Dressed to impress Dressed to impress (September 02, 2005)

MVHS students plan their first-day-of-school outfits with great care

By Katie Vaughn and Jenny Baer

Wardrobe standards of jeans and flip flops made a strong appearance on the first day of school, but tank tops, polo shirts, flowing skirts and cargo shorts were also popular choices. Whether students sported trends straight from fashion magazines or donned the "I-just-threw-this-on" style, nearly all thoughtfully pieced their outfits together in advance.

Of course, for school administrators, first-day self-expression ranked lower in importance than adherence to the school's dress code, created last year as "guidelines to help maintain a safe, orderly learning environment, free from distractions." Prohibited items include shirts that expose the chest, back or midriff, short skirts and items that allow underwear to show. Other fashion don'ts, according to the dress code, are clothes with images or words considered vulgar or derogatory, or that advertise drugs or pertain to gangs. Fortunately, said Vice Principal Matt Neely, students stuck to the rules Aug. 24.

"Upon arrival, it was a stunning success," Neely said. "I didn't see any gang apparel or any over-the-top violations."

Neely said one look that could potentially land fashion-forward students in detention involves the currently popular, lingerie-inspired satiny and lacy camisoles. Two juniors hoping that style trumps strictness when it comes to this rule are Hayley Malcolm and Nicole Rains, who stood in the school's grassy Main Quad looking nearly identical in pink lace-trimmed tank tops, jeans, silver necklaces and bright white sneakers. They said most students don't pay much attention to the dress code.

"If we did, we wouldn't be wearing this," Rains said.

Many girls on their lunch break said they spent a good deal of time -- even weeks -- shopping for and choosing the perfect back-to-school outfit. Freshman Julie Jimenez said finding the clothes to make the right first impression was not a quick task.

"It took forever!" Jimenez said of choosing the jeans, white flip flops and layers of blue and white tops she wore as her premiere high school outfit.

Her friends, freshmen Omar Khidil and Christian Garcia, said guys don't take as much time planning their first-day look. They said they spent mere minutes choosing their sneakers, loose-fitting jeans and athletic-style shirts. Similarly laid-back in their approach, freshmen Alfonso Gonzalez and Tony Guzman said they simply threw on what they had lying around that morning, a mix of old and newly bought graphic T-shirts, baggy jeans and sneakers.

"I just woke up, got whatever clothes, Guzman said.

"I just grabbed anything I had that was clean," Gonzalez added. "That's all I do."

But many of the boys sporting casual looks admitted they really were not so nonchalant in their planning. Clad in black pants and a worn Metallica T-shirt, freshman Robert Adams said he planned his outfit about a week in advance.

"I like black a lot, and this shirt is my favorite shirt," he said, adding that what you wear on the first day is "pretty important. You make an impression on your friends."

While many underclassmen dressed to impress, "older students stop caring as much," said senior Gabi Kuftinec. "They have more self-confidence."

Neely has also noticed that some students can simultaneously dress pretty and perfunctory.

"At this school, there's sort of a dress-down chic," the hip principal knowingly explained.

This sentiment was exemplified by the seniors around campus, most of whom wore class shirts. Seniors had purchased their personalized yellow-and-blue T-shirts, with a design mocking the Chiquita banana label, over the summer in order to express their school spirit and desire for a "senior victory" at the first-day rally. (To their great chagrin, the juniors won.)

However, not every senior opted for the yellow T-shirt. Jordan Haedtler, for one, wore a blue American Eagle polo shirt and shorts, adding that he "looks pretty damn good" in it.

"I decided not to, because I didn't want to conform," Haedtler said.

Other groups who wished to wear their spirit on their sleeves for the rally were the red-clad juniors, blue sophomores and green freshman. Junior Rebecca Wallace, who bought a red-less new outfit for the first day, even wished in retrospect that she had sported more of her class color.

Students and teachers alike recognized the importance of making an impact on their peers. Junior Sabrina Lawrence-Gomez, who bought new jeans and made her own "junior" top from a Target T-shirt and puffy paints, explained.

"First of all, you want to look cute," she said. "And you want to look professional to make a good impression on the teachers."

Another student chose his first-day garb with the hopes of teacher recognition.

"I wanted [a shirt] that teachers would remember me by, so it's green. Green stands out," said freshman Stefan Peterson.

Many teachers donned their denim MVHS staff shirts, which were given to them for the first day, but others chose to dress in a more urbane fashion. For example, English teacher Steve Kahl came to school clad in a deep purple shirt and tie. Citing a piece of research he read over the summer, he remarked that "teachers who dress up are much more likely to relate to their students than teachers who don't. Some parents associate dressing nicely with responsibility and good teaching."

While nearly half of the student body represented current trends in fashion, others focused on self-expression.

"You have to make an impression that reflects your personality, so people know what to expect," said sophomore Lizzie Bernard, who wore a black coat with a short black skirt and chunky black Mary Janes over white fishnet stockings.

Sophomore Miki Maneru expressed herself while also stretching the limits of the school dress code by wearing her favorite belt, with a buckle that reads, in block letters, "SEX."

One student whose outfit was pretty far left of center was junior John Neumeister, who was seen throughout the halls in full camouflage and Army boots.

"I was about to wear my guerilla mask, but my mom said no," he said.
E-mail Jenny Baer at jbaer@mv-voice.com and Katie Vaughn at kvaughn@mv-voice.com

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