<p>She showed up and she was wearing a gorgeous coat that happened to be Burberry, and carried a Louis Vuitton purse. This meant, what, exactly, about her?</p>
<p>Louis Vuitton purses are so ugly, the only reason to carry one is as a status symbol. Dooney & Bourke? Now, those are purdy.</p>
<p>I’m having trouble figuring out how you KNOW a school is going to have the supposed “you have to have an expensive bag or you won’t fit in” vibe. I believe I’ve been on many of the alleged snootier campuses in the US, including UPenn, where even my son laughed about all the Lily and other designer labels. However, it’s a big campus, and I saw plenty of sweats and pajama pants. Except for the tiniest place, I can’t imagine a huge core of Coach/Vuitton carriers such that someone else would be uncomfortable. I think Vanderbilt and the other SEC schools have a contingent of pretty well off students who might be likely to have some high end possessions, but the places are big enough that you truly see everything. I spend a LOT of time around Vanderbilt, and I just don’t think you can pigeonhole a place based on a few handbags. </p>
<p>I think it’s more a case of individual insecurites, although I certainly respect the right of anyone to choose or not choose a school for any reason- whether it be the food choices or the quality of the football team!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I don’t think we are allowed to say “hoochie” any longer. Unless we are reclaiming it:</p>
<p><a href=“http://hoochiewoman.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/[/url]”>http://hoochiewoman.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/</a></p>
<p>Haystack - High fashion consciousness does not equal “hoochie mama.” What an odd comment.</p>
<p>I think you’re confusing the cougar/■■■■/Real Housewives of X look with being fashionable, when that look isn’t remotedly fashionable.</p>
<p>fash·ion·a·ble *(fsh-n-bl)
adj.
<p>Sty·lish [stahy-lish]
fashionably elegant; smart or chic.</p>
<p>One can be fashionable but not stylish. One can have fashion consciousness and not be stylish. These are the women I was talking about.</p>
<p>One can be stylish(elegant) but not fashionable. I suspect that PG falls in this camp. Very nice.</p>
<p>I know exactly what the terms mean.</p>
<p>Haystack, this whole thread is rather scary (see what you started?) My youngest is looking at top LAC’s as well as small universities, and whenever she mentions somewhere she is looking, she gets the “my child thought they were too snooty there” comments. I just read the awful professors at research U thread, and it reinforces my opinion that she may like an LAC for the smaller classes, availability of professors, and breadth of education. We are middle class in a rather affluent public school district, so she knows not all rich kids are to be avoided.</p>
<p>My oldest D is a senior at GWU and found lots of kids she likes to hang out with, despite my habit of shopping at Kohl’s and total lack of interest in fashion!</p>
<p>I never would have guessed that a statement about LAC’s would lead to class warfare and fashion discussions. The class warfare part I can live without, the fashion part I rather like. I am a bit of a clothes horse, unusual for a man.</p>
<p>haystack, i think the kids should tour both type of colleges and see what kind of ‘fit’ they like best. i had many friends who went to big large universities and loved them… i would go to visit and feel completely overwhelmed. My LAC had about 4300 people or so and was perfect in size. Most I ever had in a class was probably about 25 but I had several classes with less then 10. by the time I graduated, I knew all of the prof’s in my department very well. One of them even got me a job during my senior year… another pulled me aside after class the one day to make sure I wasn’t over exerting myself in my studies/job. I thought it was nice that he paid attention but I was fine. I made so many friends from classes… especially where we had group projects and had to work as a team. I can’t even begin to imagine large universities having the same kind of group and course work that I did at my school - though i could be wrong as i didn’t attend. I only know what i heard through friends.</p>
<p>back then, my tuiton was about 12,500 a year I believe when I started 11 yrs ago not counting room and board. Currently it’s about 16,500.</p>
<p>Ultimately it will be my son’s choice. But I am really struggling with this as he looks to me for advice.</p>
<p>Part of me says research universities are the way to go. But some little creature on my shoulder, perhaps the LAC devil, keeps telling me…what kind of fool wouldn’t want smaller classes and a community feel.</p>
<p>ALH: kudos on finding that article.</p>
<p>^^Did you like Lurie or Yaeger?</p>
<p>I’ve been reading Lurie for more than 25 years but only discovered Yaeger more recently. She ALWAYS is pictured with a very large status bag. The rest of her look, however = 
…</p>
<p>Fashion is what you adopt when you don’t know who you are.
Quentin Crisp</p>
<p>Only great minds can afford a simple style.
Stendhal</p>
<p>Alh,</p>
<p>Love the quotes.</p>
<p>just one more - promise!:)</p>
<p>Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.
