Dear Gentlemen of Notre Dame: Languish no more. The time has come. "Fashion by Felicia" has heard your cry and is here with the fashion tips you have eagerly been awaiting.
I know how stressful your days are — you are the Fred Astaires to our Ginger Rogers. You think: "What, just because she does everything backwards and in heels she gets all the attention? What about me, wasting away as I attempt to accomplish all my ‘bro' social events, turn in that business plan for my start-up, and impress my Econ professor at 8:30 in the morning? Isn't my fashion presentation just as important as hers?"
Yes, you are right. After all, we women of Notre Dame do have to socialize and learn with you – it is fitting that you are anxious to look just as good as we do. As Fr. Hesburgh once said, the men of Notre Dame are the cream of the crop, and the women are the cream of the cream. So — let's delve into the proverbial fashion harvest together!
And so we will. It is getting close to harvest time here in the gorgeous Midwest, and the temperature is getting chilly and somewhat unpredictable. You find the air at 8:30 am bristling, while by lunch it's back to summer. The evening then returns to cooler temperatures following air conditioning and heating adventures while indoors. Sweatshirts may solve the problem, but then they have to get scrunched into backpacks or thrown over the shoulder at lunch like an unattractive sack of potatoes. Jackets prove to be the same problem. Let's face it — you just can't show off those toned arms of summer the same way in a long-sleeved T-shirt.
What would your European counterpart do? Well, he'd keep that attractive short-sleeved T-shirt on and accessorize with a scarf — the key element to any man's je ne saisquoi fashion appeal. The scarf for men sets off serious fashion radar. It says you're conscious enough of the elements, but independent and man enough to drape and wrap fabric. The ideal scarf for the chic man is made of cashmere for the winter months and a cooler cotton or mix for these transitional seasons.
Length is key — when simply hanging around your neck, the ends of the scarf should reach the lower end of your torso. A short scarf will make you seem childish. Thickness is also important — delicate scarves are for your female counterparts. You can fold the scarf in the middle, drape around your neck and pull the other end through to create a simple knot or wrap the scarf multiple times around your neck, tying the very ends in a small knot.
In terms of color, match the scarf to your overall ensemble. A navy scarf looks great with a white t-shirt and jeans. Try a light caramel color to go with a leather jacket or that black suit you wore to impress those corporate career fair attendees. Feel free to play with brighter colors too — I'll bow to your manly judgment on this one. To finish the look, throw on killer sunglasses and, if you're feeling particularly daring, a hat. With a look like this, we women will be asking, "Who needs European men?"
The views in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Felicia Caponigri at fcaponigri@nd.edu
