# College wear during the 80s



## Stan (Nov 21, 2006)

Hello everyone,

I'd like to know what was the college 'uniform' during the 80s in ivy league institutions and prep schools. I was told that it used to be a white OCBD, 501s, and mocs.

And just a question, are navy blue khakis appropriate? Or should they be worn in only earthy colors?


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## About Town (Nov 17, 2004)

White shirt, levis was a look as was flannel shirts and jeans. A lot depends
on where you went to school. The preppy handbook was big as was the khaki ocbd unironed hsirt look.For a while in the early eighties there was
also vinyl slicker with a built-in duckbilled hood in yellow, bright blue and
green that basically took over my campus in Massachusetts on rainy days.


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## AldenPyle (Oct 8, 2006)

Just douse yourself with Polo (in the green bottle).


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## egadfly (Nov 10, 2006)

Levis 501s, old OCBDs (white, blue, candy stripe), Lacoste polos, Raichle hiking boots, turtlenecks, Bean fishing sweaters, khakis, foul-weather gear (bought at the marina), Patagonia snap-Ts, boat shoes (usually Timberland), flannel-lined chinos, Bean boots or gumshoes, down parkas, Moriarty ski hats, champion "reverse-weave" sweats, pea coats (if not inherited, then purchased from I.Goldberg's), Bean mocs, Pendleton flannel shirts, ridiculously expensive backpack used as a bookbag...


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## Puffdaddy (Dec 21, 2006)

What was that ski jacket (usually red) that everybody used to have? Used to have the tag at the back of the neck?

The name escapes me.

Love the list, egadfly, but please don't forget the Vuarnet cat's-eye sunglasses!


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## septa (Mar 4, 2006)

egadfly said:


> , pea coats (if not inherited, then purchased from I.Goldberg's)


Your list doesn't sound too far off from what many of my friends, at least, wore during the 90s. I remember fondly, during the first cold snap of my freshman year in college, taking the R5 into I. Goldberg's where my roommates and I bought pea coats, commando sweaters and surplus alpine rucksacks.


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## egadfly (Nov 10, 2006)

*Boston Traders*

I think I still have one of those rucksacks in the attic.

The best clothes were always the ones you "inherited" (i.e. stole) -- in addition to some B2 oxfords and Bean chamois shirts filched from my dad, I particularly remember wearing a heavyweight Boston Traders boatneck sweater. Great quality. Finally lost it to a ex-girlfriend, I believe. Anyone know whatever happened to B.T.?


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## Larchmont (Jan 2, 2005)

Puffdaddy said:


> What was that ski jacket (usually red) that everybody used to have? Used to have the tag at the back of the neck?
> 
> The name escapes me.
> 
> Love the list, egadfly, but please don't forget the Vuarnet cat's-eye sunglasses!


CB Jackets - a must have at my prep school in the 80's.

Lucky enough for me - my brother "found" a few in college and gave me one.


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## egadfly (Nov 10, 2006)

Larchmont said:


> CB Jackets - a must have at my prep school in the 80's.


That's the one. Mine was blue, as I recall.


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## DixieTrad (Dec 9, 2006)

This is my post from several months ago. I did not attend an Ivy, but there was a very small Trad element on our campus.

I attended a small college in TN from 80-84. My friends and I were considered "hard core"-no socks, even in the snow. Fall/Winter meant lots of plain-front cords in both bright colors and more autumnal shades. I had the required embroidered cords (ducks in flight), as well. Bean hunting shoes were a must for the cold weather. If not Beans, then Sperrys, dirty bucks, or Weejuns. Lots of layering, but not as much as the Handbook indicated. Harris tweeds were my jackets of choice-all three-button, of course. All shirts were OCBD. Other than my down vest, I don't recall any unnatural fibers hanging in my closet. We did wear jeans, but only shrink-to-fit 501s. My only "oddity" was a pair of Justin boots, which were worn on certain occasions with the 501s, but these were always a part of Southern Prep.

Spring meant Lacoste shirts, with the occasional Polo, which was a new item in the early 80s. Poplin trousers, including kelly green and soft yellow were my favorites when paired with a navy blazer. I seem to remember a lot of kelly green in my wardrobe. Madras was a cornerstone, and I remember having a pair of patchwork madras trousers that were pinks, browns, and tans. The unusual thing about them was the strategic placement of two bright pink patches in the front of the pants. A bit too attention-getting! My seersucker suit saw a lot of wear, and I purchased a great Italian made straw boater to wear with the suit and my blazer. I was then, and am now, a bowtie fan. Sperry Topsiders and Tretorns were the norm for warm weather. We did wear grosgrain watchbands, and our hair was a bit longer, though not Tucker long.

There were some interesting regional differences aside from the boots. Students from Virginia and Maryland wore Sebago Docksiders more than Sperry Topsiders. I saw a lot more "wild" madras on guys from Virginia and North Carolina, but not as much seersucker. My friends from the deep south wore more pleats, and we were more inclined to have everything starched. 

This provides a good overview of what was popular on most southern trad coleege campuses. Friends of mine who attended Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, W&L, and Duke dressed much the same.


