Column: Dressing smart

Study abroad is popular among IU students. The students have the opportunity to take in different cultures while expanding their educations.

My friend, Kelsey Van Wyk, decided to study this semester in the United
Kingdom.

Because of the distance and the differences in schedules, I don’t get to talk to her a lot, but during a Sunday night Skype date, I spoke to Kelsey of how I was having a bit of writer’s block.

And then I had an idea.

“Kelsey,” I said. “Is there anything different about fashion in England?”

“Well, here they call it ‘dressing smart,’” she said.

Kelsey described the style as similar to that of the United States but more tailored and neat.

She continued to say that no one wears just jeans and a T-shirt, and only “hoodlums” wear hoodies.

This is interesting because, as I explained to her, I think I’d like that. She described people’s clothing as more formal than the U.S., but she also gave me a lead for a more in-depth view of U.K. fashion through the U.K. newspaper, The Guardian.

Through its website, readers can learn things like why ankle boots have ridiculously high heels, and what a geometric print is.

But the site also gives everyone a medium to see U.K. culture through fashion.
“Sometimes I feel out of place,” Kelsey said. “I’m more of a jeans and fitted T-shirts person. I didn’t pack a lot of nice tops, but nice shirts here are worn every day.”

The Guardian has a feature in which the fashion editor, Jess Cartner-Morley, makes videos on styles such as padded T-shirts, geometric prints and “celebrity school run chic.”

Kelsey said she hasn’t seen anyone in loose, ill-fitting jeans, but she has seen her fair share of boots, which is good since she loves good shoes.

Believe me, I lived across from her last year and can remember her excitement about a new pair of black boots and new, high-heeled pumps.

The IU junior said  -even though fashions are as diverse as our country, there are a few aspects of fashion that everyone exercises.

Jackets, umbrellas and scarves are three of the main accessories.

“Most women wear heels or change out of their flats when they get to work,” Kelsey said.

But is there a wide variety of fashion in this country that many view as slightly uppity or more manners-conscious?

To answer that, I’d like to relate to you a short story.

One of Kelsey’s favorite experiences happened in her architecture class. The class had to go down a street one day, and in an alley they could see a fashion shoot going on. Down the road from the shoot they saw a woman in a sheer top, no bra and heels.
“So everything was very bouncy,” she said. “It was cool to see the different styles just down the street from each other.”

A slight emphasis on being neater in everyday life separates the U.K. styling from the U.S.

It’s always interesting to learn something new about another country, and the taut, clean-cut looks from the U.K. are no exception.

—samkirby@indiana.edu