Classy?

many of you know it is a so called "tradition" at uva to dress up for football games.  "guys in ties, girls in pearls" is the mantra.  i think its safe to say, every other school in america (save a few others in the south) snickers when uva football is mentioned because the aforementioned image is the one that comes to mind.  well, believe it or not, this movement, like any other fashion movement, is not without its detractors.  I personally always found it a little bit ridiculous when people would say "lets be classy" then down a fifth of vodka before passing out midway through the 1st quarter, but i never raised my voice.  that is, until today. 

here is an actual letter to the editor that was published in our school paper today, i've bolded all the important parts in case it's too long:

"Class Act" 

Tuesday’s opinion column, “Putting on Airs,” argued that U.Va. students create an “embarrassing” atmosphere on game days by following the tradition “Guys in Ties, Girls in Pearls.” I couldn’t disagree more. Since my first day at U.Va., I have worn a dress and a three tiered strand of pearls to every football game. I pride myself on always upholding this tradition. I firmly believe that by wearing button down shirts or dresses, students show their pride and respect for the University as well as for its sports teams. At the William & Mary game, for example, I walked into the stadium behind two girls wearing sports bras who had painted their bodies green. They were discussing how “fancy” the girls at U.Va. dressed for games. In that moment, I felt a swell of pride. No girl at U.Va. would ever attend a football game so underdressed, and the fact that we dress like sophisticated women shows our confidence and respect for ourselves.


I do agree, however, that there should be a change in the implementation of “Guys in Ties, Girls in Pearls,” but I do not agree that this should be done by telling students to wear T-shirts. Instead, students should be encouraged to dress traditionally, but to do so in shades of blue and orange. I’m originally from Georgia, and my best friend attends UGA. She wears a red or black dress to every single game, as do all the other female students. Guys at UGA wear red and black bow ties or oxfords. As a result, the stadium is a sea of red and black. The ideal game day outfit is not a T-shirt and jeans — this is a fundamental shift away from the principles of U.Va. — but rather a classic, traditional outfit in shades of color that show support for our football team. In fact, corner stores other than Mincer’s and the Student Bookstore should encourage this trend: Finch, for example should have a selection of appropriate game dresses in blue and orange.

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suffice it to say, the banality of this girls argument astounded me.  in fact, the sheer stupidity of her reasoning led me to write a little something of my own.  now, most of you know, i'm a pretty even tempered guy.  not much gets me riled up.  i used to even laugh at people who responded to letters to the editor, but i guess that's all behind me now. 

my response:

I think it’s funny how you think wearing a t-shirt and jeans to a game is in your words a “fundamental shift away from the principles of UVa.” Really? What principles would those be? The one that says the only way for girls to show their confidence and self-respect at games is to wear a gaudy outfit and a “three tiered strand of pearls?” That’s a terrible principle if you ask me. I hope there are girls here that find self-respect and confidence in things other than expensive jewelry and frilly clothing. What if I think going all out, with no regard for your personal image, and painting your body to show your support for your team shows more so-called confidence in yourself and respect for your team? Anyone can wear a nice dress in public. Not many people are willing dedicate the time and put up with the humiliation that comes from painting their body to support their team.


The only “principle” at U. Va. regarding fashion that I can think of comes from the mouth of Thomas Jefferson himself. “In matters of style, swim with the current. In matters of principle, stand like a rock.” In this day and age, I’d say the “current” is strongly going in the direction of dressing comfortably for football games. Jefferson himself would be appalled at how many students try to stick to this antiquated tradition for tradition’s sake. News flash, Jefferson was one of the most progressive men of his day. He knew that useless tradition and pageantry only suffocated the formation of new ideas and culture. An unwillingness to break from tradition is what lost the British the Revolutionary War. It is what keeps confederate flags waving on porches in neighborhoods across the south today.

I’m not saying everyone should wear an orange t-shirt to games. I personally could not care less about what the guy next to me is wearing (as long as it covers all the important bits). If you feel compelled to dress up for a football game, then so be it. Go all out. Dress to the nines. However, I do have a problem when people start thinking that they need to dress up to somehow honor the memory of Thomas Jefferson or the University. Or, when people find their “self-respect and confidence” from the little logo stitched into their clothing label and how many more strands of pearls they have than the next girl. You honor the University by acting with decency and honesty in all situations. Not by wearing a nice dress or blazer. Definitely not by stumbling drunkenly down a muddy hill in it. Classy indeed.

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i've put up with the crap for too long.  nice to finally get some frustration off my chest.  although i suppose i could have just screamed obscenities into the air.  it would  have probably taken less time.