Ducks @ Oregon - University of Oregon

Dress Like a Eugener

Trafton B.

December 26, 2009 - 1:41 PM

I know this is slightly belated, but I was inspired by the holiday shopping season to make suggestions as to what types of clothing you all should be investing into if you wish to fit in with the local Eugene crowd. It's difficult to write this with full force, not being in Oregon physically, but then again, it has reached the point where I can safely say ... you can take me out of Eugene, but you can't take Eugene out of me.

There are many different styles that could be considered "local" around Eugene. I still remember when I was reading about colleges during my senior year of high school, and the one memorable phrase about the University of Oregon in my copy of "An Insider's Guide to Colleges 2007," went something like this: There are two types of students at Oregon - Greeks and granolas. I laughed about that when I first skimmed over it, but I think I laugh about it more now. Agreed, there is some truth to that statement, but it certainly doesn't cover all bases of our student body. It's more of a catchy jingle than anything else.

How could you neglect the hipsters, the fixed gear cyclists, and the power suit clad business majors? How about the band geeks, the outdoorsmen and the international students? Sure, Greek and granola covers a lot of ground, but it doesn't capture the richness that we have on campus. And, as with any generalizations, you will always have your crossbreeds. Who's to say you can't have a business hippie, or a philosophical jock or an Honors student that likes to party? In fact, I just described three of my five roommates pretty well. More to come on that later, now that I think about it. Sorry, I'm getting off topic. Here are some articles of clothing that might help you fit in with one crowd or another at the University of Oregon.

Plaid T-shirts (flannel optional). Face the facts, plaid is back. Grab a light shirt for the spring and summer, and a heavy one for fall and winter. Flannel will be your ticket to an OSPIRG or Outdoors Club meeting, and nicer, low-cut linens let you sit in with ASUO or maybe casual dinner at the Sorority house. Hey, toss some plaid over a gray hoodie and you can hang out with the Springfield bum population.

Moccasins. A must have for winter term, your feet will thank you every time you wake up. For weekends, they are great for walking over to Res Hall dining and for weekdays, they are perfect for your 9AM Writing class, especially if it's in the same hall you sleep in (for those lucky enough to get into the Living-Learning Center). I just received a brand new pair for Xmas and I couldn't be happier.

Green Ducks Hooded Sweatshirt. This one is pretty obvious, and it should be the first thing you buy after telling your parents, "I want to be a DUCK!" There are variations, of course. I always thought yellow looked good on girls, and the full-zip Jansport was a little dressier. My personal favorites are the $15 sweatshirt and sweatpants that come out every spring. If you aren't a fan of the sweat suit though, anything that can be classified as "Lightning Green" or "Thunder Yellow" will do.

Rain-slicker and boots. Again, this one goes without saying, if you want to survive the Oregon rain, get your hands on some rain gear fast. But if you forget anything, you can always run to the Duck Store, which is stocked with green and yellow Columbia jackets and wellies with duck prints on them. They know their target market pretty well.

That should get you all started. And, again, I apologize that I'm writing post-Christmas/Chanukah. Hopefully there is a birthday in your near future. And if you have any more questions about specifics, please ask. Or just grab a lawn chair and plop yourself outside the book store on 13th and Kincaid Street to see for yourself.