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## HistoryDoc (Dec 14, 2006)

I am a little young, but in the 1980s I wore Izod shirts, 501s, and sperry top-siders.

This discussion reminds me of something that happened to me in college. I graduated from college in 1996. I was in a band and a girl once told me that we should rename the band "The LL Bean Machine." I kind of stuck out in the college music scene. In college we wore of Gap khakis and OCBDs, with JCrew polos. Stan Smith shoes.

That is the progression right? JCPenneys to Gap; Gap to JCrew; JCrew to trad.


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## Joe Tradly (Jan 21, 2006)

HistoryDoc said:


> That is the progression right? JCPenneys to Gap; Gap to JCrew; JCrew to trad.


LOL!

JB


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## Laxplayer (Apr 26, 2006)

Larchmont said:


> CB Jackets - a must have at my prep school in the 80's.
> 
> Lucky enough for me - my brother "found" a few in college and gave me one.


My uncle wore one of these in the 80s. He gave it to me when I was older along with an Obermeyer (I think that was the name) ski coat.


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## paper clip (May 15, 2006)

About Town said:


> vinyl slicker with a built-in duckbilled hood in yellow, bright blue and
> green that basically took over my campus in Massachusetts on rainy days.


At UMass during the late 80s, early 90s, the thing to have on rainy days was a JCrew anorak - navy or green body with a hood and a cream colored wide zipper placket. I still have mine in the closet - I do not wear it much these days: I just don't like putting on and taking off a coat over my head.


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## tripreed (Dec 8, 2005)

HistoryDoc said:


> That is the progression right? JCPenneys to Gap; Gap to JCrew; JCrew to trad.


Uh, yeah, that sounds about like my personal experience.


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## egadfly (Nov 10, 2006)

paper clip said:


> At UMass during the late 80s, early 90s, the thing to have on rainy days was a JCrew anorak - navy or green body with a hood and a cream colored wide zipper placket. I still have mine in the closet - I do not wear it much these days: I just don't like putting on and taking off a coat over my head.


Good memory, PC. I'm pretty sure J.Crew copied that design from an older version that L.L. Bean stocked for years. Either way, a definite prep staple.


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## Joe Tradly (Jan 21, 2006)

paper clip said:


> At UMass during the late 80s, early 90s, the thing to have on rainy days was a JCrew anorak - navy or green body with a hood and a cream colored wide zipper placket. I still have mine in the closet - I do not wear it much these days: I just don't like putting on and taking off a coat over my head.


Wow...what memories...I had one of these in navy blue. Loved that thing.

JB


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## Joe Tradly (Jan 21, 2006)

egadfly said:


> The best clothes were always the ones you "inherited" (i.e. stole)


EGF, for sure. I had a great blue and white university stripe ocbd (with a yellow collar lining!) that my sister had acquired from a college boyfriend. When she dumped him, she still had the shirt, but the mere sight of it repulsed her (or so she said). I took it off her hands and wore it for years!

JB


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## egadfly (Nov 10, 2006)

Joe Tradly said:


> EGF, for sure.


"Stolen Clothes" -- sounds like a pretty good name for a new thread ......


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## Joe Tradly (Jan 21, 2006)

egadfly said:


> "Stolen Clothes" -- sounds like a pretty good name for a new thread ......


Love it!

JB


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## HistoryDoc (Dec 14, 2006)

I had that exact JCrew anorak. Amazing.


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## rojo (Apr 29, 2004)

There was no uniform, the OPH notwithstanding.


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## Rocker (Oct 29, 2004)

College circa 1986-90 in VA, I wore:
-Dirty bucks
-Bass Weejuns - black and cordovan
-Plain white Nikes (for gym)
-Sperry Top Siders (most wore Bean Bluchers)
-Duckhead Khakis (no pleats, cuffed - khaki, navy, olive, and a kind of Nantucket red shade))
-Levis - 501s and 505s
-Shetland sweaters - Green, Maroon, Navy, Gray, Yellow
-L.L. Bean Norwegian sweater
-Variety of other sweaters (ragg wool, scandinavian, etc.)
-Assorted repp ties, foulards, and paisley - mostly regimentals
-OCBD - pink, white, blue, yellow (BB and LE)
-Poplin tartan button downs (black watch and Lindsay were my favorite)
-Pique polo shirts (all colors - no logos)
-Blue oxford cloth boxers
-L.L. Bean Maine Hunting shoes
-L.L. Bean Hunting jacket
-Orvis Shotun shell belt
-Leatherman belt with school logo emboidered on it
-Bermuda cotton shorts (madras, cotton twill, seersucker)
-Pendleton wool shirts (only in tartans)
-L.L. Bean cotton flannel tartan shirts
-Gray wool chesterfiel topcoat
-U.S. Navy Issue Pea Coat (replaced by topcoat above for my last two years)
-Brown leather flight jacket
-RedWing Wellington boots
-College sweatshirt
-Fraternity sweatshirt
-Blue blazer - doeskin and worsted (seasonal)


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## egadfly (Nov 10, 2006)

rojo said:


> There was no uniform, the OPH notwithstanding.


