Sports editor Rohan Nadkarni: My old friend Chelsea asked for a chance to redeem herself after receiving a style smackdown Fall Quarter. As someone who exclusively shops at Old Navy or Amazon.com, I’m more than qualified for this showdown. Send me the topics!
Current editor Chelsea Peng: Nothing’s better than a little friendly competition, especially when there’s no competition at all. Rohan’s stepped up his style game, but it’ll be a while before he’s ready for the big leagues. Looks like a second fashion face-off for the win column. Slam dunk.
Cutout dresses
Rohan Nadkarni: Dresses with cutouts kind of creep me out. I’m pretty sure my high school ex wore a prom dress with some weird cutout on the back, and, I’m not saying the two are related, but now all my friends hate her.
Also, how many different types of boob do girls need to show? We have sideboob, underboob, overboob — too many to keep track of, really. Honestly, it’s not attractive. Call me conservative, but just a cute little sundress in the spring after months of layers and coats is more than fashionable and welcoming in a friendly way.
Chelsea Peng: I’m not talking about the rhinestone-encrusted love handle frames most of us had to deal with at school dances. These cutouts are subtle and strategic, and hardly spotlight your problem areas. A lower-back keyhole or a narrow, clavicle- or rib-baring slit are both unexpectedly steamy — what’s not to like about that?
Dresses over pants
CP: If Lagerfeld’s been doing it for years, you know it has to be right. For Chanel fall 2013, the Kaiser offered trousers of the hyper-skinny, are-you-sure-those-aren’t-another-layer-of-skin variety, elevating the middle school tunic-and-leggings standby to stratospheric stylishness. It’s an original silhouette that’s not much more work than pulling on tights.
For extra credit, try cuissardes, the new thigh-high boot/trouser hybrid.
RN: Dresses should be able to flow. You want to show a little leg, but not too much so there’s still some mystery. Like maybe you’re hiding a knife in there and you’ve been hired to kill me. Unless you’re Anne Hathaway. Anne, you should always wear something under your dress. That mystery was solved pretty quickly at the Les Mis premiere.
If you’re wearing a really short dress, a better option might be to buy longer dresses. Dresses over pants can look awkward, and if they don’t match perfectly, you’re in for an even bigger mess. With spring coming up, the warm weather should open up your fashion choices. Dresses over pants should be something you leave behind.
Colored fur
RN: I am beyond feeling bad for the animals who were used in the creation of such fur. I feel bad for the living animals that see humans wearing colored fur and wonder how we became the dominant race.
And if you’re going to get fur, an expensive endeavor, why would you ruin an article of clothing by dyeing it crush-party-puke yellow? Fur enthusiasts should stick to a classier, traditional fur. Or they should ditch the whole fur thing altogether and go with some old-fashioned sweaters and scarves for a distinguished, actually-caring-about-the-environment-and-animal-rights look.
CP: Nothing can make you look like a Muppet faster than colored fur, but nothing else can make you look more like a discotheque-frequenting creature of paradise. The sheer fabulousness of a Pucci powder blue chubby (short-haired, please) is worth the risk of Cookie Monster association; the less daring can try the fluffy, Laduree-shaded toppers from the beguilingly grungy Saint Laurent collection that walked a few days ago.
Though if I were to pick one Sesame Street character to emulate, it’d be Big Bird — with all that plumage, he’s really quite chic, no?
