding themselves at the back of the closet this season, while halter, v-neck, and strapless are returning. A greater emphasis is now being placed on rising waistbands. This combination of neckline and waistband I find more appealing than the previous kangaroo-like pouch covering the chest.

Don’t get me wrong; lots of university students dress perfectly normal. But there are just some fashion statements out there that scream notice me. Two of my favourites around campus are the “I just rolled out of bed and yes I could care less” and “The gym, the caf, class, whatever; I’m always making a statement.”

If you need visuals, picture sweatpants tucked into slippers and a baggy t-shirt for the first. And for the second, hair always down (that includes the gym), and brand names galore.

Now, I don’t claim to be an expert fashionista by a long shot. But I do claim to be an avid fashion observer. So if you catch me staring, it’s most likely because I love your shoes, or find your bag atrocious.

Check it out, new advertisements by Diesel, courtesy of Dose.com.

http://www.dose.ca/style/photogallery.html?page=2&id=2456148&enablerating=true

As a belated Christmas gift my roommate bought me the ever popular Snuggie. For those who live under a rock a Snuggie is a blanket with sleeves. The comfy invention can be found online or on daily infomercials.

My roommate bought herself, me and her best friend all Snuggies. The ironic part is that my roommate was opposed to Snuggies at first and hated them now she obviously loves her blue Snuggie.

“It’s a blanket with sleeves who would want that?” was what she would say.

Now the both of us hang in our dorm room doing homework and staying warm with our Snuggies or as my roommate likes to refer to them as `Snugginators’.

I believe the Snuggie is an epic win because just like an ordinary blanket it keeps you warm. However, with the added benefit of sleeves the invention allows you to do your homework, change the remote on the television and talk on the phone without having to do take your arms out of the blanket. Pure genius.

The first thing I did when I came back to my dorm room was put on the Snuggie that was on my bed, curled up in a ball and had a nap. The Snuggie is very warm considering it is made up of super soft fleece material.

Honestly the only bad thing I can say about the Snuggie is that it is very long and have on occasion tripped on my long red Snuggie.

I recommend getting a Snuggie. Not only do you stay super warm but the freedom to use your hands without being trapped under a blanket comes in handy. Especially when you’re watching television but don’t want to move because you’re so comfortable…oh yeah that’s when you really appreciate the pop culture phenomenon Snuggie.

As winter comes around it’s funny to see how people begin to dress. I don’t mean the people who wear copious amounts of clothing to keep warm (honestly, wearing long poofy coats, warm hats, mittens, big scarves and a hood pulled over looks smart to me). No, I’m talking about those people … and my of them seem to be a younger age group…who think that it’s appropriate to dress in a sweater with no hat or mittens when it’s minus 20 degrees out! I feel like my parents when I say these things, but it really is ridiculous! Now, I know when I was younger, it wasn’t cool to wear snow pants and big bulky coats, actually, whenever I was forced to wear these things I would complain incessantly. I felt like I looked so outrageous… but looking back I never complained about being cold…I only complained about not looking cool…Now I have to laugh because as I grew up and moved away from home I started to realize that people who didn’t dress warmly were the ones who look ridiculous. I think when you start getting older you realize that it doesn’t matter what people think and that those people your age who are judging what you’re wearing when it’s cold out…they’re judging you for what you’re NOT wearing. If I see someone my age for instance waiting at the bus stop shivering because they refuse to put a coat on or zip up the one they have on or insist on wearing a baseball hat instead of a toque I want to yell out: buddy, do you know how foolish you look?! It’s winter for crying out loud! Dress for it!

            I remember last year during the bus strike (…*deep breaths*) I had to walk 45 mins to work at about 7am in like minus 28 degrees (oh it was a fun bout)…during that time there was no possible way that I would even consider dressing for any reason other than the weather. No matter how much I might have looked like the abominable snowwoman I would layer stockings and PJs under my jeans, I would put as many layers of socks as I could fit on my feet and still put my boots on, I would put mittens over my gloves, a toque under my hood down to my eyes and a scarf that covered my face so all I could do was see through a small space. During this time, I felt like everyone in Ottawa was a kind of allied together, where everyone who had to walk anywhere because of the strike was dressed just like me with only the bare (excuse the pun) minimum of their skin showing through the mess of clothing they’d have on to keep warm. I think during this time, everyone, even younger kids and teens felt obligated to throw aside the classification of what was cool and what wasn’t and agreed that wearing whatever you needed to in order to keep from freezing was finally more important. It was a sort of universal understanding everyone had, there was no judgement of any kind as to what you were wearing as long as you looked warm.

            It’s unfortunate that this trend wore (another pun! Oh my gosh, I’m just full of them!) away after that winter…I’m not saying I wish the bus strike would come back this winter so we could all bond together again as “warm terribly dressed Ottawa’iens”, but I do think that it built a bit of a community were people judged a lot less…even if it was just on that small level.

Front Row Magazine has just hit virtual stands. Featuring articles on fashion, travel, culture and beauty, Front Row Magazine is the place to be to get your daily fashion fix.

Check out their recent article on a new line of nail polish colours. Feeling Cheeky? The ladies at Front Row are waiting for you to surf on by to tell you all about it.

http://www.frontrowmag.com/feelin-cheeky/

I realize that the majority of the posts thus far have been about fashion, so why not complete the quad and go for the 4th in a row. I’m not sure if its because I enjoy the category or its simply because I have some kick ass high resolution images that make these posts worth looking at and reading. This picture above says it all, this dude is “cool as ice” in all white linens. Hey buddy…wheres the white E63 Benz with all black interior? I’m sure its just out of eye shot so everyone can watch how cool you look gliding back to your whip.

Anyways, more of this to come, so please stay tuned to CampusIntel.com

If you remember this track the way I do, then you’ll also remember what peeps were wearing back in 1993. You guess it right…lots of DENIM. Denim is one fabric that has never really gone out of style for men…its the old faithful cotton twill that has gotten us through so many decades of peaceful stomping.  From luxury to Levis, its all good.

There is more to come on topics such as Denim in the very near future. We are going to have denim specialists from our very own backyard talking about the different styles of jean and the different weights of the fabric. Exciting stuff! You should always know about whats on your butt!

What can we say about slick styles these days. Men are stepping up to the plate as much as women are these days…and for good reason!

There is no shortage of men fashion in malls and boutiques across Canada…and it wont break the bank. For the longest time, only women had the luxurey of finding trendy clothes cheap, but in the past years companies like H&M, American Eagle and other USA based chains have found their way into the mainstream of Canadian mens clothing culture. More to come on topics like this in the weeks to come, so stay tuned to CampusIntel.com, your source for young mens fashion.