Off Leash

View Original

UW Fashion: Strap In 4 Spring, or Strap Off?

There are many signs around campus that spring hath indeed sprung. Students pretending to read on the quad, couples taking their wedding photos directly in your path to class at 9 in the morning, and weird amounts of middle schoolers roaming around in the Hub. But perhaps most notable and exciting are the increasingly warm-weather-oriented fashion choices that are spreading throughout the student body.

Of the many garments reemerging from mausoleum-like closets, the overall is amongst the most illustrious. As they do every spring, overalls have begun to spread quicker than syphilis at a high school theater party. It seems everybody is eager to embody the spirit of Seattle’s historic fishermen, loggers, and the cool lesbian in your English class.

While there are many ways of wearing your favorite pair of dungarees, one innovation has taken the cake as the embodiment of the sunny season. The One Strap Overall. The One Strap Overall, or OSO, has taken this generation by storm. Unlike its frigid brother, Overall Over Sweater, or its freaky cousin, Shirtless Overall, the OSO is the perfect combination of casual and classy for a spring day. 

The OSO allows other pieces of your ensemble to bask in its peripheral magnificence, rather than being the outfit’s sole focus. The Keith Haring t-shirt peeking out of its stonewashed cocoon lets everyone know that you are one of those Cool Youths. You can now confidently kick young children away as you stroll past Drumheller. This campus is your turf.

Next time you’re feeling down or self conscious, undo one of those denim straps and fling it over your shoulder with some panache. Before you know it you’ll have a little swagger in your step and the sun will begin to break through the clouds. All those damn tourists will fade away and you’ll only see attractive peers who have also chosen to rock the OSO.