Hilltopics
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
February 12, 1997 12A
Short skirts and tight tops are all the rage in Lawrence. But, as college students in other parts of the country have realized,
It's all a fad
Story by Kevin Bates ● Photos by Joey Bloom
tudents are a mixed bunch,
and their taste in everything
from jeans to dress shirts
ranges across the board.
That goes for students around the country as well as those at the University of Kansas. Trendsetters in New York City, Cambridge, Mass., New Orleans, South Bend, Ind., Chapel Hill, N.C., and Los Angeles have their own pencils for style, which they believe set them apart from the rest of the country.
Jeff Owen, manager of The Buckle, 805 Massachusetts St., said that he saw quite a few KU students wearing styles he called the retro look.
"They're wearing lots of wide-bottom jeans and tight-fitting, shorter shirts," Owen said. "The velvet paned shirts and bright neon colors — oranges and greens — are popular now."
Trends and styles that are popular in Lawrence also have become popular in other college towns. Or maybe it's the other way around. Whatever the order, students at universities reflect, to a large extent, their crosscountry contemporaries.
Bright primary colors also sell well for Amy Pike, manager of Avalon, 716 Massachusetts St. What Owen calls retro, Pike calls the East Coast style.
"It's all fat pants and skinny skirts," Pike said. "We also sell a lot of vinyl pants and short skirts and go-go boots. But we have lots of bright colors, like cobalt blue and true red and orange."
"Everything got smaller, like short-cropped shirts and short skirts," said Lisa Horvath, manager of Spiece, a clothing store near Notre Dame University.
Julie Raymond, manager of Uniquities, a clothing store near the University of North Carolina, said that bright colors were popular in Chapel Hill as well.
The retro look can be found almost everywhere, said Sara Kavelin, manager of Politics, a Los Angeles clothing store.
"Citrus colors like lemon, lime and orange, are new for this coming season," Raymond said. "Tight clothes are also in right now, like baby tees, camisoles and tank tops. Tight, used Levis are popular, too. Girls want to show their butt."
Ceridywne Lake, cashier at Rampage, another clothing store in Los Angeles, said she wholeheartedly agreed that retro was en vogue.
"The 70s are back." Lake said. "Sheer tank tops with spaghetti straps are big. So are poly-knit disco tops and tight, stretchy lycra pants."
Although disco seems to have made a comeback, John Travolta hasn't influenced the whole country's attire. Jeans, T-shirts and sneakers are still staples for many college students, and conservative styles can be found everywhere.
Ed Davelson, an executive of Pennsylvania Co., a clothing company with stores near Cape Cod, Mass., Boston University and Harvard, said that clothing was becoming more clean-looking.
"Layering is popular now," Ravelson said. "Men are wearing sweaters over T-shirts and are wearing relaxed-fit jeans. Tighter-fitted knit shirts are also becoming popular. Wovens are going away."
Jeremy Maichuk, Nutley, N.J., senior, said that KU students tried to be a little more stylish than some of the students in the New York area.
"They're not as prepy as KU, but that's not necessarily a bad thing." Maikuch said. "I bought a sweater when I came home for break. It’s a little different style — white with
a blue-specked undertone — and I got a couple looks for it. The styles are just a little different."
Sometimes clothing in other parts of the countrysimply reflect the climate.
"Since we usually have hotter weather down here, lots of people just go for short sleeves a lot," said Brian Truitt, who works at Gap Inc. in New Orleans. "We also have a lot of tight, body-revealing clothes."
Wide legged jeans and tight fitting shirts are part of the fashion ensemble dis played at the Avalon clothing store, 71.6 Massachusetts St.
But Minnesota's cold weather forces students to bundle up more than those in Kansas, said Bobby Briese, Hastings, Minn., freshman.
"There are a lot more heavy-duty flamels up north," Briese said. "A lot more jeans as opposed to khakis and corduroys."
KU students from cities across the country see differences between styles at home and styles in Lawrence. But they also admit that the differences, on the whole, aren't all that grand.
