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How I dressed for class today; Columbia University

8.7K views 35 replies 19 participants last post by  The Irishman  
While there certainly is diverging advice I wouldn’t call any of it bad, but that is based on the likelihood that different opinions reflect different perspectives rather than simply being bad or wrong. So the next step for you may well be deciding exactly what perspective you want to adopt as your very own. For example from a very classical perspective thin people ought not wear things that accentuate their thinness. I can assure you, however, that from an older perspective which people would call, with perhaps antipathy, preppy, that was not as strong a rule as wearing 3/2 sacks, even if you were six feet tall and weighed only 130 pounds. From a very modern perspective (hopefully recent modern and now fading), a close fitting short jacket with short sleeves is a good look. From an older, especially southern, perspective, dress trousers require a very full break and no cuff. From a mid century New England perspective a 1 3/4” cuff and no break is preferred. As to shirts, many people like to wear unironed OCBDs (and khakis) for very casual dress, some like to iron them themselves, and others feel compelled to have them professionally laundered and heavily starched. My observation is that the fabrics and colors go together handsomely, but the way each piece fits and is finished does not exhibit any one single established style. For example, I’m a seventy year old guy, forever burdened by prep school standards. I’d want longer cuffs on the jacket and a better ironing job, but not professional or starched, on the shirt. I’d want 1 3/4” cuffs and no break. Most of my peers here in Texas would want the shirt starched, no cuffs, a full break, and a more fitted jacket with longer sleeves. I’d noodle on just which look fits your perception of yourself best before I did anything radical by way of tailoring or purchasing. Bottom line is right now you look darned sharp, and for a student pulling it all together yourself, you look spectacular!