Wearing a Harvard jacket to school: acceptable or pretentious?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Hey everyone!
I haven't committed yet, but I've seen a few of my friends wearing jackets from their schools (Duke, Yale, Columbia) to school.
Just curious - are YOU wearing the big H sweatshirt to school? Do you think it's too soon? Should it be done at all? Show-offy or normal?
:P</p>

2

<p>It’s fine. Anyone that thinks its snobby is just jealous. Show your pride.</p>

3

<p>It’s acceptable. It IS going to (probably) be your school after all, if not some other school that is just as, or almost just as, amazing. How is it not pretentious from anyone from any OTHER school to wear their sweatshirt, but just because yours is THE Harvard, it’s now unacceptable for you?</p>

4

<p>There were two guys (and there is still one) at my school who were double legacy, as in, they were siblings and their parents went to Harvard. Both frequently wore Harvard shirts. One was completely stuck up and everyone recognized that. The other one is totally down to earth and very cool; everyone recognized that.
No one judged them because they wore Harvard gear, but I’m betting that the older brother’s Harvard gear contributed to his reputation after he was identified as being rather snobbish.
In short, if you’re already thought of as pretentious, Harvard clothing won’t exactly help you change that. If everyone already likes you or is apathetic about you, no one will care.</p>

5

<p>I will be wearing one as soon as I buy one! haha… so I think it’s fine, especially given that it’s been a few weeks (won’t be rubbing it in for classmates who were rejected/waitlisted). Although I would suggest waiting until you commit to wear it (people will assume you’re going there…).</p>

<p>I think it’s only fair for you to get to wear your school gear; just because “it’s Harvard” doesn’t really make it any different.</p>

6

<p>Well, I personally do not own any article of clothing that bears Harvard’s name but I believe that wearing one would be perfectly suitable. In fact, many of the seniors from my school who applied there continue to wear Harvard apparel, although they were not admitted.</p>

7

<p>what’s pretentious is wearing Harvard apparel after getting into Harvard but committing somewhere else. in that case, the clothing just serves to say, “I’m not going to Harvard, but I DID get in.”</p>

8

<p>I have a shirt that reads: Hahvahd. I like to think that this helps diffuse the possible pretentiousness by being slightly self-deprecating about it ;)</p>

<p>Obviously, it could also have the completely opposite effect. Whaddyall think?</p>

9

<p>

</p>

<p>I don’t think so. If one has had a memorable weekend at the school or did Harvard summer school or something, one quite likely bought some clothing and shouldn’t purposefully avoid wearing it.</p>

10

<p>personally, I wouldn’t wear a Harvard jacket to school (especially if you’re at a school where everyone is going to dud colleges), but do as you wish</p>

11

<p>I agree. I wouldn’t either. It’s a little weird just because it’s Harvard. I mean, you should be extremely proud of it but do you really want the whole school to know? It’s a little pretentious to declare it to the whole school.</p>

<p>Do what you want though. You got into Harvard!</p>

12

<p>Get something nice like a zip-up that only has a little H on the chest. That way its not in your face but its still proud.</p>

13

<p>I like MSauce’s suggestion. That looks pretty good in my mind.</p>

14

<p>Not pretentious at all. Take pride in your future school.</p>

<p>What’s pretentious is when someone wears a Harvard sweatshirt without having been admitted.</p>

15

<p>Adjective: pretentious</p>

<ol>
<li>Making claim to or creating an appearance of (often undeserved) importance or distinction</li>
</ol>

<p>So if you associate Harvard with importance or distinction, then creating an appearance of Harvard might have pretension logically follow. But then again the dictionary definition isn’t exactly what we’re talking about here</p>

16

<p>What’s asinine is wearing a Harvard sweatshirt as a student enrolled at another college. ;)</p>

17

<p>^^Is it asinine for a student headed for Harvard to wear the sweatshirt of another college? Because it was comfortsble, my daughter commonly wore her Berkeley sweatshirt even though she was headed for Harvard. Nobody seemed to mind.</p>

18

<p>There’s an unspoken rule that Harvard College students do not wear Harvard insignia clothing unless they are actually on a Harvard varsity team and their uniform displays such insignia. Even after graduating, Harvard College alumni do not wear the insignia clothing and do not display the insignia on their cars. You do see some current students and some alumni who break the rule, but it’s Just. Not. Done.</p>

19

<p>“There’s an unspoken rule that Harvard College students do not wear Harvard insignia clothing”</p>

<p>Where is this rule put into effect? Certainly not on the Harvard campus – you see the logo frequently.</p>

20

<p>If they have this “unpoken rule” they better speak up a little louder, because the word is not getting out and non-team Harvard students are wearing Harvard gear both on and off campus.</p>

<p>Here is a random campus scene. Note what the coed on the left is wearing as she and her friends speak to Larry Summers:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2003/09.18/photos/23-bbq4-450.jpg[/url]”>http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2003/09.18/photos/23-bbq4-450.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;