Author: Katie Monigan

By Elizabeth Tamkin

Arts & Life Editor

It’s that time of year when the crisp cold of the morning conflicts with the warmth of the sun in the afternoon. The fall season has always been fashion-lovers’ domain when it comes to dressing and layering in favorite designers’ fall and winter lines to balance out inconvenient temperature changes throughout the day.

Fashion week just happens to fall early in the glamorous season. When it comes to fall fashion 2010, designer royalty such as Marc Jacobs and Rag and Bone are turning to the “Model-Off-Duty” look—that simple and carefree look of layers and casual comfort. Women all over New York City streets are finding ways to outsmart the conflicting weather patterns of the fall: a floral dress with cable-knit socks and chunky-heeled leather booties with a thick cardigan layered under an anorak is perfect as you can lose the anorak later in the day when the temperature rises.

Shorts don’t end with the summer season—fashionistas pair plaid wool shorts with thick cable-knit stockings. Leather oxfords weren’t only for prep school as this season women wear oxfords with stockings to pay some tribute to the menswear obsession. Don’t forget your briefcase—or satchel—as menswear doesn’t stop at shoes. Reasonably affordable brands like Tory Burch and J.Crew added sharp leather satchels to their collections this fall.

The blazer has stood strong for over a year now—with variations of the trend from sharp padded shoulders to cropped and double breasted editions. The menswear blazer has found company from the varsity jacket, a tribute to the 1950s.

“My blazer is my favorite article of clothing. Blazers can be worn for any occasion and they also work for every season, depending on the material it’s made from,” Meg Brenner ’14 said.

And the poncho and high-waisted pant didn’t die with the 1970s either. Ponchos have popped back up in fashion lines. Chloé, Alexander Wang and the resurrected Halston Heritage have each personalized this hot trend. Ponchos are found as cozy knits and thick woolen coats to keep the trendy warm. High-waisted pants have been sported only by the fashion elite. They tend to be one of those biased trends, as only a certain body type can wear them.

PETA would be proud—faux fur has been popping up in stores this season. Stylist Rachel Zoe of Bravo’s “The Rachel Zoe Project,” which just completed its third season, has expressed her love of the faux fur fashion trend via her newest line for QVC; the line includes reasonably priced faux fur vests and cropped coats.

“My faux fur vest looks pretty real, and I love wearing it with jeans or when dressing up, with a dress,” Julie Fraenkel ’14 said about the popular faux fur trend. “The only problem is, you can’t wear it in the rain.”

What PETA may not love is the plethora of shearling jackets of Helmut Lang or 3.1 Phillip Lim, who have included these jackets in their fall lines. But some brands, like TopShop and Juicy Couture, have turned the shearling jacket animal-friendly by incorporating faux leather and faux fur versions.

For those trendsetters and followers known as “shoe people,” the dainty ballet flat stays in the spotlight, joined by the western-styled bootie and second-year-strong over-the-knee boot.

“If you can’t tell, I love these boots,” Christina Maloomian ’14 said as she pointed to her own over-the-knee boots. “I’m considering asking for another pair.”

Women cannot get enough of the skinny-pant-chunky-shoe look to make petite frames look even more petite. Fashion icons Kim Kardashian, Kate Moss and Blake Lively have promoted the over-the-knee boot, and it doesn’t hurt that it has hit the runway again, either.

The fashion capitals of the world—New York, Paris, Milan and London—each proved deserving of their titles over recent months, starting with New York City Fashion Week in the beginning of September. While the shows were previews of the spring/summer styles for 2011, the women and men who attended the shows sported the trends of the current season. Because half of the excitement of fashion shows is what the audience chooses to wear, it wouldn’t be fair not to mention the exotic street styles. Women followed the trends but made them their own by adding various pops of color or the random statement accessories.

In the Spotlight: the high-waisted pant

Déjà vu? The high-waisted pant has resurrected since its last run in the ’70s. Whether used in a denim or woolen short or in a pantsuit, the high-waisted pant has proven itself prominent in the fall 2010 fashion season and seems to be continuing into the spring/summer 2011 season, as demonstrated by the most recent fashion shows. Interested in purchasing a pair to add to your wardrobe? Well, Chloé, Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent, Emilio Pucci and Alberta Ferretti each have made this pant their own but at a cost of sometimes even $1,000. For the average fashion-forward woman, Theory, Alexander Wang and several jean companies such as J Brand or Current/Elliot have also provide you with variations of the pant. Welcome back to the ’70s!

Beyond clothes

Nails, nails, nails! Women have become obsessed with manicures, and they have injected this part of their grooming with trends. Chanel is known to be the primary nail trendsetter, as their colors tend to sell out within days of their debut. Rachel Zoe’s collection of nail polishes illustrates the love of Chanel’s nail “colours” perfectly.

Today, nail trends go beyond the perfectly polished fingernail; manicures now include a “matte finish” which dulls down the shine of the nail, or even the chipped-nail trend, which, just as it sounds, is chipped nail polish—women pay extra for this imperfect manicure. And patterns don’t end at the clothes you wear: recently, manicures include checkered prints, polka dots and animal prints. Next time you go to the nail salon, ditch the outdated bright pink and go for a “khaki brun” or even a zebra print, if you dare.