True enough, but suffice it to say that if you shopped at, say, , you were off the res.


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## Kingsfield (Nov 15, 2006)

HistoryDoc said:


> That is the progression right? JCPenneys to Gap; Gap to JCrew; JCrew to trad.


For me, it was pretty much a dead run from birth though LLB to Brooks. Flash forward a generation and even with the lamentable decline of these establishments, our family essentially still lives this way.


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## tripreed (Dec 8, 2005)

Rocker said:


> -Leatherman belt with school logo emboidered on it


This wasn't Hampden-Sydney , was it?


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## Untilted (Mar 30, 2006)

I recall from the American/Trad thread that it was W-L.


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## Rocker (Oct 29, 2004)

tripreed said:


> This wasn't Hampden-Sydney , was it?


As Untitled noted, W&L.


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## tripreed (Dec 8, 2005)

Rocker said:


> As Untitled noted, W&L.


Ahh...ok. I just know that those Hampden-Sydney kids are crazy about their belts so it was just a guess.


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## Rocker (Oct 29, 2004)

tripreed said:


> Ahh...ok. I just know that those Hampden-Sydney kids are crazy about their belts so it was just a guess.


 I suppose, as they do not have female students, that this would be one of the more harmless activities/outlets to keep them occupied when not in class. :icon_smile:


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## septa (Mar 4, 2006)

*Boathouse Jackets*

Here's a question for those who came before me. Did all the jocks at colleges in the 80s wear jackets made by this company... https://www.boathouse.com/ They were the total preppy status symbol when I was in college. Having one from one of the varsity teams at school was good, but even "better" were ones from a well known prep school. When I rowed I had the option of buying one but they cost a few hundered bucks ($150-200) IIRC; I had better uses for the money at the time.


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## JLibourel (Jun 13, 2004)

Stan said:


> Hello everyone,
> And just a question, are navy blue khakis appropriate? Or should they be worn in only earthy colors?


Curious that nobody addressed this earlier. I don't think there is anything "wrong" with blue cotton "khakis." However, in my experience they lose their looks quite fast. They fade and starting looking rather shabby and discolored quite quickly.


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## HistoryDoc (Dec 14, 2006)

Nothing wrong with them. I own a few. I just have a hard time finding a jacket to wear with them, so they end up as summer pants. Good for sailing or a stroll. Not so good for work.


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## abc123 (Jun 4, 2006)

This is a really interesting thread. I was _born_ in the 80s, and every single thing listed, I either own or would wear if I did. Timelessness at its best!


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## JDDY (Mar 18, 2006)

septa said:


> Here's a question for those who came before me. Did all the jocks at colleges in the 80s wear jackets made by this company... https://www.boathouse.com/ They were the total preppy status symbol when I was in college. Having one from one of the varsity teams at school was good, but even "better" were ones from a well known prep school. When I rowed I had the option of buying one but they cost a few hundered bucks ($150-200) IIRC; I had better uses for the money at the time.


At my high school in the '90s you got one of these if you played lacrosse- definitely a coveted item. The NCAA Lacrosse Championships in College Park, MD was a sea of these (probably still is).


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## Thomas (Jan 30, 2006)

JLibourel said:


> Curious that nobody addressed this earlier. I don't think there is anything "wrong" with blue cotton "khakis." However, in my experience they lose their looks quite fast. They fade and starting looking rather shabby and discolored quite quickly.


I wear blue cotton shorts occasionally when the weather permits. I like it when the color starts to fade on them and they get that well worn look. Then again I like most of my clothing to look well worn such as fraying on OCBDs and my khakis.


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## shuman (Dec 12, 2004)

Rocker said:


> College circa 1986-90 in VA, I wore:
> -Dirty bucks
> -Bass Weejuns - black and cordovan
> -Plain white Nikes (for gym)
> ...


Sounds like my wardrobe then...........and now!


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## paper clip (May 15, 2006)

JLibourel said:


> Curious that nobody addressed this earlier. I don't think there is anything "wrong" with blue cotton "khakis." However, in my experience they lose their looks quite fast. They fade and starting looking rather shabby and discolored quite quickly.


I concur. I spent a lot of time and $ trying various brands, LE, Polo, Dockers to find the best blue khaki pants. I never felt I succeeded. I think the blue works in poplin, but somehow does not work with twill. I will not be buying any more to replace the last couple of pair that I have.


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## Patrick06790 (Apr 10, 2005)

JLibourel said:


> Curious that nobody addressed this earlier. I don't think there is anything "wrong" with blue cotton "khakis." However, in my experience they lose their looks quite fast. They fade and starting looking rather shabby and discolored quite quickly.


This is an odd phenomenon. I have an unstructured Orvis cotton jacket in tan that I've worn with blue chinos. Decent but not spectacular look. C -.

When we discovered the JC Penney retro chino I bought a stack of them, including two pairs in a medium blue which almost immediately became pure knockaround pants - this summer they will probably devolve into fish pants.


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## Joe Tradly (Jan 21, 2006)

Patrick06790 said:


> this summer they will probably devolve into fish pants.


