As you know by now, stylish men are making a huge buzz. Kanye West, Jeffery Lamar Williams — otherwise known as Young Thug — Alexander Wang and Karl Lagerfeld: the list goes on. Have you ever scrolled through the men’s section on the fashion inspiration portal Lookbook.nu?

Whether they are decked out in the latest trends or curating a look of their own, guys have the same capability as women to dress themselves nicely and adorn their outfits with accessories, jewelry and shoes. It’s truly an impressive sight.

From runways to daily street style, you can almost always catch trendsetting men in an outfit worthy of social media reposting, magazine praising or blogger copycatting. When it comes to a special occasion such as an award ceremony or showcase, the ante is heightened even more, inspiring onlookers to push their own wardrobe limits.

Clearly, guys have it going on, but what about the ones on campus? Do they have the same reverence for how they dress?

In an admittedly unscientific survey on Twitter and Facebook, I asked college guys three questions: Do you plan your first day school outfit ahead of time? Do you go back to school shopping for clothes? Do you care about reinventing yourself through clothing for the new school year? The results were mixed.

Of the respondents, there was a pretty even result surrounding first day of school outfit planning: half said they do, while half said they don’t.

Sophomore Tyler Cross, an undeclared major in the College of Arts and Sciences, said there was “no point” to planning ahead. “When you’re stylish, it comes natural.”

However, some disagree with that notion. Sophomore Khalil Jean-Baptiste, a finance and accounting dual major thinks the first #OOTD is made to set the bar.

“That’s like when you really set the standard that people will expect of your ‘fit,’ as well as the standard you set for yourself,” he said.

So maybe guys do plan their first day of school outfits, and maybe they don’t, but one thing is for sure: most survey respondents said they go shopping for new clothes.

“There is a need for back to school shopping before going, just like starting a new job, or going to a new place, it’s all part of the adjustment to your new surroundings in my eyes,” Jean-Baptiste said.

As you grow overtime, so do your interests and favored way of self-representation. Perhaps you want to trade in that denim jacket for a blazer, or add a few loafers to your collection of sneakers to mix things up a bit.

And also, who doesn’t love new pieces in their closet?

To be even more ambitious, some men decide to overhaul their closet for a completely new aesthetic. When asked if they cared about reinventing their look for the new year, most said they do. In some of the responses, it became clear that “maturing” was a more accurate term to describe personal style evolution than “reinventing.”

Justise Hayward, a junior acting major, said he updated his wardrobe not to change his personality, but to show off his transition into adulthood, showcasing an older and better version of himself.

Although a majority of college guys think about their image through clothing, planning for the first day of school isn’t as big of a deal to them; they just let it come naturally.

Darriea Clark is a junior magazine journalism major. Her column can be found weekly in Pulp. She can be reached at dbclark@syr.edu.

 

 

Published on August 29, 2016 at 10:07 pm