Now that the District boasts two shiny H&Ms, Voice Fashion expected to come back to a Georgetown more Stockholm than Nantucket. Unfortunately, this is decidedly not the case. While Georgetown still boasts an authentic and thriving Euro population, the rest of campus appears to have combined the upturned collar look with the equally perplexing embroidered sea-creature chinos. We’ll take Euro, trash or not, any day.
Clad in Stockholm’s latest threads, eerily lifelike mannequins beckon to passing shoppers on M Street. Dubbed by many as the “IKEA of clothing,” H&M offers trendy, relatively well-made clothing and accessories at bargain prices. Ironically enough, real Europeans regard this Nordic outfitter the way Americans view pre-Isaac Mizrahi Target. “H&M is like the Gap of Sweden,” said Stockholm native Tali Trigg (SFS ‘05). Ick.
While some might consider Adam Reese (SFS ‘04) just another disaffected former employee of Hennes & Mauritz, he is “all about spilling the industry secrets,” actually. According to Reese, for fall this multibillion-dollar Scandinavian exporter is pushing themed lines ranging from “English Grandmother’s attic” to “Native American meets glam rock.” If Eurotrash’s not your thing, try on H&M’s “European interpretation of American trailer trash” for size. For those craving slightly more expensive European fashions, Zara, a Spanish retailer will be opening at 3040 M St. on Oct. 4.
Women’s Trends
The “Eighties Look”: Eighties theme parties have been popular since before Jennifer Grey got a nose job. But it’s only now that stepping into some clothing retailers is like taking a time warp, as the eighties seem to be coming back to the future in a big way. Off-the-shoulder tops, stretchy belts, neon colors, shirt-dresses, gaudy plastic jewelry, stripes and polka dots are taking over such stores as H&M and Urban Outfitters. Some of these trends are more welcome in the new millennium than others. Off-the-shoulder styles are flattering on nearly every female, shirtdresses are versatile and great for fall and polka dots and stripes are a nice respite from minimalism. But please-let’s pray that stirrup pants, leg warmers, and the dreaded tapered jeans stay confined to theme parties, where they belong.
Pleated skirts: Pleated skirts polarize. If you like women, you probably like women even more when they’re wearing short skirts. Especially short skirts that ruffle around a lot. Can’t argue with that. If you’re a woman who doesn’t like women, you probably hate these things, unless you have a few yourself. So why do women like to wear these things?
Chinese slippers: Perhaps the most pervasive footwear trend since the J. Crew platform flip-flop, embellished Chinese slippers are everywhere. It makes sense-for little more than the cost of a latte, a girl can buy a comfortable pair of shoes on the streets of Chinatown that can be worn with almost anything. “They maximize versatility at a low per-unit cost,” says Cari Darnell (MSB ‘07). What’s better, these shoes are difficult to classify: the beading makes them a little dressy, the flat and squishy heel makes them comfortable, and they easily transition between home and class, day and night. And they do all this while looking like bedroom slippers, which makes them superstars in the shoe category.
Hot Designer Jeans:
Men’s Trends
Better-fitting Jeans: In Clueless, Cher complains about the inane male fashions of 1995: “It’s like they just fell out of bed and put on some baggy jeans and take their greasy hair-ew-and cover it up with a backwards cap, and we’re supposed to swoon? I don’t think so!”
The backwards baseball hat’s role hasn’t changed except to be overshadowed by its mesh cousin, but girls are far more likely to swoon today than in 1995 thanks to the better-fitting male jean. Just as tapered and acid-washed jeans fled with the ‘80s, it’s looking like ridiculously baggy, worn-around-the-knees jeans are becoming a relic of the ‘90s. Guys are being seen in nicer, more fitted jeans-from Diesel, AG, FCUK, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Seven-that sit low on the hips and hang straight-legged. “They fit well, and girls appreciate a guy who looks like he gives a shit about what he’s wearing,” says Geoff Mikelsons (MSB ‘04). And he’s right, if you’re into men, you’re into this trend, as it gives them a chance to finally see what a guy’s ass looks like before getting him naked. Tighter jeans have the Voice Leisure stamp of approval.
Colorful Sneakers: While the Voice recognizes that kicking a ball with Diesel footwear would be a cardinal fashion sin, the athletic roots of colorful sneakers must be acknowledged. Today’s hottest colorful sneakers, like the European soccer kicks Gola and Diadora, are ones that transcended the sports genre to reach mainstream distribution. They are the new Adidas, if you will.