"When I came to KU after graduation, I saw people dressed like what I saw at graduation three months ago," Katz said. "The new stores
Kim Katz, Chicago senior, said that clothing worn by students in Chicago was basically identical to that of KU students. The major difference, she said, was that trends blow into the windy city sooner than Lawrence
"Tight clothes are in right now, like baby tees, camisoles and tank tops. Tight, used Levis are popular, too. Girls want to show "
their butt."
Julie Raymond manager of Uniquities in North Carolina
in Lawrence, like Avalon and Xero Point,
were also in Chicago a long time ago."
Stephanie Strycker, Glens Falls, N.Y., sophomore, agreed.
"Everything was pretty much the same here, but just maybe a semester later," Strycker said. "Clothes that had been popular when I graduated in 1985 were just becoming popular here when I got to school."
Christy Koerth, Overland Park senior, and Myka Small, Lawrence freshman enjoy the laid back working atmosphere at Creation Station, 726 Massachusetts St. Creation Station is one of many stores that cater to the eccentric styles of Lawrence residents.
We can find all kinds of clothes and accessories at Creation Station. The store is stocked with everything from hemp necklaces and tapestries to velvet skirts and tie-dyes.
BUTTERY CHUNKS MUSIC REVIEW
Widespread Panic: Bombs and Butterflies (Capricorn)
The fifth album from the Athens, Ga. based-band has a distinctive mix of rock, folk and blues . Although their sound is instantly recognizable, *Bombs and Butterflies* uses the same tired formula they have used since their debut album, *Widespread Panic*. One too many Horse tours seems to
have left the band little room for growth. Fans looking for something new may be disappointed by the lack of ingenuity. However, fans that follow the band in hopes of perfecting the doggie-paddle dance, will no doubt love the new CD.
Veruca Salt: Eight Arms To Hold You (Outpost)
The follow-up to American Thighs, gets its name from the original working title to the Beatles' Help soundtrack. And, as everyone knows, the Beatles and Veruca Salt are almost always mentioned in the same breath. The new album has a metal edge, due in part to its producer, Bob Rock. Rock is well known for his work with groups like Metallica. For this album, Veruca Salt underwent the mandatory change of drummers with their new percussionist Stacy Jones, originally from Letters To Cleo. With
Stray Cats: Runaway Boys; Retrospective '81-'92 (EMI)
this new lineup of musicians, it's amazing that the album is even bearable. The first few tracks are painful to listen to, and most of the songs are just revamped versions of Seether. Unfortunately for Veruca Salt, this new album will not garner any new fans. Walk, don't run, to buy this one.
Get out the pomade, white T-shirts and leather jackets, the boys are back. This album puts together some of the best songs ever recorded by the Stray Cats. If the notion of a greatest hits album makes you think that it contains only three good songs, you're wrong. This retrospective skillfully combines well-known songs such as Rock This Town and Stray Cat Strut, with others that will make you want shake your rockabilly bootie. Selections like 18 Miles from Memphis and I Won't Stand in Your Way stay true to the Cat's style. The 25 songs on the retrospective sound as if three kids went digging through some old punk records and instead found Carl Perkins.
Silverchair: Freak Show(Epic)
This group is a boil on the butt of rock and roll. When their first album Frogstomp came out, they were hailed as the next Nirvana/Pearl Jam/ Stone Temple Pilots. But they were actually pre-published Aussie's imitating those bands. Now they've gone too far. Freak Show is a monotonous replica of the mediocre material from their first album. Yeah, yeah, the kid has a good voice, but the last thing the music world needs is another copy-cat band — especially a band that isn't old enough to drink.
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The guy who made teenage girls swoon in the 1950s with his "lyrically lightweight" versions of songs such as Tutti Frutti, is attempting a comeback with metal tunes. Boone covers classic freedom-rock jams such as Smoke on the Water and Stairway to Heaven. This album is entertaining in a Las Vegas, big side burn, Elvis kind of way. Besides, it shows that Boone can poke fun at himself, which he does well. And don't be surprised if you hear Ozzy Ozbourne's Crazy Train performed at a Holiday Inn near you. Enjoy the buffet.
—Ashlee Roll
Pat Boone: In a Metal Mood; No More Mr. Nice
Guy (Hipo Records)
CDs were provided courtesy of Seventh Heaven.