Introduction
“Clothes for College Men in Fall-Apparel Arts 1933” by Sven Schneider is a piece that dives into older American style. Schneider closely details what college men were expected to be seen during the 1930s. As a man in college, I was interested to see the differences in lifestyles separated by almost 100 years.
Shifting Roles
To say I was confused by older collegiate dressing is an understatement. It gave me a headache going through the infinite situations listed, where a specific article of clothing was expected to be worn. From classes, to bedtime, to football games, there was always an incredibly detailed list of what a collegiate man would be seen in down to the stitching. My interpretation was clear. There has been a drastic shift in the role of the college student, from being influenced to becoming the influencer. College men needed to conform in previous times. Societal standards were stricter, and there was a clear ideology regarding admiration and respect towards adult life. Now look at today and you see the exact opposite. The youth are the innovators. They are who people now look towards to see what is in style, allowing them to be creative. As a current college student, I feel no restriction and I love it. Having the freedom to express yourself, whether that be in a youthful or adult-like manner, is so rewarding. It allows me to be curious and creative, making my closet appear as a box of opportunity rather than one of repetition. But at the same time, I understand the differences. In the older United States, there was a much smaller scope of the workforce. Colleges were used to copying and pasting many people into similar roles. As we have modernized, there is a market for deviation. Being different no longer means you have no job security.
Conclusion
After digesting this piece, I have become more grateful for being born in the era I have. I honestly believe I would go a little crazy having to wear different, planned-out items for so many tedious occasions. It also makes me wonder. How will style change for collegiate adults in the future? I personally believe there won’t be much change but I assume if you’d ask a college student from 1933 they’d predict no difference as well. One last thing I need to touch on: they actually said the word “chap” back then? I thought that was just a cheesy thing they did in movies.