So far I have discussed different aspects of technological, musical, traveling, and class culture at Miami. Next on the list is a discussion of fashion. And oh, what fashion Miami has. To break this discussion up I will discuss Frat wear, Sorority wear, fashion flubs, geek wear, Goth wear, and counter culture wear. Of course this means another two-part blog. Woops! The first part is going to discuss Frat wear, Sorority wear, and fashion flubs.
- Frat Wear: There are actually many websites and resources to help fraternity brothers wear fashionable and “acceptable” clothes. One example is frattinghard.com, which I recommend everyone who wants a good laugh to visit (notice: explicit words are used on this website). What is amazing about these sites, this style of clothing attire, and really the whole culture supporting the necessity to show your “frattiness” is that people actually buy into it. By this I mean that, on any given day, one is able to see a fraternity brother clad in a polo, shades (with connector strap), Khaki shorts or pants, and moccasins on every corner of Miami’s campus (when it is warm) just aching to show how frat he is. To me, this seems a bit cult-like, yet many people really feel the necessity to wear these clothes just because they are that frat. Now I will say, this is not entirely true of all fraternity brothers. There are indeed exceptions to this rule, though much less than I would like to see from day-to-day.
- Sorority Wear: Oh gosh, this is a fun one. I cannot count how many times a day I see Ugg boots, Northface zip-ups, brilliantly popped collars, and aviators. I feel that the sorority scene at Miami might be the most fashion demanding aspect of the campus because sororities uniquely push girls to show just how modish they are. At the same time, sororities demand their recruits to be both pretty and preppy, thus creating a vicious cycle of norm-demanding clothing and heavily applied make-up. Now that I have got in my digs on the subject I will step back and discuss two different positive aspects of sorority wear. The first aspect is looks. The clothing and make-up demands of sororities really do make females have a fresh, clean, and generally attractive look. This look, albeit totally unoriginal, has allowed Miami University to become one of the premier “attractive” campuses in the United States and really fueled many males decision to attend the school. The second aspect deals with the exceptions. These people are few and far between, but show true non-conformity and individualism that make me tear up every time I see them (no, I am not calling them ugly). These two aspects give me true reason to believe that Miami can truly support both an MRS degree (think about it for a second) and true intellectual and feminist prowess. And that is scary, yet oddly fulfilling.
- Fashion Flubs: As is part of any culture, fashion has its mistakes. This can span anywhere from oddly colored jackets to sunglasses that make your face oddly bug-like. The key word here is “odd.” This is not a uniquely odd style that makes you stand out in a crowd (i.e. long hair on a male), but odd in the sense that other people say, “How did you justify putting that one on?” Some particularly fun ones that I have seen on campus include: black leggings and skirts (make a choice, darn it!); shirts without bras (you are just asking for it, ladies); mullets (only works for Beckham and hillbillies); fo-hawks (again, gentlemen, you are asking for it); anything that resembles Brett Michaels; and, of course, certain applications of spandex (use your imagination). Overall, fashion flubs are really funny more than anything else, but they are also something that everyone should be wary of when getting ready for that big day or night.
Well, this concludes part one of the fashion blog. I really hope my content-editor (because it’s obvious no one edits my grammar) does not cut out too much of this because, as it stands right now, this blog makes me giggle just writing about it. Either way, next blog I will discuss the other less prevalent fashion styles on campus.
-Jared
p.s. She didn't cut anything. Hope you enjoyed it!
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