I realize that the title of this column is a bit of a generaliza­tion, and I don’t mean to offend any opposing groups. But if you are one who doesn’t care for the incredible phenomenon that is neon, I would like to try to convince you otherwise.

The roots of neon clothing as a fashion statement are gener­ally traced back to the 1980s. The neon trend grew concurrent­ly with a new style, characterized by side-ponytails, sweatbands, leg warmers, what have you. The style symbolized the growth of a new youth culture, made up of jazzercisers, ravers, rollerblad­ers, skiers and snowboarders; basically, anyone who wanted to have a good time.

You might have thought that neon had gone out of style in the past few decades, but this is actually false. As far as I’m concerned, neon clothing can be worn in essentially any situa­tion, time period, location, etc. Don’t even worry about being tacky: the confidence it takes to rock such an outlandish color lets everyone know that even if you do end up looking like your mom in the 80s, you are merely “being ironic,” and most will appreciate that.

One of the main reasons why the neon color scheme is so fantastic is because it catches everybody’s eye, exuding a bright cheerfulness that just can’t be ignored. Why exactly is neon such an aesthetically pleasing color, you may wonder? I only took PSYC 150, so I’m not entirely sure, but it prob­ably has something to do with pleasurable neurotransmitters being released in your brain upon seeing neon. The point is, it might as well be a scientific fact that people like neon, and they will like it if you wear neon.

What I’m really trying to say here is that everyone should invest in a neon piece; particularly a nice fleece or jack­et that will keep you warm during our bitter cold months (functional yet fashionable!). Neon is obviously practical, too, as exemplified by the usage of the color scheme in traf­fic controller and professional biker outfits. It will soon be­come a staple in your wardrobe, whether you’re ready for it or not. The best time to wear such a fashion statement is definitely on a Saturday afternoon, but you really can’t go wrong at Colgate.

Say, for example, you wake up on a Thursday morning, ren­dered nearly lifeless from Wednesday night’s festivities. You look outside your frosted window to the deathly grey sky, sud­denly recalling that Moodle post you were supposed to write. At this point, you’re beyond stressed and there’s no way you’re going to make it to that 9:55. But wait: as you look to your wardrobe, you catch a small glimpse of your bright pink and blue neon jacket. It’s glowing – shimmering, even – beckoning you near, and you muster the strength to actually get out of bed, get dressed and face that brutal 20 degree morning with a smile on your face.

So: neon. Think about it. Look around campus for inspiration from your fellow classmates who know what’s up. You might try a little online shopping (I recommend Google search words such as “retro” and “vintage” if you’re turning to the internet, maybe even including a name brand if you’re into that). But please, Colgate, enough of these black and grey jackets. Let’s see some more neon.

Contact Carly Reed at [email protected].