Trends on Campus: A Vested Interest in Everyday Menswear

By Brittney Xu     8/24/11 7:00pm

Last week's Trends on Campus focused on how to wear something light, dressy, and comfortable in the summer heat, so it may come as a surprise that this time, the featured student is fully covered. Sid Rich College junior Nathan Han, is wearing jeans. And a vest. Not the clothes that come to mind when getting ready for a trek in 105 degree weather.

College students are usually too busy to plan out what to wear, so it was a relief to hear that Nathan just grabs clothes in the morning like the rest of us.

"It comes naturally," Han said. "I wore this outfit for sun protection, to cover up." Why the vest? "A T-shirt is too plain," Han remarked, "so if you wear a vest, it spices up your style."

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Also, a vest instantly makes an outfit more polished and put-together. For Owls wanting to make a good first impression on professors, dates, or masters, it is an easy way to add professionalism. Beware, however, of pairing vests with flip-flops, unless you want to run the danger of looking absent-minded. Instead, go for closed-toe shoes, like Han's blue Sperry's.

Traditionally, male vest wearers have left the last button on a vest undone. Part of the reasoning for this practice is pragmatic: particularly if your abs are less than perfect, buttoning the last button may cause the vest material to stretch in a visible manner, highlighting all of those late night food binges you indulged in freshman year.

When asked about men's fashion choices at Rice, Han had nothing but good things to say: "In my experience, most of the guys I know are pretty well-dressed." Though many guys at Rice would likely save this trend for formal occasions, components of Han's daily style can be purchased at Express, his favorite store.

His combination of a dark vest on top of a light-colored shirt is an easy way for college guys to achieve a masculine yet fashionable look.  Best of All, his style can be achieved without breaking the bank; Han particularly stressed the following: "Clothes don't have to be expensive to look good. Cost does not determine fashion!"

Styling Tips of the Week:

A dark vest against a light-colored or striped shirt looks more ?sophisticated. ?Try it out for date night.

With the sun blazing away, sun protection is needed. A black or gray fedora covers your scalp and a pair of sunglasses filters out harmful UV rays.

For girls who don't mind the heat: a vest and T-shirt combo, along with dark skinny jeans will make you look instantly skinner. The v-neck of the vest streamlines and draws the eyes downward, while the dark color ?accentuates the figure.

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