Wear Your Boots Right

As the weather continually gets cooler I see more and more guys wearing their cowboy boots around campus. This is okay in certain circumstances but sometimes its just not
#1 Rule as was stated in the memo on boots at the football game, you may not under any circumstances wear cowboy boots with your shorts.

You may however wear them with jeans or khakis. Lots of guys wear them around campus with their khakis and a button down or polo, which is a fine look. You will see a lot of this around the Neeley Business School buildings.

If you want to see REAL boots and jeans though, you should head over to The Ranch Management Building on Stadium. That is where the cowboys are at. They are not posing or wearing them for style, they are wearing boots for their intended purpose of functionality, but it has created its own style in a sense. Wranglers and dirty boots are the definition of a cowboy and we embrace that in Fort Worth, or should I say Cowtown? We’ve got lots of true cowboys in the community outside of TCU and they know how to do it right.

Therefore, if you are a poser, which 96% of men on campus wearing boots probably are, you should at least show respect to the true style. Make yourself look rugged you know. That is why boots are so pertinent at football games. It is a manly activity.
Also, don’t be afraid to get a little dirt or dust on your boots it just makes them look more authentic and gives you character. After all, you are most likely wearing these with khakis and pastel shirt of sorts which you probably wouldn’t find a cowboy caught dead in. Real cowboys wear their boots year round, not just when the weather is permitting.

We love TCU and we respect it and its trends and fashions but we also need to respect the larger community. One of the largest boot companies worldwide, Justin Boots, is headquartered just down the road. So we have some major heritage to respect and live up to. Go have a barbecue sandwich at the Railhead some afternoon, guys in there can show you how to wear your boots.

So in honor of Fort Worth and the rodeo and the stockyards and to all the cowboys in here, wear your boots right. Hell, you might even try on some Wranglers and like them too.

Keep it Cool

It is finally late enough in fall that we are beginning to have cold or rather cool days. The closer it gets to November the colder it will become. Before we know it the holidays will be approaching and everyone will be shivering around campus in their coats and scarves.

However, we are in Texas so we have to leave room for error it could be eighty degrees some days in November but nonetheless we need to prepare your wardrobe. Since we are in Texas and you can’t really rely on the weather I wouldn’t recommend going out and spending a lot of money but bulky winter clothes that you might or might not get to use. So unless you plan to go skiing or are from a colder climate and you need these items anyways let’s keep it basic.

There is really only one main item you need for a Texas winter and that is a Northface jacket. Like the polo this is just such a versatile piece! And guess what you can even wear them together. A Northface jacket is ideal because it is warm, it is comfortable, it is fashionable and it is original. They come in all different patterns and fabrics. Though again, to ensure you stay fashionable I would keep it basic. If you get a neutral color like black or navy blue it will go with anything. Your polos should be where you have a “splash” of color in your wardrobe; you do not want to clash with that.

North Face jackets are great because they can be worn with any attire we have previously mentioned. They are great for a chilly evening at a football game, or a cold outdoor house party in someone’s backyard, a bonfire at the ranch, walking to class on a cold morning. There are endless possibilities. This is also one trend that is popular outside of the TCU community. If you do go skiing and go north to a colder destination for the holidays with your North Face jacket you are sure to fit in anywhere you go. Chances are, they will be wearing them too!

North Face is also “cool” because it is considered real sporting gear sold at sporting gear stores so people will probably think you are pretty hardcore if you wear it. Goes back to the sexy edginess factor.

So go buy a North Face, everybody’s doing it!

P.S. Check out this video... TCU guys aren't the only ones who can do it in style. Take some tips from these East Coast Pros. They know how to dress and how to partaayy!

Hunting and Fishing Attire

Sporting attire is another trend we see around campus. TCU men are so rough and rugged they have to portray this side of them in their everyday lives. Even on campus men like to wear their hunting and fishing attire. Maybe they want others to know that this is what they do on the weekends or maybe this isn’t what they do on the weekends but they just want others to think that they are cool. Or possibly they think this is how they find people with similar interests, it strikes up a whole conversation.

Fishing first. If you want to be considered a real man on the TCU campus you need to sport your fishing attire and it has to be brand name. Your shirt should have all kinds of flaps and pockets and zippers to accommodate all of your tools needed. You won’t necessarily be carrying around a pole and bait but dressing like this will help you catch your desired bait around campus. Ladies dig this style so much they have picked up on it too. Be careful though, if she stays over your favorite fishing shirt might go missing.

Hunting attire is a necessity as well. Camouflage on campus has the opposite effect from its intended purpose. Rather than making you blend in, it actually sets you apart. Well maybe I shouldn’t say sets you apart but it lets others know that you have style and you know what’s going on. Also, camo makes it an automatic assumption that you actually hunt which can induce a fear factor in people because you can use a gun. Intimidation is always a good thing.

What to Wear Post- Graduation

This week we are going to take some tips from our TCU Alumni. Along with preparing yourself mentally and academically for graduation you must also prepare your wardrobe. Although khaki shorts and Sperry’s are the greatest, you cannot always wear them into the office.

When you get out of college you no longer want to have that “I am in college” look anymore or maybe you do want to, but you shouldn’t. It works now but it is not going to work forever. When you graduate, even if you live a similar lifestyle, you are going to have to step it up a bit.

Polos are still and always will be acceptable. You can wear them in the office with slacks, on the golf course with clients and still pretty much everywhere except in a formal setting.

Your post graduation daily attire will really be dependant on the dress code of the office where you work, assuming that you will of course work. If it is casual you can wear polos and slacks. Business casual- slacks and a button down but not necessarily a tie or coat. Formal- you are in a suit and tie. This is all pretty standard and all this you should definitely already know. The Neeley School has made you dress for presentations.

My concern is your after work attire. When you go out - you need to look good. It doesn’t matter if you are rolling in the dough at first or not you can look good and be classified as a thirty-thousand millionaire. The point is, at least you will look good.

At The Aardvark or The Moon you can get away with looking like pretty much whatever you want. But the truth is whether you know it or not, no one takes you seriously right now besides your fellow classmates. In public, people look at you, shrug their shoulders and let out a “huh while tilting their head. Don’t be bothered by this- while you are still in college take advantage of it because girls here dig it. Just start preparing for the future gradually. Wearing a button-down and a blazer out with some loafers every once in a while doesn’t hurt anyone. Try a change of venue and go downtown one night dressed nicely and see how well you are received.

Also, if by chance you make it through college without a significant other take these tips so that you can meet an older more sophisticated woman on your level. If you like ‘em young you may want to continue to dress like a tool on weekends. Just watch yourself, there tend to be some especially young ones at the ‘Vark”.