Colgate Couture

The female ritual of getting ready and going
out at night is one of the cornerstones of
the college experience. But having a night out
on the town in Hamilton is very different from
going out in New York City, and your clothes
should reflect that. These are my style tips for
what to wear the next time you hop on that
midnight cruiser bound for the Old Stone Jug:
DON’T wear heels
Even with the promise of hitching a ride
home on an elusive cruiser at the end of the
night, you still won’t want to go to a party, a
bar or the Jug in heels. Or nice shoes in general,
really, unless you’re attending a somewhat
formal event. At the Colgate hot-spots,
there won’t be a bouncer at the door checking
your outfit to see if it’s hip enough for their
crowd. You could go wearing denim overalls
and a leopard-print sweater and you’ll be fine
– actually, I’ve worn that exact outfit to the
Jug before. Instead of heels, invest in several
different pairs of boots. You can pick up some
inexpensive boots so you don’t feel guilty if
your footwear doesn’t survive our northeastern
winters, but I’m partial to my Frye motorcycle
boots. Despite the amount of rain,
snow, beverages and hot sauce from Slices
that have come into contact with them, these
babies are still in great condition. And they
actually look cooler when more scuffed-up.
DO invest in a going-out purse
When I was a first-year, none of my
friends really had purses that they could
use while going out. Sure, we had plenty of
bags – totes, satchels and hobo bags galore –
but they were all too bulky for carrying just
the going-out essentials. When we went out
that first year, we would all stick our belongings
somewhere in our outfit, tucking our
bulk under our bra straps, into our pockets
and legs of our boots. Convenient,
yes, but so is, you
know, using a purse. Learn
from my mistakes and get a
cute wristlet or small crossbody
bag for going out. Urban
Outfitters has several petite
purses that are the perfect
size for the essentials.
DON’T be too bodycon
Bodycon (or body-conscious)
clothes are a big
trend, but wear these fitted
pieces in moderation if you
want to be appropriate for the
Colgate scene. Instead of that
Hervé Léger-knockoff dress you bought at
the mall, pair a bandage skirt with a loosefitting
tie-waist blouse. The look is more college-
ready than wearing a complete bodycon
outfit, and the loose blouse means you can
gorge on all the late-night food you want.
DO take measures to assure your jacket
isn’t taken
Going out anywhere at Colgate means that
you are also consenting to the chance that
your coat will be taken, accidentally or otherwise.
It’s just kind of how it works here. Honestly,
you don’t really go to Colgate until it’s
the dead of winter, your jacket goes missing
from the pile on the floor of the Jug and you’re
forced to find another fleece to keep you from
developing hypothermia. To avoid this fate as
long as possible, don’t wear a black North Face
jacket out; wherever you go, it’s a black hole
for black jackets. Invest in the most unique
jacket that you can find – but whatever you
do, you should not spend a lot of money on
it because, chances are, you’ll have to find a
new one in a few months. I like going to thrift
stores and stocking up on an assortment of
brightly-colored nylon jackets.
One thing that I’ve found that consistently
works over the years is leaving a threatening
note in the coat pocket. After losing three
jackets in the first semester of my first year
– all of which had my name clearly labeled in
them, thank you very much – I started leaving
notes for would-be thieves. Written in my
loopy, cursive scrawl would be, “If you take
this coat, I will hunt you down and destroy
you.” And, lo and behold, it worked! Since
I started this practice, I have never been left
jacket-less. Lacking on inspiration for your
own note? Just select any Liam Neeson movie
at random (I suggest “Taken”) and I’m sure
you’ll find something threatening enough to
work for your Jug jacket.


Contact Alexis Manrodt at
amanrodt@colgate.edu.