AAD250

Any typical day most college students roll out of bed just before noon and throw some sweats on and head to class or something along those lines. Being comfortable is one of most important things to a college student. Who cares what you look like, if you match, or if there is an occasional stain or two on your jacket. This is how I lived and dressed for my first three years of college at the University of Oregon. It was my personal belief that my attire did not represent anything about me. It was almost as if I did not care at all. And honestly I had completely different values back then. I was more about partying and just not caring what other people thought of me. This was the same for most of my peer group as well. I think that this can be said for most college students when they first get away form their families and are starting to live out on their own. There was more of a sense of freedom, more of a sense of choice in what they want to wear. I just so happened to choose sweatpants and athletic clothing. Besides the rare collard shirt what I would sometimes wear on a Monday it was mostly t-shirts and shorts. My wardrobe consisted of clothes that I could work out in and be comfortable. I believe the fact that I have a background in sports and in athletics is one of the main reasons for the way that I dressed. My family and I are all athletes and I believe the values that I learned playing sports at a young age shaped how I expressed myself, especially when it came to my attire. My father and bother both played basketball in college and we are all about the same size when it comes to clothes and shoes. I had the benefit of being able to raid both of their closets for athletic clothes that I wanted to wear.

Today, I dress much differently. I find myself waking up at a respectable hour, combing my hair, and wearing nice clothes. As a senior now I care about how I look and how I present myself. I am not sure weather it is the fact that I am older and about to graduate or it is the fact that I will be holding a job soon. I think these are the main reasons why I have started to dress nicer and present myself in an according manner. The realization that I am going to be joining the so-called “real world” has changed how I present myself and dress. These reasons such as getting a job have made me change my attire and actually change my values. It sounds somewhat superficial but it is important what others think of you. I no longer roll out of bed around noon anymore but try to always present myself as a sharp dresser. When it comes to my outfits and attire I now try and live by the motto, “dress for the job you want”. In other words, if I want to have a good job that pays well and that I enjoy I have to dress accordingly. No one will hire me if I show up to the job interview in shorts and a basketball t-shirt. At least I hope they would not. My closet and drawers are now lined and filled with nice clothes such as “Calvin Klein” or “Polo”. This is almost the polar opposite of what my closet used to look like. In the past my clothes were mostly t-shirts, sweatpants, or athletic clothing. All these clothes were comfortable. However now that I have become accustomed to wearing nicer clothes such as slacks and button downs I have found that these types of clothes are also comfortable as well. I am not saying that I don’t still like to wear sweatpants and t-shirts anymore but its more around the house or to the gym.

I have noticed that this trend has also taken hold with my peers as well. More and more often do I overhear my friends saying that they just got some new clothes or just bought a new watch or something along those lines. As I get older my values have changed and this definitely can be seen in my wardrobe and how I dress myself. This can also be said to an extent for my peers. People are going on job interviews and business presentations, and they are dressing sharp and trying to impress.

Individual #1: I see a young white man that is most likely between the age of 18-22 in line at the Subway in the EMU. He is wearing athletic shorts, sandals with socks, and a Portland Trailblazers sweatshirt. The young man is also caring a duffle bag. The man’s cheeks are bright red and his hair seems to be damp or wet. Based on my observations, I think the young man just got finished working out at the student rec center, maybe he played basketball there. In my opinion and based off of his dress and body adornment this man values physical exercise and health as a priority in his life. I am also making the assumption that this young man is a Trailblazers fan and I am also assuming that he is originally from the Portland area. These assumptions that I have made about the young man show that I definitely associate people more with where they are from rather than whom they are. But I believe that where you come from shapes you into who you are.

Individual #2: I see a thin Asian female. Again I believe she is most likely between the ages 18-22 years old. The female was sitting at a nearby table doing some schoolwork or paper work. She was wearing almost all black or dark clothing. This included a black raincoat. The only non-dark piece of clothing that she had on was her beanie, which was bright red. I was unable to see if she had any piercing due to the bright red beanie covering her ears. She also had an umbrella by her side. I believe based on her dress and body adornment that she is a hard working individual. I think that the lack of expression in clothing color shows that she is all business. She was doing some sort of work early in the morning and I think based on her body language she was heavily fixated on it. I also think that the weather here in Eugene affects the way that she dresses. The assumptions that I made about the Asian girl are based on my values that people should work hard. That is what I was taught and what I instantly thought of when I saw he doing schoolwork.

Individual #3: I see an elderly man that I believe is between the ages of 60-65 years old. He was walking slowly around the EMU and was wearing a plaid collard shirt with a tan coat. He was wearing jeans as well as boots. The most noticeable thing that the man was wearing was a construction hard hat. I believe that he was working at the near by construction site on campus. I think that based on the elderly man’s dress and body adornment the man values patience. Since I believe that he is working on the nearby construction site, I think he knows how patient that someone has to be when it comes to construction. I am also assuming that the man is almost prepared by his attire. He is wearing boots that are meant for working outdoors or in messy environments as well as the hard hat. I think the man is always ready to go. The assumptions that I have made regarding the elderly man and his attire reflect and show my values of accomplishment. When I see the elderly man I see an accomplished life. He knows what it takes to finish a job and accomplish his goals.