I take a lot of heat from my friends for the way I dress up. I'll admit it; I am one of those girls. I wear leggings as pants nearly non-stop throughout the winter. I alternate between my two most comfortable sweatshirts. During the spring I replace leggings with running shorts. I prefer comfort to style. Unless there's a good photo-op, I rarely get dressed up.
You must understand. I went to a high school with a dress code longer than the Constitution. I could write an entire column describing it alone, but I'll spare you and give you only the necessary details. Guys had it simpler, but worse - pants, button downs and ties everyday. For girls, skirts could not be more than four inches above the knee. No denim - yes, that includes all forms of jeans - shorts, T-shirts, hoodies, flip-flops or tank tops allowed. What else is there to wear? Since going naked wasn't really an option, not much. It was even more oppressive than it sounds.
As a visitor, you might have thought we had a uniform. Khakis, Sperrys, a Lilly or Southern Proper tie, and a varsity jacket for the guys. Girls obviously had more variation. During the winter, our outfits usually consisted of khakis, Uggs, some form of a sweater and a North Face, or whatever else was on the J. Crew mannequin. Warmer weather meant a sundress and sandals, without anything between the toes, of course.
As much as I hated the dress code, I graduated with a University-ready wardrobe. But I left most of it home. College means freedom, and for me, that meant freedom from a dress code. I gave it all up for a more comfortable wardrobe. I came to the University with exactly zero pairs of khakis and zero "appropriately long" skirts. Ultimately, I could not part with my entire cardigan collection, which remains unrivaled and a marvel to many of my friends.
I wore flip-flops into December of my first year. I took the snow as Mother Nature's sign to put them back in the closet. I wore a hoodie anytime it dropped below 50 degrees. I rarely sported the jeans that I had waited patiently for 12 years to wear. I had found something more comfortable to wear first semester.
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