Dressing Smart Without Trying Too Hard
The Ultimate College Style Guide
Daniel Nicholas Pakpahan for LC Life

A menswear guide certainly not restricted to the male audience
LE CITOYEN — “You can never be overdressed or overeducated,” said Oscar Wilde. When we’re talking about collegiate lifestyle, I concur with this statement. However, save for Tom Ford or someone working at Pitti Uomo, we got to be mindful of the way we dress. You can never be overdressed, if and only if you comply with the unwritten rule of propriety.
College cannot be separated with the concept of strata, not in the context of intellectual strata, but in status level. Ever heard the advice of not outdressing your boss? I bet you are stuck in a similar situation in campus. You have college seniors and lecturers (although the latter won’t bat an eye on how you look unless you’re showing up shabby at class), so carefulness is crucial in nailing a preppy college look. Nobody likes a try-hard or a show-off. What you need is to look smart, but not that kind of smart that invites resentment. Quite the contrary, it should inspire and summon respect.
For reference, integrating several dominating styles of menswear is one method to attain the desirable outcome. The regimental flair of the Brits, flamboyance of Italians (google Sprezzatura), the je ne sais quoi nonchalance inherent to Le Parisien, those are few approaches to style for you to observe and tread upon. And to make your life even easier, here are a few principles and wardrobe staples to focus on.
First and Foremost: Fit

This is the most pivotal aspect which decides how you look and is a manifest indicator of style-consciousness for all age. Always pay attention to measurement charts and your actual measurement to receive the best insight on your fit, including measuring, among others, shoulder and chest width, waist and hip circumference, pants rise, and shoe size. Be aware of your body shape and what fits yours best. If you’re athletic, what you wear should flatter your physique by keeping your clothes close to your body without making it hard to breathe. For a stockier body, choose something that is quite relaxed and conceals disproportionalities. Keep in mind that fit varies across different body types, and therefore requires extensive research.
Maintain Subtlety and Neutrality

Having an understated look is paramount, and it is done so by staying away from obvious logos and branding. Also steer off from loud prints, graphics and texts. Tumblr quotes on your back only creates the image of a lonely bum. Switch prints with mature patterns in stripes (Breton stripes are the hottest right now) and checks (gingham, plaid, tartan, windowpane, etc.). When faced with the hard part of choosing colours, avoid having too much strong or bold hues in your outfit by alternatively rely on foolproof neutrals such as navy, grey, charcoal, B&W, dark brown, olive and other earthy tones. If you’ve decided to put out a statement, do it by sticking to one statement piece and leave the others lowkey. For instance, you can be more playful in wearing a plain white polo shirt paired with dark jeans and a black pair of derbies by adding contrasting patterned socks. Or do some colour pop, such as putting on a red T-shirt under a navy varsity jacket and grey chinos at the bottom. This tactical mix creates balance in your look, separating yourself from the demographic of kids wearing tacky tees and slouchy hoodies.
Key Pieces
The art of mixing pieces with different degrees of formality together strikes the right balance to achieve our aimed look. Plus, effortless mix-and-match is the coolest way to dress, isn’t it?
TOP

