OK! Can I just ask, wasn’t Britney’s VMA “performance” like a little hug from Jesus? SO good, SO priceless. Ö
Anyway, on to biz. Although last week’s column might have implied there are no stylish places at the “U,” I challenged my reasoning, and believe it or not, I think there are some places at the University where students are rocking the runway that is life.
These chickies and hommes are not your average students. Why? Because they epitomize living in style.
l’ve created a list of the top five most stylish locations on campus. Here are the places where you’d never be auf’d by Heidi and Tim:
1. Middlebrook Hall. OK, I know what you’re thinking: This place is for the granolas and arties. Well, you’re half right. Middlebrook – I’ve been told – has the largest selection of organic and vegan options on its UDS menu. But realize that the art and theater students are very creative and are not afraid to embrace, yet tweak, a trend to their individual style. Think wide-leg trousers and scarves.
2. Murphy Hall. This is where the majority of MY classes are, but think about it: PR and broadcasting students are always primped and ready to greet the masses. Don’t be surprised to see business suits and skirts, shirts and ties Ö and they aren’t of Burlington Coat Factory quality, either. I’ve seen Gucci shoes and Thomas Pink dress shirts on occasion. Not too shabby-chic, in my opinion.
3. The Carlson complex. The school is constructing a brand-new hall, replete with a sleek, sharp exterior – a sign of the interior. Much like the Murphy Hall scenesters, Carlson cats love the business look. While it is often less creative than what you might encounter at other sites, the style is always polished and clean. Let’s just say they dress for success – a must for making it after college.
4. St. Paul campus off-campus housing. Much to my distaste, clothing design students have most of their classes in McNeal Hall on the St. Paul campus, which means they live there, too. I can report there are several fashionistas and fashionistos living together, tripling and quadrupling the trendy quotient in that (eww!) cow statue-flaunting property. Many of them wear their own designs, making truly unique statements. Thankfully, word on the street is these future costumers and couturiers will soon be taking over the Minneapolis campus.
5. Folwell Hall. I chose Folwell because it houses several language departments, and any time you have that many countries represented in one area, you’re bound to end up with individualism and beauty at its finest. A friend of mine just came back from Spain and while there found matador-inspired black dress shirts with silver embroidery. He gave one to me, and well, nothing’s more caliente than this season’s black-and-metallic pairing for guys OR gals.
There you go. I know you all won’t agree with my choices, so if you see a particularly stylish venue on campus, let me know!
Still, there is one other place you can look to for inspiration this season: TV. Now, I know many of you don’t have cable (too much H&M and Chipotle?), but you’re bound to be able to catch episodes on the YouTube. Many of them were created to rival “Sex and the City” – perhaps the most stylish show of all time.
Two new shows this season, though, will certainly give “SATC” a run for its Manolo money. “Lipstick Jungle” (NBC), originally a book by “SATC’s” author, Candace Bushnell, and “Cashmere Mafia” (ABC) will certainly be style staples. But we all know the shelf life of new shows, so if these fall victim to fashion and sour ratings, we can always count on the “SATC” movie, already in production in New York City and set to star Jennifer Hudson as Carrie’s assistant (Ooo dang!).
At last, don’t fret if you don’t have class in my top-five campus locales. Just look to your 12-inch screens. Or me, of course!
