A Dictionary of Chic: Coast to Coast Edition

By Prihatha Narasimmaraj '14

As a Californian, I had never heard of a Lilly Pulitzer dress or Brooks Brothers shirts, and Bergdorf existed only in Gossip Girl. But once my gracious hallmates introduced me to the intimidating and somewhat ridiculous world of East Coast fashion, I’ve expanded my couture lexicon.

• Boho Chic (California): Fringe, lace, tie-dye, headbands, flowers, oversized sweaters, oversized anything, scarves. Can often be found at Goodwill or your mother’s closet.
• Boring Chic (Anywhere): Generic shirts, generic pants, generic sweaters, generic shoes. See a trend?
• Ethnic chic (California): Anything that hails from another country, usually bags, scarves, or shoes. Bonus points if it’s from India or South America. More points if you bought it in India or South America.
• Guidette Chic (general New Jersey area): I saw two guidettes on the plane here, so let me tell you, this is no lie. The more orange, the better. Extra points for orange man-candy.
• Hipster Chic (Anywhere): Also known as vintage chic. Thrifted/handmade clothes are a must (the closest I’ve gotten is cutting up my old jeans. Hello, knockoff Daily Dukes). If you don’t want to/can’t try that hard, go to Urban Outfitters.
• Old Lady Chic (Princeton): Vera Bradley wristlets, wallets, bags, or backpacks (huh?). I always thought old ladies bought this stuff. Apparently not.
• Prepster Chic (Princeton): Also known as douchebag chic. Anything involving polos, cashmere, Sperry Top-Siders (which don’t look bad, but still—they’re boat shoes), and those Longchamps bags that I see everywhere in every single conceivable color. Seriously, there’s such a thing as too much brand loyalty. Also anything Vera Bradley (see: Old Lady Chic)
• Surfer Chic (California): Roxy, O’Neil, plaid board shorts, Rainbow flip-flops (which, incidentally, rock), and sunkissed skin, preferably hot enough to melt a Popsicle. Seen on beach blonds and people who want to be blond.
• Trashcan Chic (California): Made popular by Ke$ha. Boho chic, but worse.

I’ve noticed East Coasters are a whole lot more into “brand-name” chic than Californians…which is completely fine, if that’s your cup of tea. But that doesn’t mean I should ditch my Target tote bags or my cheap Forever 21 jewelry (at least, I won’t until they start rusting inside my earlobe again). I say, the quirkier, the better. Isn’t style more important than fashion anyways?