A love letter to Stanford fashion

At Stanford, certain Americanisms truly intrigue me since I hail from a continent that is not North America and since I currently live on yet another continent that is also not North America. Most puzzling of all are the looks I receive upon donning a long coat, or a scarf, or skinny black jeans paired with white sneakers when I head out to class. Or anywhere on campus, in fact.

I do not know what goes on in the minds of those who appraise my outfit, but here are a couple of my hypotheses. “That’s so gay/effeminate,” from those who embrace gender stereotypes and heteronormativity. Or, “what pretentiousness,” from the simple and practical. Or maybe even, “that’s so 2015,” from the fashion forward. Fashion forward…? Well, I’ve come to realise that this university is blazing a new path in collegiate streetwear. Time to step up your game, Kanye.

Forget the blazers, chinos, and brogues of those ivy-covered “institutions” over in New England. The era of The Hoodie, The Sweats, and The Sneakers has begun. Practical, potentially stylish (although that’s still somewhat debatable), and compatible with learning in utter comfort: Stanford students have once again proven their worth with purest creativity and a truly fresh perspective. It’s no longer just about the start-ups and the mobile apps. Who knows? Stanford sweats on the runway at Milan F/W 2016? Sure.

I gave the outfit a test run today. Challenges that had to be overcome while in this outfit include: an economics lecture, a mathematics section class, an accelerated Russian class, a gym session, daily campus cycling, dinner with a friend who also hails from a continent that is not North America, and getting down and cosy in the dorm lounge with a cuppa and my laptop and Microsoft Word.

Admittedly, the perceived quantity of effort expended in order to realise these tasks decreased significantly as the quantity of collegiate streetwear on my body increased (dinner with the non-American friend aside, that is). The softness of the fabrics caressed the skin – something that well-fitting, friction-causing jeans never could. The outfit was so snug that I even felt in danger at one point…of falling asleep in class: cocooned in this fleece and lulled to rest by the professor’s voice.

In its practicality, the outfit borders on that which is German. Not one element is superfluous. In its comfort, it is undeniably homey. Which is, I would wager, why it began as loungewear or gym-wear and gradually transformed into garb in which it is now societally-acceptable to be presented (for the most part).

So ditch your Burberry scarves, your Ralph Lauren blazers, your Ferragamo loafers. A new era in fashion has begun. At least at Stanford.