Mark Twain</p>
<p>I’m not sure how being aware of the messages that our clothes and accessories send has anything to do with class warfare. It is argumentative to claim that we are not aware of the messages others may read in our choices of clothing/accessories. Regardless of what our intentions are, our choices make statements. </p>
<p>A few people keep trying to point out the difference between seeing an occasional person wearing/carrying X, and many, many people wearing/carrying X. </p>
<p>As an example from opposite ends of the clothing spectrum: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>I’m walking down the street next to, say, Johns Hopkins, (which has some sketchy areas around it), and I see a group of 15 young men and women dressed in what most of us would identify as gang wear walking towards me.</p></li>
<li><p>I’m walking down the very same street and see the same group of young men and women wearing business clothes, or in clothes most of us would identify as medical residents wear walking towards me.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Am I going to have a very different gut reaction? Of course I am. We all would. I probably wouldn’t have the same gut reaction if I saw ONE person dressed in gang wear, or business attire, or scrubs (or white coats or whatever), but a GROUP of people dressed in a similar manner sends a message about intent and culture.</p>
<p>haystack, maybe it would help if he gathered information on the department he was looking to be in. what sold me on my school was my department… the coursework they did was just so different from all of the other schools I was looking into and I thought it would best prepare me for my future career.</p>
<p>Example being… I was 20 and just started my junior year… I was given a homework assignment of touring 2 local companies. Then I find out that this was because I was about to be assigned a company (in teams) that was partnered with the college. You’d be shadowing them, observing, researching, then doing a swot analysis on the company. First you did the presentation in front of your class, which as video taped, then you had a meeting with someone who worked in public speaking where you watched your video, picked up tips, could see where you were missing and correct it. Then you have to give your presentation again to the executives of the company you just were studying all semester. Imagine being 20 and telling a company like harley davidson what they should be doing more/better/differently with their company. The companies loved us… it was like getting a free group of analysts with a fresh set of eyes and it was a great way to get your name out there. I know quite a few students who went on to work for the companies they did that project on.</p>
<p>One issue I always heard (again, I don’t know how much truth there is to this as i didn’t attend) was that at research universities many professors are there to research - not teach. Sure they might be great at theoretical application and research but may be horrible teachers. Or when they have a student TA the class for them - I wouldn’t pay a dime to have a non professor try to teach me something.</p>
<p>I’ve worked in fashion retail for 40 years and I could write a book (maybe I will) about what compels otherwise sensible people to think they’ll look good in red pants, but for now I will claim the CC prerogative and go back to the OP’s topic.</p>
<p>I think there’s a fair amount of squeaky-wheelism at large universities. If you’re the kind of kid who can – or will – negotiate the bureaucracy, demand the classes, pursue the professors, compete for internships then you’ll thrive. If you’re less confident or assertive, or just less experienced in navigating obstacles, then LACs will offer a more accessible field. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t call this hand holding or baby sitting. Students are treated like adults and depending on the LAC, the academics can be intense. It’s more of an accessibility of scale, manageable and understandable. The students can’t hide from their professors and the professors can’t hide from the students. Relationships are inevitable. And it’s relationships that enrich the experience, both during the college years and long afterward.</p>
<p>There is no question that LACs have more focused and singular personalities than big universities and one flavor doesn’t fit all. Kids pick up very quickly on the personality signals that the campus gives off, so if you want small you have to do some research – including trial and error visits – to identify the one that fits best.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Obviously, he’s never heard of Playboy or realized that they are overwhelmingly drawn to political careers. Mark Sanford, Newt Gingrich, Bill Clinton, Anthony Weiner…and the list goes on and on. :D</p>
<p>momrath:</p>
<p>I have red and orange pants. They are very stylish but not currently in fashion.</p>
<p>As I’ve been one of the posters to this thread who has reacted negatively to the bag and BMW comment that launched a hundred retorts (estimating here!) I want to say more about what I objected to in the original comment from higgins2013:
</p>
<p>I strongly object to these implied equations:
Expensive accoutrements = smart but competitive
Absence of trappings of social status and wealth = healthy, focused and engaged</p>
<p>Say what? These juxtapositions suggest not only that there is a difference in style between students at the two types of school, but also imply a value judgment about the character of the young people at the Midwest LACs versus Northwestern. Now, maybe higgins2013 has spent lots of time at Northwestern and has come to this conclusion based on something other than a few hours spent on the campus during a tour with his or her D. If he or she drew this conclusion based on nothing more than a short visit, however, his or her comment is presumptuous in the extreme. I won’t argue that there are interesting things to be learned by assessing the prevailing culture of a campus—or that one shouldn’t attempt to make the assessment as part of one’s college search. And I want to thank alh for the interesting articles! But even if one were to agree that it’s possible to tell something about someone’s social aspirations from what they wear or drive, it is still a rather nuanced and complicated proposition that doesn’t come down to “sister’s hand-me-downs good, Saks bad!” Regardless, it is incredible to me that anyone would assert, based on handbags or whatever other superficial factor on display, that it’s possible to tell something about the intellectual character of one person or a group of people.</p>
<p>
I would agree with that. I think many urban LACs also offer enough that few students get bored (e.g. Occidental, Trinity, Rhodes, etc.).</p>