Some college students dress better than most people think.
"I think fashion and image are both very important in college," said Steve Meyer, a junior in the School of Public Affairs. "How you dress and how you carry yourself can show an aura of confidence or an extreme lack thereof, and dressing well can make all the difference in making a good first impression on someone."
Not all students might care about how others perceive them, but some students like Meyer said they have developed a mature sense of style since they've been at AU as a way of not only earning respect from others, but as a way of developing self-respect in a big city like D.C.
The preference for a mature style, typically consisting of business casual collared shirts, slacks or perhaps pencil skirts for girls, comes at a time when students are closer to entering the real world and where a degree of professionalism, confidence and self-respect are seen as crucial.
"Since coming to college, my fashion sense has become more formal, as I wear a shirt with a collar every day," Meyer said. "I would say that it has become more important to me living in a large metropolitan area where I never know who I'm going to meet."
At AU, there is an eclectic sense of fashion among students, full of both creative and lazy outfits. Artsy and urban style clothing, such as message-tees sporting pithy phrases like "College," skinny jeans and Bohemian-influenced clothing like leggings can be seen. Classy attire, like designer handbags, fitted polos and slimming wool coats during the winter are also prevalent on campus, as well as casual athletic wear and morning pajamas to class.
"Especially at our school, I really think it's what you make of it - there are some people who actually get ready for class, some who just wear T-shirts and jeans and then others who wear sweatpants and a hoodie all the time," said Alison Goh, a junior in SPA.
Goh attended an all-girls private high school in Dallas where she had to wear a uniform five days a week. She said she now prefers wearing business casual clothing in college rather than wear sweats or T-shirts and jeans to class.
"I've never really thought about it before, but I think that it shows that I like to be put-together and leave a professional image on others," she said.
That professional image may be beneficial in the long run. At AU, most students generally value individual ideas and activism, and some argue that to be able to express their opinions and be heard, a professional image is necessary.
"At American it seems not to matter too much what you wear with most people, more what you think about [the] upcoming election or vote in Congress," said Nick Tsotakos, a junior in the Kogod School of Business. "However, I have always thought people who dress well are taken more seriously. A person giving their views on the current war in Iraq [and dressed inappropriately] tends to be taken less seriously than a person who is well put-together."
Tsotakos described his fashion style as "conservative and youthful, while trying greatly to avoid preppy" and owns button-down shirts from Banana Republic and Express and usually pairs them with clean jeans and leather shoes or Diesel sneakers.
"I think all of it together gives my desired look of having things under control and of maturity while still being comfortable and not stuffy," he said.
In the end, these well-dressed students say that fashion is rewarding, as it is dignifying.
"People who dress well tend to be very confident in themselves," Meyer said.
