Often, Save vs. Splurge features clothes many people aren’t typically wearing. This week’s edition features articles of clothing that are already staples in the State College wardrobe for both the guys and the girls.
For the Girls
In case you were unaware, there is a uniform for Penn State girls: UGG boots, a hoodie and tights.
While some stray from this, there still seems to be an unspoken mandate on black leggings. One great way to stick out in this look is to simply change the color.
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For those looking to make a subtle break from tradition, the RSAT304CH Baby Thermal Plaid Leggings by American Apparel ($38 on AmericanApparel.com) do just that.
Though they provide the same comfort of leggings, they aren’t that same complacent black.
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Where the American Apparel leggings made a gentle diversion from the path of typical leggings, the Pleated Side Seam Leggings by Kill City ($43 on KillCity.net) make a sharp break. Available in silver, purple and black, they make a clean getaway from the boring leggings standard but still work with most outfits.
For the Guys
Where girls’ leggings are uniform, guys’ hooded sweatshirts are gospel. A stroll across campus on almost any day of the school year would bring one face-to-face with droves of hoodies, yet hardly one of them memorable. But escaping the apathy of a boring hooded sweatshirt might not be the fool’s errand some might think.
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In what looks like the lovechild of a cardigan and a hoodie, the Elbow Patch Cardigan by Heritage 1981 ($34.90 on Forever21.com/heritage1981) creates a look that is distinct without being over-the-top.
The standard pullover style is abandoned for a more refined six-button placket. Topped off with epaulets, the sweater stands in a stark contrast with its pouched predecessor
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The Standard Assymetrical Pullover Hood by Urban Outfitters ($58 on UrbanOutfitters.com) was meant to look this way.
Taking a different view on hooded sweatshirts, this piece quite literally takes a different spin on an old tradition. In a rather bold move, the zipper — which stops at the pouch — has moved to the side, radically reshaping the idea of a zip-up hoodies. The toggles on the hood also do away with the ratty — and often chewed-on — pull-string.