Button-Down Shirt
This would be the threshold of preppiness you are aiming at; a button-down shirt is going to be one of the most essential item in your wardrobe to be worn for many occasions. The collar is not starched stiff like formal dress shirts which keeps these casual, but please, do not pop them up. Keep it down, otherwise what’s the purpose of the buttons? It was intended to keep the collars from flapping when they were worn in polo matches (suprise, the polo shirt was originally invented for tennis matches). Most importantly, everyone must have at least a white oxford cloth button-down (OCBD). The oxford weave has a texture that keeps it casual yet smart enough to do the job. You can also opt for linen or seersucker fabrics for summer when the sun finds no mercy, or chambray for a little variety. If you fancy patterns, look for subtle ones such as the university-stripe. Wear long sleeves and roll them for a more refined look, lads.
Polo Shirt
If you’re feeling more comfortable wearing short sleeves, a well-fitted polo shirt is your best friend. The French tennis legend René Lacoste created the polo shirt style we’re wearing nowadays, taking cues from polo players who wore button-down shirts at the time. Lacoste shortened the sleeves, got rid of the collar buttons, adopted the pique knit for a more lightweight fabric, and wore it proudly as he won the 1926 US Open. Now the polo shirt is a menswear staple, which can be incorporated perfectly to our smart college look. The deadliest sartorial sin committed when wearing a polo shirt is having the wrong fit. You should wear something slim but not too tight, mark these words. The proper length is just below the belt line, and the sleeves should cover half of your upper arms. You could experiment with pastel shades in pink or blue, but the safest choice is always the classic white. While you’re at it, expand your style spectrum by researching ‘Riviera style’.
Crewneck White Tee
Once only employed as an undergarment or a military uniform, now a white tee is one of the most versatile pieces you can wear. You can wear it layered with a shirt or outerwear, or just keep it as it is. However, be conscious of your body shape before wearing only a T-shirt on top, it flatters a well-built physique but not so good with beer-bellies. Slim-fit and tapered cut is your best bet, finished on top of the hip. Roll the sleeves a bit if you have the swagger.
BOTTOM

Cropped Trousers
The cropped trousers trend is on the rise these past few years, corresponding very well with the oversized norm. But if you’re not ready yet to embrace the loose fit, a slimmer silhouette will do just fine. The purpose is to accentuate your lower body frame, making you look taller and of course to showcase your footwear. The corduroy fabric is on-trend, but cotton-linen would be comfortably lightweight to beat the summer heat. Patterns like pinstripe or plaid is frequent among streetstyle looks, and the athleisure side-stripe style is found in trousers as well these days. Make sure the hem sits only a couple of inches above the ankle and wear invisible socks when deciding to rock the “mankles”. Too high and it’ll look like something your childhood friend gave you for your 12th birthday.
Chinos
Chinos are the signature of preppy college style; your outfit wouldn’t be complete without them. Made with twill fabric, a traditional heavyweight cotton weave, chinos the perfect pants for summer and will stand the test of time. It comes with many different colours and cuts but tapered straight-leg in navy or earthy tone is an ideal take for the smart ivy league look. Learn to do the pinroll for a skilful finish and remember: invisible socks for a sockless look.
Dark Denim
The most casual pants you should wear for this smart casual style would be a pair of solid-built dark indigo jeans with no rips, no pre-fades, and no embellishments. It is a good choice to tone down other smarter articles like sweaters or loafers. Although skinny jeans have been de rigueur for a moment ago, it is time to turn to straight-leg or a rather slim cut. It should never be worn below waistband, so don’t ever think about those horrifying drop-crotches. You should probably look for raw selvedge denim (denim fabric with a woven edge to prevent unravelling, comes from “self-edge”). It is an attribute that shows quality of the jeans and a valuable investment, very notable with the contrasting stitches around the edge when you cuff the hem. The devil is in the details.

FOOTWEAR

Derbies
You will always need at least one pair of dress shoes for important occasions that definitely would come up while you’re in campus. The best choice is derby shoes, the middle ground of dress shoes that, in terms of formality, are below oxford shoes. What is the difference between them? The lacing system, which is closed-laced in oxfords and open-laced in derbies, making it more casual and can be easily dressed down. Colours in black or brown is the most versatile, just match them with other leather goods you have such as belt or bags for the sake of colour coordination. Wingtip derbies with broguing create distinction from plain ones, looking really nice for smart casual outfits but is still a matter a preference. If any worrisome arises on how to beat the rainy season in these shoes, you would want to buy shoes with goodyear welt construction, a more advanced stitching method that makes your shoes waterproof and resoleable. Anyways, just choose leather soles with rubber strips to prevent slipping in that case.
Loafers
Loafers are for men what sneakers are for boys. For those who think loafers are reserved just for ladies, you should make up your mind. The staple footwear for smart casual outfit, its sleek appearance is a cure for stale ensembles. Loafers should be your go-to when in doubt, it exhibited a state of the art appearance when worn ‘sockless’ (read: invisible socks) as it exposes a bit more part of your feet than other shoes. Again, the safest colours would be brown or black. Suede is also a great alternative for leather when you crave something a little bit rugged yet stylish.
Minimalist White Sneakers
Nobody can hate white sneakers, except for the fact that their cleanliness requires a whole another level of attentiveness. Regardless, a pair of clean minimalist white sneakers is like a master key to unlock any smart casual look, as it could be paired with anything be it denim and flannels or lightweight suit. Even Wale raps about them in particular. Leather low-top tennis sneakers have a delicate and undefiled elegance, putting them foremost among the vast array of white sneakers throughout years. Keeping your kicks pristine requires dedication, but it will pay off. Believe me.
OUTERWEAR