Based on their aesthetic appeal and the fact that they’re not as ridiculously uncomfortable as those witchy pointed heels overrunning the campus, the Voice strongly supports the buying of colorful sneakers.
Our one request is that you be creative with your brand, ‘cause really, Pumas are so last Fall.
Soccer Jerseys: Juventus, Real Madrid and Arsenal-these are just a few of the European soccer jerseys seen worn around campus. Why, you may ask? Because they’re hot! It’s mostly the sports fans who go abroad junior year to Europe that come back rocking the hotness. In a far-away land where there is no American football, baseball, basketball or hockey, they start watching soccer to feed their sports fix. And so it begins. What follows is a 10-pint-deep “monopoly” money-spending, soccer-jersey-buying haze. Five months later they return home with three to five soccer jerseys and a new appreciation for the world’s most popular sport.
Like many great clothes in life, low-priced knockoffs exist. Replicas are sold on the streets of Dublin, Prague and Florence for next to nothing. But the “authentic” jersey, however, is true baller gear. Made of a combination of polyester and mesh, it breathes easily. The team crest is stitched on, as is the Nike, Umbro or Adidas logo. And if someone went for it all, they shelled out the extra euros to have a players’ name and number placed on the back. Yes, it’s an investment, but well worth it to have a viable third option in the closet next to the Polo button-downs and novelty alcohol themed t-shirts. What’s more, both sexes covet the jersey, because “on this campus, they’re unique and show interest in something outside of Georgetown and Urban Outfitters,” says Laurel Martin (SFS ‘06).
Man-capris: While we support the veritable man-capri revolution that has swept Scandinavia, the Voice believes this trend can only be pulled off by the very European. Lingering remnants of the Puritan tradition ensure American males will never be comfortable exposing so much ankle. “As a general rule, I don’t associate with anyone who wears man-capris” says Zachary Bernstein (SFS ‘06).
Trucker hats: When it comes to fashion trends that aren’t preppy or Eurotrash, Georgetown students are always way behind the curve. At the beginning of this semester, it seemed like every other student (especially first-years) was strutting around in a mesh baseball hat. They started to disappear a few weeks ago, when everyone realized that their style wasn’t original. The thing is, all these Hoyas should have realized this six months ago. Or at least when Ashton Kutcher wore one on his TV show. Or maybe when the New York Times wrote about how when Ashton Kutcher wears a hat on his TV show, it immediately goes out of style. But most of them missed that boat too, and had to wait until August to find out that they’re really pretty lame.
But there are always exceptions, even in fashion hell. Joe Dawson (MSB ‘04) has been rocking the dirtball-white-guy look, complete with meshie, for as long as he or any of his roommates can remember, so he has a right to defend his territory. “I just dress how I dress,” says Dawson. “Been wearing ‘em for a while. They’re played out now, but I was there before the trend. So suck these nuts.”
Urbanology
Whether or not you’re a second-hand and vintage aficionado, you just can’t miss the fact that Urban Outfitters ridiculously overprices its wannabe-Good Will/Salvation Army clothing.
The aim of the Voice Leisure staff is not the utter demonizing of Urban Outfitters. No, more like a mild, congenial vilification. A bit of a reprimand. ‘Cause we have shopped there, and, hey, we have enjoyed it, and we acknowledge that much of the merchandise is fun. The Voice wonders how you’re still functioning if you haven’t bought your $24 “Idaho? No, Udaho!” T-shirt? The difference between Urban Outfitters and H&M, notes Adam Reese (SFS ‘04), is that the latter’s cheaper prices mean a “slim chance that you’ll see someone else walking around campus in the same thing.”
The problem with stores like Urban Outfitters is that they try to make an alternative wardrobe into a readily-available, mainstream commodity. Brands like Puma and Converse were the first to go. Now, that guy’s $179 Diesel jeans may be hot as hell and that girl’s $58 asymmetrical skirt may be cute, but these stores have the grave power to take the fun out of wearing the clothing. Not only do they remove the great hunt, but whatever you do buy costs a lot more and is no longer unique. You’re bound to run into someone else on M St. who also claims “everyone loves an Irish girl” or that “Jesus is his homeboy.” And then you have the ubiquitous trucker hat, the colorful jolt back to the 80s, and the fun European sneakers.
Creating the same look for yourself would cost a fraction of the UO bill, stir some creativity, and let you avoid that obnoxious Saturday afternoon line. The key to enjoying and surviving the entirely misguided pricing of Urban Outfitters is moderation: buying a couple items and then mixing them with some Ts, pants, or skirts that actually are the genuine, old articles.