Ah fish pants.

Fish guts on khakis...

Sounds like the first line to my version of "My Favorite Things".

JB


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## OldSkoolFrat (Jan 5, 2007)

egadfly said:


> "Stolen Clothes" -- sounds like a pretty good name for a new thread ......


Guy in my Fraternity stole another brother's flannel lined, nylon shell, LL Bean coat and we kicked him out. Fourth And Long!!!

We were mad for Madras, but our basic uniform was khaki pants and navy Blazers, usually tried to out GTH each other with our ties. To differentiate ourselves from the other Guido and "Member's Only Jacket," frats, most of our parties were, "coat and tie." The Chi Omega's came to a mixer once and they wore coats and ties. They were so cute! Plus, them needing us to tie their ties and stuff was a great ice breaker.

Pleats were more in as this was Alabama, deep south. OCBD and pinpoint BD's the occasional pair of 501's One day a week was, "jersey day" one day was coat and tie day, the rest of the time it was GTH Madras shirts, Izod's with a few pique RL polo's. In winter it was a dress shirt (BD) and crew-neck sweaters.

Not bad for a commuter school. Plus it was fun pissing off the school admins, they envisioned the school as being for older students, for research and graduate students from Iran or some other sandbox who hated the USA.


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## Rocker (Oct 29, 2004)

egadfly said:


> "Stolen Clothes" -- sounds like a pretty good name for a new thread ......


When I was an undergrad, the girls from the surrounding womens' colleges were notorious from stealing things from guys - fraternity/school sweatshirts, fraternity paraphernalia (e.g. cups/hats) of any kind, OCBDs - even boxer shorts &#8230;...


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## Doctor Damage (Feb 18, 2005)

Rocker said:


> When I was an undergrad, the girls from the surrounding womens' colleges were notorious from stealing things from guys - fraternity/school sweatshirts, fraternity paraphernalia (e.g. cups/hats) of any kind, OCBDs -- *even boxer shorts* &#8230;...


I suspect the men probably didn't protest too hard!


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## charphar (Nov 13, 2006)

In college in the South (Florida State, 78-79, and Georgia Southern, 80-84), it was pretty much like the rest of you guys...

Duck Head Khakis, plain front, sometimes cuffed, (usually bought at a very eclectic and eccentric "general store" called Reuben Rosenberg's in Statesboro, GA)
OCBDs (all the standard colors, stripes)
Lacoste shirts (when they were still Izod!)
Rep ties
No socks
Sperry Top-Siders
Weejuns (penny loafers and kiltie tassels)
Dirty Bucks
LL Bean boots
Tretorns
Ray-Ban Aviators and Wayfarers
Blue blazers
Lots of green and pink in the spring
Levis 501s and 505s
Lots of starch in the shirts usually
Layering (polos under OCBDs) in the fall
Fraternity jerseys and sweatshirts
Rugby shirts
Lots of madras in the spring
White bucks in the spring
Birdwell Beach Britches at the beach or the lake in the summer
Tennis sweaters
Shetland crew sweaters
You know the drill...


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## charphar (Nov 13, 2006)

Oh, and I had a GREAT pair of cream-and-navy saddle oxfords and a pair of those burgundy-and-black saddles as well...

...and the canvas Top-siders...


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## charphar (Nov 13, 2006)

...and of course, boxers...hanging out from the bottom of your shorts in the spring! Ah, those were the days!


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## Beresford (Mar 30, 2006)

From a slightly earlier period, mid to late 70s at Williams.

Lacoste tennis shirts were pretty much de rigeur in warmer weather. Don't know if Ralph Lauren polo shirts were around then, but at Williams you would never see someone wear them (my impression was that in the early years RL polo shirts, and RL in general, was considered pretentious and in poor taste). When warm, Bermuda shorts with boat shoes (sockless of course) were popular. Otherwise khakis or blue jeans with boat shoes or mocs.

One fad, which I'm not sure ever caught on, was Lacoste socks. On each pair, the gator was only on one of the socks. So to be really in, you bought two pairs, wore only the ones with the gators, and threw the other two away. (Brilliant marketing for whoever came up with that.)

If not wearing Lacoste, the alternative for men was generally a blue, white or pink OCBD shirt.

Wear for more formal mixers and faculty receptions (and there were still dinners called "guest nights," generally Thursday night, when we had to dress up with coat and tie for dinner on the assumption that a trustee or other alumni VIP might show up in the dining hall or house dining room) was a blue or white OCBD, blue blazer, conservative tie (often regimental stripe), and khakis or grey dress slacks, with penny or tassel loafers.

Fact is, however, that most of the time it was so doggone cold in Williamstown that the everyday look was Levis blue jeans, a long sleeved OCBD with a fairly substantial crew neck sweater, a down jacket, and hiking boots. Your basic LL Bean look. You could get some nasty weather in the Berkshires in terms of snow, sleet, and wind, and people dressed for it. Except for the face and length of hair, men and women didn't look much different. And except for guest nights, women didn't wear dresses. Just too cold. In warm weather you would see sundresses.

