Saturday fashion at Dayton: A sociological study
By: Mary Kate Dorr – A&E Editor
It’s not quite noon on a Saturday, and the students at the University of Dayton begin to stir. From beneath the covers atop their lofted beds, the students rub the sleep from their eyes and manage to stumble downstairs to begin another cold, dreary day.
But something is different. Warm sunlight streams through a crack in the blinds. A bird chirps nearby. Could it be?
Like children on Christmas morning, roommates run through the house to awaken their friends who are still fast asleep. The orange juice is already on the counter. The speakers are carried to the nearest outlet. The door to the untouched, frigid porch is slowly pulled open to reveal a bright sky and warm breeze. It’s time.
Standing in front of their closets, students bypass their staple items. Rummaging past their T-shirts and sweaters, they anxiously toss their jeans and gym shoes over their shoulders. In the back of the closet or from the deepest bin underneath their bed, they spy it. A jersey. Their parent’s old T-shirt from a long-forgotten vacation. A bucket hat with a fading logo.
On a Saturday afternoon in the student neighborhood, you will not find girls in brightly patterned sundresses or boys with crisp button downs rolled up at the sleeve. Students toss aside the structure of a standard dress code in favor of looking like children who are finally allowed to dress themselves. Too often, a lone roommate is found standing in front of a full length mirror, muttering that the outfit they have chosen is by far too socially acceptable. In times like these, friends gather odds and ends from past outfits or costumes to help this less fortunate friend. After an appropriate outfit is selected, the students are ready to embark on that day’s adventure. Instead of strutting outside in heeled boots or clean Sperry’s, muddied pairs of Converse stampede through the streets towards the student neighborhood.
It is spring, and UD students have happily exchanged their mundane daily clothes for an assortment of clothing items that have parents and students at other universities alike scratching their heads.
Outsiders just don’t understand. They see the Facebook tags, Instagram posts and Snapchat stories, and with each post, become increasingly more confused by the Flyers’ fashion choices. If you are one of these confused patrons, say, a friend visiting from another university or a concerned parent, fear not. I present to you, the ever-cherished, unspoken rules of Saturday attire here at UD.
To begin, the Golden Rule: If you are a male student and venture into the student neighborhood on a Saturday, you are only allowed to wear a jersey. All teams, players, colors and sizes are accepted, as long as it is indeed an athletic jersey of some variety. This is the most crucial rule, and shall not be broken under any circumstance.
The Golden Rule: If you are a male student and venture into the student neighborhood on a Saturday, you are only allowed to wear a jersey. All teams, players, colors and sizes are accepted, as long as it is indeed an athletic jersey of some variety. This is the most crucial rule, and shall not be broken under any circumstance.
Women, however, have a multitude of clothing options. Hawaiian shirts, “bro” tanks and your dad’s stained vacation T-shirt from 1992 not only are all accepted but highly encouraged fashion choices. Bonus points for additional accessories that include, but are not limited to, hair scrunchies, patterned leggings and heart-shaped sunglasses.
Speaking of sunglasses, don’t you hate when fiddling with your sunglasses distracts you from the activities occurring nearby? With the ever-popular, brightly colored Croakies, sunglasses meant to hide the bags that developed under your eyes throughout the week can hang loosely from your neck, leaving you free to socialize without distraction.
Don’t bother wearing your brand new shoes out in the student neighborhood to impress your friends, the hideous yet practical Chacos will do just fine. Strappy, bright and waterproof, these sandals will stay on your feet from Woodland all the way to Irving. Don’t have a pair of these beauties? Converse also happens to be a fan favorite. If even after my completely factual and not at all opinion-based guide, you are still at a loss for the fashion tendencies of UD students, I have a final word of advice: Anything America-related will always be appropriate for warm afternoons. Red, white and blue bandanas, T-shirts, socks and even patterned shorts make their way onto the Saturday-scene because who doesn’t love showcasing a little country pride on a beautiful afternoon?
Now go find your best—or most hideous, whatever—articles of clothing, bust open your front door and start blasting some music because you, my friend, are ready for a Saturday afternoon at UD.
On second thought, you probably aren’t, but hey, good luck.
Photos: Junior Mark Rasmussen (L) defies the Golden Rule of Saturday Attire by choosing to sport a Hawaiin shirt in honor of the warm weather. Meanwhile, Junior Tom Tappel (featured image) opts for a patriotic look. Junior Grace Gorman (R) models some popular looks for female students, from cut off shorts to a fun hair scrunchie. Mary Kate Dorr/ A&E Editor