Cable Sweater
Cable sweater is a classic preppy piece that will never go out of style. It can be worn day and night, dressed-up or down. You can layer a T-shirt with a crewneck sweater, but never with a V-neck as it is supposed to be worn with collared shirts. When wearing crewnecks with a shirt, keep the edge of the shirt collar tucked into the sweater. Indulge yourself with soft fabrics like cashmere-blends (the pure ones will break your bank but cotton-blended offers similar experience) or merino wool that adapts to outer humidity, insulating warmth in cool places but keeps the heat out when temperature rises.
Bomber Jacket
Bombers are not necessarily a smart casual staple, but you can always wear them as a statement piece. The MA-1 with nylon fabric is a good choice if you want to incorporate a streetwear style to a rather smart outfit. Distinctive linings and zip arm pocket will make your outfit look less boring.
Varsity Jacket
If blazers are a bit too much for you, varsity jackets would be a game changer. It exudes ivy league vibes immediately, especially if it has premium fabrics and leather sleeves. You can play with colours and fraternity patches, just don’t be pretentious.
JEWELLERY

Too much jewelleries are a faux pas. But why would anyone shun this element entirely? It reveals your personality, and communicating your personality is what style is all about. When executed properly, accessories should complement other items you wear, not dominate. Keep your distance from excessive trinkets by limiting what you wear only to three accessories in an outfit, at most. Beaded bracelets and tribal necklaces may look cool for untamed youthful souls, but personally I would rather step up my game with a signet ring and minimal cuff. Nonetheless, never overlook this one jewellery every man must own: a good watch. Your watch doesn’t have to be expensive, as long as you know what to look for. Leather or metal straps are dressier, but NATO straps will give you more freedom for experiments. Quartz or automatic movement? Depends on your need, the latter comes with a price for the craftmanship but the former is better at keeping time. Choose accordingly.
BAGS

You think you’re done? Hold your horses, this part is the make it or break it. Carrying the wrong bag will destroy even the most sophisticated look. The size of your bag needs to suit your need, but never too big like you’re going camping after class. Tote bags are quickly gaining popularity among college kids recently. However, to eliminate the feminine connotation often attached to them, pick rugged materials like suede or canvas. The quintessential bag for college students is always the backpack, but not those hiking or track backpacks. For the sake of practicality, find one with enough compartment to store all your essentials. A messenger bag or satchel bag is a good substitute for a formal briefcase which you wouldn’t need for the moment. Make sure you match the colour with other leather bits you’re about to wear. And one last thing, say no to pleathers. Genuine leathers are not that expensive considering the longevity and cost-per-wear, count it as an investment. Who says men don’t carry bags?
Endnote
I cannot emphasize more on how eloquently your appearance portrays your personality to the world. Moderation is the best policy (Plautus, c. 250–184 BC) aside from being a virtue (this one’s Aristotle). The same goes with dressing for college, the rule of thumb is to hit the sweet spot between too relaxed and overly formal, which would be smart casual. It takes a certain trial-and-error to achieve the suavity, but within a four-year period (hopefully) there is ample time for apprenticeship and mastery. Cheers!