Another biggie: everyone had the same heavy-duty yellow LL Bean rubber raincoat (the short canvas-lined sailing one with the hood) for rainy weather. A few women might get adventurous and wear a green one. Wellies were also big for women during rainy weather or "mud season" in the spring.

Jewelry and "flash" really not in. Men would wear a watch, and maybe a school ring (on the edge of taste unless it was a signet ring instead of the fake gemstone). A lot of beat-up old watches that looked like they were once "Dad's." Women would maybe wear a locket.


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## rl1856 (Jun 7, 2005)

My college years were 82-86 and spent at a small college in Atlanta. By the standards established by the posts in this thread, our attire was normal:

Brooks or Bean OCBD- white, blue, pink + stripes
Tartan plaid poplin and flannel shirts
Chamios shirts- with ducks or labs embroidered on the pocket
Lacoste in the brightest colors you could find + basic white
Duckhead Khaki chinos- starched and cuffed
Grey worsted trousers
Army surplus olive drab chinos
Wide Whale cords in earth tones + GTH colors with embroidery
Wool Surcicle, embroidered or monogramed belts
Burgandy or Black leather belt with mongramed buckle
Rep or discrete foulard ties- a few bow ties as well.
Navy Blazer- a few Harris Tweeds in the winter
Levi 501 jeans
Sperry Topsiders- classic dark brown with a few navy canvas lurking about
Oxblood Bass Weejuns
Dirty Bucks
Bean gum shoes
Occasional pair of Frye or Redwing boots
sockless at all times
Berumda shorts when warm- madras or loud pastels
Madras pants and shirts- loudest patterns you could find.
Crewneck shetland sweaters
-layering optional
Baracuta or Baracuta style jacket with plaid lining
Burbury or London Fog Trench coat
Pea Coat
Signet Ring with Fraternity or college seal, or initials
Fraternity shirt and sweatshirt
Rayban Aviator sunglasses
Pewter Flask (monogramed)
Boxer Shorts

All pants and shorts were plain front; all long sleeve dress shirts were button down collar.

First semester Rush was coat and tie for everyone in the house, as were Sorority Mixers and Faculty Receptions. Whenever any of us were invited to an event at a sorority house, we were required to wear a coat and tie. Usually we were the only ones who would do so- thus earning high marks from the sorority members....

You were required to wear your Fraternity pin to class, and when wearing your pin you had to wear a shirt with a collar.

I listed boxer shorts because we were known for wearing them, so much so that each year we threw a "Boxer Rebellion" Party. This party was by invitation only and because we strictly limited the guest list, invitations were highly coveted. The object was to wear boxer shorts as shorts, with prizes given for most creative, loudest, etc etc. As freshman pledges, our entire pledge class wore our tuxedos, with white boxer shorts in place of our pants. By my junior year, I had aquired a pair of BB button front tie back style in white, which I had discretely monogramed in black at the bottom front of the left leg. A good time would be had by all as they say...

Best,

Ross


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## Laxplayer (Apr 26, 2006)

JDDY said:


> At my high school in the '90s you got one of these if you played lacrosse- definitely a coveted item. *The NCAA Lacrosse Championships in College Park, MD was a sea of these (probably still is).*


It was the last time I went in 2003. Boathouse jackets are definitely popular with lacrosse players. Unfortunately so are mesh hats, hoodies, torn jeans and flip flops.


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## OldSkoolFrat (Jan 5, 2007)

rl1856 said:


> You were required to wear your Fraternity pin to class, and when wearing your pin you had to wear a shirt with a collar.
> Best,
> 
> Ross


"Pin"? That is, "Badge," where I come from. Had a strong penchant for university striped OCBD's as the stripe was a nice guide in keeping the Badge straight. Plaid worked well also.


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## Tenacious Tassel (Sep 11, 2006)

*Speakin as a child of the 90s*

While Bean boots were seen but scarce, suede bucks were hit and miss, weejuns were non existent, and boat shoes were in a period of dormant status...most of my classmates who had a clue wore either New Balance 580 series (preferably the 585 suede leather version) or the New Balance 999.

These were to be worn in conditions so bad that there was barely any tread left on the bottom of the shoe (which is a difficult task with NB shoes), holes in much of the mesh, caked with dirt/beer stains and years of grimey wear, and, finally, white tape around the toes to keep the upper and sole of the shoe close to still being 1 unified piece. About the only think that could be made out was the reflective "N" on the shoe to the untrained eye.

Sadly, my 999s were discarded without my knowledge about 5 years ago by my sig. other during a move. And my 991s just never were quite the same.


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## shuman (Dec 12, 2004)

Laxplayer said:


> My uncle wore one of these in the 80s. He gave it to me when I was older along with an Obermeyer (I think that was the name) ski coat.


Anyone have photos of these to post? Thanks.


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## rojo (Apr 29, 2004)

I'm still amazed that anyone cares what we wore on campus in the 1980s, and would consider using it as a benchmark for anything. My recollection is that no two people on my campus, or even in my fraternity, dressed exactly alike. This was a small private liberal arts college in New England, named several times in the OPH. 

