Get Dressed You 'Orrible Lot

By Mary Gale.

"University students are an untidy lot". Most of us are pretty tired of hearing this remark. Nine times out of ten it isn't true. But to justify ourselves, we've been doing some investigations round the more populated corners of Varsity. The caf in particular. We've been interested to see just what the typical student will be wearing during the coming year.

The caf is the best place to observe the diversity of student fashion. We've certainly seen some odd sights, though nowhere near the description "an untidy lot". On the whole we were most impressed with the number of neatly dressed students, a few of whom are shown on this page.

The essence of university dress is comfort and serviceability. Money of course plays a very important part. Most students don't have much to spend on clothes. So this is all the more reason for buying sensibly and not being talked into something "useless," by an over persuasive "counter jumper."

Male students' fashions are fairly simple and don't change much from one year to the next.

But women students' fashions are more complex and are thus open to more criticism.

We've seen a wide range of women students' dress round varsity—from shifts and sandals, skirts and jerseys right up to the more sophisticated styles.

It is a point to remember for those students, specially freshers planning wardrobes for the coming winter. Most men students seem to feel inferior when with women students, who are dressed to kill. As one student told us, "I don't like seeing dolls dressed up too much round varsity. They never look any different when you take them out." But of course it doesn't pay to be dictated to, whether you're male or female: "She did commend my yellow stockings of late, she did praise my leg being cross-gartered—I will be strange, stout, in yellow stockings, and cross-garter'd even with the swiftness of putting on."

For women students as with men, It is not important to have a lot of clothes. Blouses and skirts are useful. They can be changed round and teamed up with jerseys as well. You may want to cultivate the "typical student'' look, but it's better not to go to extremes if it doesn't suit. Wearing a big black jersey may make you look like one of those "black pudding" sausages.

Many older graduates have much criticism of students' dress today. As one graduate told us, "It was never like this in my day. We all wore gowns to lectures and men students wore collar and tie." We wonder what sort of reception it would get, if a rule of wearing gowns to lectures was introduced again. It may have been alright when there were fewer students at University, but now, with increased numbers, it's doubtful if the idea would be greeted with much enthusiasm.

Shoes are also an important part of varsity dress. The men mostly favour the suede desert boot type. We believe they're referred to as some sort of "creeper." What species we're not quite sure.

Women students favour a variety of styles. Much depends on the weather. Some of the more sophisticated women prefer high heels. But these can be rather uncomfortable, tripping up and down stairs all day. The flat heeled shoes are really far more suitable for varsity conditions. We notice the "American type" sneaker is quite popular among some students, though rubber soles can be tiring on the feet.

Hair styles also play an important part in student fashions. The "Beatle" out for instance, is the craze overseas. We've even seen some daring students sporting these round varsity. At some stage during the year too, there are sure to be the long haired intellectual types round. Some look as though they haven't seen the inside of a barber's shop for months. (Some just don't want to.—Ed.)

No doubt he could forgo a couple of trips to the "Mid" to pay for a decent haircut. We've also heard of some students who are saving money by cutting each other's hair. It's quite apparent by one or two of the styles that they are just learning.

Now women students' hairstyles. There's quite a collection round the campus this year. Short, long and in between. Apart from a few frowsy "Bardot" types most of them seem to be fairly sensible and tidy.

Of course you'll always get the "Beat" fashion. Long untidy hair whether you're male or female. But this fashion (if you can call it such) belongs to a few of the "elite" and seems to be a dying generation. The big black eyes and dead white lips are "non u" at present, though beards still come and go. But we'll see what the winter brings.

The duffel coat of course is a definite insignia of varsity rank. So if you want to be right in the fashion swing, a duffel coat's essential. Oh and don't forget, yards and yards of varsity scarf wound round and round and round. But please remember we may be the leaders of tomorrow but we're not "an untidy lot".