Then again, maybe because I lived in the anthill, none of the ants looked alike to me. Viewed from the perspective of 20 or 25 years later, by someone from a different generation, perhaps all those 80s college guys dressed like each other.


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## shuman (Dec 12, 2004)

rojo said:


> I'm still amazed that anyone cares what we wore on campus in the 1980s, and would consider using it as a benchmark for anything. My recollection is that no two people on my campus, or even in my fraternity, dressed exactly alike. This was a small private liberal arts college in New England, named several times in the OPH.
> 
> Then again, maybe because I lived in the anthill, none of the ants looked alike to me. Viewed from the perspective of 20 or 25 years later, by someone from a different generation, perhaps all those 80s college guys dressed like each other.


I disagree. I graduated HS in '88, and during high school and college, this was very common among most guys, not just my peers. There are, of course, differences to be seen, but it was a widely held look, back in the day!


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## rojo (Apr 29, 2004)

shuman said:


> this was very common among most guys, not just my peers.


Sorry, I'm not following you. What do you mean by "this"? What was very common?


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## shuman (Dec 12, 2004)

rojo said:


> Sorry, I'm not following you. What do you mean by "this"? What was very common?


The look we are discussing. The common thread running through the posts, such as OCBD's and khakis or 501's, crewneck shetlands, etc. Although it was by no means common, it was much more widely accepted than today!


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## 3button Max (Feb 6, 2006)

*80s*

For those of us that were, in college, working in the 80's-some things seemed classic, others seemed like stupid fashion statements ---
trying to recreate the look has all of the trappings of a costume party-like kids in a highschool trying to do 1950;s day. -their only frame of reference being a DVD of Grease.
My dad grew up in the 30's and 40's and has no desire to wear a double breasted suit today.

there is some trad in the 80s look but if one is say limited to old magazines or the satirical preppy handbook one is seeing the pop or youth culture side.
I remember an ocbd flap pocket university brown stripe LL Bean shirt I wore 
in the 80s - you would think everyone wore yellow then.

not

one might have seen a 3 button sack actually made in 75 (w/too wide lapels-but fantastic flannel-try and buy it now!)
corduroy Levi straight leg and a button down w/ a thinner 1982 tie yet the wearer had 70;s hair-might seem like cognitive dissonance now-not every item of 70s garb dissapeared at the stroke of midnight 1980. and the middle aged trads hung on to well made Ivy League clothes even the 70';s versions. I had a cousins hand me down sack navy blazer w/ patch pocket probably from the late 60s(w/moderate lapel a well made no name) 
what I draw from this is that the real,trads hung on to quality clothing 1920 onward-
the kids who drive the whole fashion thing wore whatever was mass marketed-it just so happens that some early 80;s stuff miraculously was somewhat occasionally trad.

the 80s -really a mixed bag(although somedays I want my century back)

max


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## southernstunna (Mar 14, 2007)

I am proud to say that most people here at Ole Miss dress very similarly to the outfits described in the 1980s.

However, the thing that has changed the most is jackets. I've never seen anybody wear LL Bean or anything like that. I'd say like 80 percent of the jackets you see today on campus are made by The North Face. A new company called Mountain Hardware is coming up close behind though.

Boat shoes are still popular, but not as popular as the Cole Haan loafer.

Jeans are getting more and more popular, but I wouldn't be caught dead in them. Some people even wear the ripped Abercrombie style ones.

Pretty much all pants are pleated, and most have cuffs. Ralph Lauren is by far the most dominant brand. I'd say probably 75 percent of my clothing is Ralph Lauren.

Unfortunately, pretty much only people in fraternities dress as stated above. There's alot of GDIs who feel it is acceptable to wear American Eagle and Abercrombie.


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## AldenPyle (Oct 8, 2006)

*LA Trad*

I went to school in Southern California in the mid to late 1980s. Over the 4 years or so that I was there styles transited from preppy to grunge by way of the surfer look. Levis were the only acceptable jeans, at least through 1989, 501s preferred. Polo was the polo, OCBD and chino, of choice (not to mention the cologne in the green bottle). The big Air Jordan style basketball boot really came in and running shoes were strictly nerd wear. People liked flip flops and madras shorts and, above all, Rayban Wayfarers. There was a particular local affection for a rough woven Mexican style hooded pullover, definitely a surfer influence. By the time I was leaving ca. 1989, flannels and cords and black t-shirts were becoming more the thing, but I dont think that really took off until after Nirvana broke.

Also, Banana Republic was actually good then!


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## familyman (Sep 9, 2005)

southernstunna said:


> A new company called Mountain Hardware is coming up close behind though.


Not a new company at all. They've been making gear that's been popular among mountaineers and climbers for well over a decade. The first Mountain Hardware tent I slept in was just about exactly a decade ago. Single wall mountain tent. Great in the winter, very leaky in the rain. I haven't used it much. In college I was a rock climbing instructor and had a friend that owned the outdoor store in town. He would let us tag along to trade shows and take home the dealer catalogs and place personal orders (at significant discount) when he did the shop orders. Those were very good times.

Not that I re-read you comment I realize that you may mean that it's new that that the clothes are on campus not that the company is new. Hmmmm.......


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## Mark from Plano (Jan 29, 2007)

I started college in 1979, graduated in 1983 and still believe that Levi 501's are the only jeans worth wearing. However I no longer layer my Izod underneath my OCBD underneath my blue blazer...for any reason. I also generally only wear my Topsiders when I'm on the boat. I haven't worn the Polo Green cologne in years, but have started wearing the new Polo Double Black on occasion.


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## Khnelben (Feb 18, 2005)

*I once read ...*

somewhere that all Ivy leaguers wore Rolex (steel or steel/gold) - along with their Levis.

Were "Letterman" jackets popular ?

Andrey


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## HL Poling and Sons (Mar 24, 2006)

Khnelben said:


> somewhere that all Ivy leaguers wore Rolex (steel or steel/gold) - along with their Levis.


"all" Ivy Leaguers? Um...no. Preposterous.



Khnelben said:


> Were "Letterman" jackets popular ?


Again, no. Unless, perhaps, they were going to a "Happy Days" or "Animal House" party. Which happened all the time, of course.

What's with this interest in historical re-enactment??


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## rojo (Apr 29, 2004)

The guys really did dress very much alike when I was in prep school (late 1970s to early 1980s). It seemed like everyone had the same Levi's 501 jeans, weejuns, shetland sweaters, candy-striped and solid oxford shirts from Brooks Brothers, and navy flannel blazer from Brooks Brothers.

College was something else again. You never saw so many shades of khaki trousers, and the variety in design was spectacular: on-seam pockets, slanted pockets, and different sorts of belt loops, for example. Some guys wore cuffs and others didn't. There was also a tremendous variety in blue blazers. Blazer buttons, lapels, and shoulders were different from one jacket to the next. Shirts, too. We mostly wore oxford cloth in prep school. But some of the guys in college wore broadcloth button-downs, and in stripes and patterns you couldn't get at Brooks Brothers. There was variety in sweaters as well. Bulky shaker sweaters, shetland sweaters with horizontal stripes, handknit sweaters, and sweaters with and without saddle shoulders. College really opened my 18-year-old eyes to an amazing diversity of clothing styles, compared to prep school where we all shopped in the same Boys' and Brooksgate departments at the same downtown Brooks Brothers.

At prep school, it was very much the Brooks Brothers look. In college however, at least at my college, there was _not_ a single look.


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## arturostevens (Feb 6, 2007)

Twice a year my mom would send a box from LL Bean with 3 blue shirts button down, and 2 pairs of chinos, socks and sweaters. I had an account through my dad at Brooks and occasionally called a girl named Cameron there who would send me shirts. I did not abuse that privilege. 

I wore topsiders(which bore me now), including the white/yellow topsider laceups, weejuns, Nike running shoes, and cowboy boots. My BB "fun shirts" swiped out of my dad's closet were a hit. I wore 501's and chinos almost exclusively. Also had some Jack Purcells. I liked cardigans with T shirts as well. I did not like labels on the polos so I gave my alligator shirts to a label conscious roomate, and went for the LL Bean polos. I had one gray sack suit, one blue blazer, 2 pairs of gray flannels, one pair of cords, and a tweed sportscoat, and a cordoroy sport coat. My shetland crew sweaters had leather pathes on the elbows put on when they started to wear. My clothes were very nice, but I was always climbing trees or getting my clothes pulled off me in college so you could often find a pocket torn or some such thing. 

I guess I was a western prep look...layered the polos under an OC shirt, and with khakis (loose) would wear a sweater and carry a leather book pack that was also a hit. My hair was rarely combed and was a but shaggy but still neat. I also wore frequently a Levi jacket over OC shirt or sweater combo. I wore my San Francisco Giants hats and still do. I wore pilot sun glasses. 

Still me sans the topsiders and sans the torn shirts.


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## 3button Max (Feb 6, 2006)

*80's re enactment*

..........".What's with this interest in historical re-enactment??[/QUOTE]

you said it better than I could have.
there was no "one look" -in fact regional variaton in dress, may have been more prevalent then than now.
In some respects I dont want to re live that time.


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## shuman (Dec 12, 2004)

rojo said:


> At prep school, it was very much the Brooks Brothers look. In college however, at least at my college, there was _not_ a single look.


I agree, and could make the same destinction between my college and high school. My high school had mostly similarly dressed students, but it wasnt until college that I discovered the daily wearing of khakis, rather than jeans, and non-labeled clothing. Appropriateness of wearing certain things at certain times. In HS, jeans were worn for almost everything, khakis were considered dress pants. Today, many ask why i'm so dressed up when wearing khakis and an OCBD w/ sweater.

During college was when I first started to care about clothing, and to notice that what I was wearing was different than some other students. My fraternity encouraged collared shirts, and jeans could only be worn at certain times. It wasnt preppy or snobby, but out of respect for the organization we were dealing with, representing ourselves, and out of respect for the ladies, both your housemother or the ladies we would be accompanying.

University really opened my eyes to different lifestyles and ways of dressing.


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## shuman (Dec 12, 2004)

rojo said:


> At prep school, it was very much the Brooks Brothers look. In college however, at least at my college, there was _not_ a single look.


I agree, and could make the same destinction between my college and high school. My high school had mostly similarly dressed students, but it wasnt until college that I discovered the daily wearing of khakis, rather than jeans, and non-labeled clothing. Appropriateness of wearing certain things at certain times. In HS, jeans were worn for almost everything, khakis were considered dress pants. Today, many ask why i'm so dressed up when wearing khakis and an OCBD w/ sweater.

During college was when I first started to care about clothing, and to notice that what I was wearing was different than some other students. My fraternity encouraged collared shirts, and jeans could only be worn at certain times. It wasnt preppy or snobby, but out of respect for the organization we were dealing with, representing ourselves, and out of respect for the ladies, both your housemother or the ladies we would be accompanying.

University really opened my eyes to different lifestyles and ways of dressing. My clothing choices havent changed much, less logos and more quality choices, made to last. I was fortunate to grow up during the late 70's, and 80's when the prep/ trad look was popular. Good options, as many of us know, are becoming increasingly difficult to find.


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## rojo (Apr 29, 2004)

HL Poling and Sons said:


> "all" Ivy Leaguers? Um...no. Preposterous.


Agreed. Preposterous. Thousands of students at eight different universities in seven different states, _all_ wearing the same brand of watch? Think about that for a moment.


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## JakeSchroder (Mar 3, 2007)

BB/Bean OCBD
Khakis-flat and pleated
grosgrain belts
no socks
weejuns/topsiders/Stan Smiths
Shetland sweaters
Bean boots
Anoraks-mine was from The Gap! and was navy with a Kelly green placket
College sweatshirt
Levis-501's were the choice but you did not see jeans often
driving caps
Wayfarers
patch madras shorts, pants and shirts..though not at the same time!


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## Spencer (May 13, 2005)

*my 80's collegient attire*

Bean polo shirts

weejuns, sperry topsiders ( no other boat shoe will do - still wear them only)

bean boots , puma super vilas

white and blue buttoned downs

Bean baxter State parka's

levi 501s, duck head chinos -tan, navy, olive, bright green

my personal touch -rugby shorts

also having your boxers hang below your shorts (Not me)


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## Angrik (Dec 7, 2006)

*My outerwear from the early to mid 1980s included:*


Gerry down jacket;
L.L. Bean down vest;
Lands End Squall Jacket;
Champion reverse weave hooded sweatshirt;
Levi's denim jacket;
J.C. Penney cape shoulder jacket (don't recall what it was called in the 80s);
Grey herringbone wool overcoat, mid-calf length;
Navy wool overcoat, mid-calf length;
Navy blazer; and
Brown tweed sport coat
In the mid-80s, the wool overcoat (especially secondhand) had become so popular on campus that some students wore it through the month of April. 

In the early 1980s, L.L. Bean sold a lightweight hooded parka that had multiple pockets and a zipper. I believe Jason Alexander's character, "George Costanza," wore something similar to it during the early years of Seinfeld. Does anyone remember the name of the coat?

In the late 1980s, Nautlius has a popular green-colored winter jacket. Does anyone recall the name of that coat?


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## Bradford (Dec 10, 2004)

The look at Hillsdale College in Michigan from 1985-89 included much of what has already been mentioned.

Shirts - OCBD, polos & RL Plaid button downs. Also, a lot of guys had those crazy OCBD that had like 4 or 5 different patterns put together like patchwork. I think those were either BB or Polo.

Pants - Levi's 501's were the standard jean, but Girbaud's were worn by those who were a little more fashion forward - this was also the era of stonewashing! Chinos were very popular and the real preps and kids from Grosse Pointe or Bloomfield Hills wore RL or Duckheads while the rest of us went to The Gap (which was very preppy back in the day). Some people wore cords with embroidered ducks or tennis racquets and we all wore gray flannels to dress up with a tie and blue blazer.

Shoes - Nike and Reebok tennis shoes were pretty popular. LL Bean blucher mocs were popular with guys and girls and some wore camp mocs instead. When it snowed, everyone broke out their Maine Hunting Boots (girls wore the short versions and the guys all tucked their jeans into the 8" ones). As for dress shoes, I don't think anyone ever went more formal than penny or tassel loafers.

Jackets - The one thing I haven't seen in this thread is a discussion of the prevalence of leather bomber jackets. They were very popular at my school. In fact the standard winter uniform for guys was jeans or khakis, Bean boots, OCBD, wool crew neck sweater or heavy sweatshirt, baseball cap (with greek letters), Ray-Ban aviators and leather bomber jacket.


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## Literide (Nov 11, 2004)

Puffdaddy said:


> What was that ski jacket (usually red) that everybody used to have? Used to have the tag at the back of the neck?
> 
> The name escapes me.
> 
> Love the list, egadfly, but please don't forget the Vuarnet cat's-eye sunglasses!


CB was the brand of those jackets, which I think is Cutter & Buck who usually make golf clothes for Pro shops these days.


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