An urban gem for footwear

With so many trips to cities offered here at the University, why not take advantage of the ones to New York City, the fashion capital of the world? The bountiful amounts of stores are nothing less than spectacular and equally amazing are the women walking down the streets dressed head-to-toe in the greatest shopping finds known to mankind. David Z., located in eight different locations in the Big Apple, is home to new rustic footwear styles and classic brands. From the newest UGG boots (which by the way, include some new motorcycle-inspired boots whose edgy details make you wonder if they are even UGGs, even though they still have the warm sheepskin lining) and classic Converse fashion sneakers, to the more fashion-forward style of Jeffrey Campbell, David Z. has both comfort and style in mind. With the western-style leather bootie popping up everywhere, David Z. is a necessary visit.

By Brent Walkoff

Contributing Writer

From bread bowls to impromptu dance parties, this year’s Center Stage event seemingly had it all. Held on Saturday, Sept. 11 on Sojka Lawn, Center Stage 2010 featured music, a cappella groups, free food and Weekend Update host Seth Meyers.

The event, organized by Activities and Campus Events (ACE) and free for all University students, was a hit.

“I think Center Stage went amazingly well,” said Mary Evans ’11, Vice President of Advertising for ACE. “People came to the performance early to grab seats and most stayed the entire time. And the number of people who came was fantastic,” she said.

Evans estimates that around 2,000 people attended the event.

Student band Bigfoot opened the evening, performing cover and original songs. The background tunes accompanied many students’  favorite aspect of the night: the food. From soup to cookie dough on a stick to hot apple cider, there was no lack of happy, full college students. The soup in bread bowls seemed to be a particular favorite of the crowd.

“The soup, now that was good. That was really good,” Connor Beach ’14 said.

Bucknell’s various a cappella groups came next, each group taking the stage to perform a few select songs. The Silhouettes, Two Past Midnight, Beyond Unison and the Bison Chips all sung their own musical selections. Although the performances seemed somewhat drawn out at times, the groups took the stage professionally and enthusiastically, a testament to the amount of time they put into practicing. As entertaining as the groups were the highlight of the night was unquestionably the routine put on by Seth Meyers.

Meyers, head writer and anchor of Saturday Night Live, took the stage with a big smile and confidence in his step. What followed can only be described as a stand-up routine brimming with the kind of humor that college students have come to know and love. From sex to drugs to drinking and back to sex, Meyers covered every topic a typical college student could want. Meyers’ routine was met with laughs and cheers. A few students even appeared to be in physical pain from laughing throughout the night.

“I like how he tailored it towards the college student. His routine was very college oriented; his jokes were clearly designed for us,” Beach said.

His routine struck home. Even the occasional hiccup during his bit, such as a few students sitting front and center leaving during his performance, did not faze him. He was able to use such situations to his own benefit, quickly firing off a poke at the students.

“It was obvious that the students were having a great time and that’s what I wanted to see. People were laughing, myself included, for every Seth Meyers joke and I heard several people say afterward that he was the best comedian we’ve had at Bucknell,” Evans said.

By Brenna English-Loeb

Senior Writer

When I was in middle school, I read the “Song of the Lioness” quartet by Tamora Pierce and I was hooked. I wanted nothing more than to become a knight in medieval England—but if that wasn’t possible, I wanted to at least visit England. By the time I was able to go to England this past semester, I had learned that the Middle Ages were not exactly a time period I really wanted to visit (no personal hygiene, for one), but by then I had discovered the glories of British and Irish accents. So I achieved a practically life-long goal when I was able to spend a semester abroad in Bath.

Bath is a World Heritage Site because of the Roman Baths, a natural hot spring that the Romans seized from the Celtic peoples as a much-appreciated reminder of warm Italy. Bath is also the sometime home of Jane Austen (although it turns out she didn’t really like the city all that much) and centuries of culture. Because of its World Heritage status, Bath has remained in much the same condition as it was during Austen’s day, with walkable streets and beautiful stone buildings.

The program I attended, Advanced Studies in England, housed us in real homes across the city, and our classes took place in one of the last remaining houses that belonged to Lord Nelson (which features many portraits of the man decorating the building). I lived with seven other students from several different universities in the United States. We became a very close-knit group, traveling and experiencing the country together as we did. Our house was on the opposite side of town from Nelson House, about a mile’s walk.

My route took me near the Royal Crescent and through the Circus, both prominent Bath landmarks, as well as the city center. The city center had tons of truly British pubs and shops as well as gifted street performers. The Roman Baths, the Pump Room and Bath Abbey are all in this area. Almost all the buildings in Bath are made of the same distinctive stone, and that in combination with the many green and flowering parks makes Bath one of the most bewitching cities I’ve known.

But my time abroad was much more than sightseeing. By spending so much time living among the British, I got a taste of what life there is really like. I now know the value of constantly having a cup of tea and what real chips are like (Hint: They’re not thin and crunchy; we’re talking about what we call french fries, only better). I even mastered the act of looking the right way when crossing the street.

Besides visiting England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, I also toured Greece and France. It was my first time going anywhere so far away or for so long without my family. In addition to experiencing the vastly different cultures of all these places, I learned to have confidence in myself and my ability to navigate the often confusing and intimidating adult world.

I am most proud of my trip to France, which I took when my semester in Bath ended, because I went completely alone. I was forced to practice my rusty French and found that people were really impressed with my speaking ability. While visiting the Louvre, I spent a half hour talking to a man about the differences between France and America as well as our favorite art.

Now that I’m back in the United States I miss England terribly. I miss the way everyone walks or takes the train instead of driving, the sense of history and the way one minute I could be in serene countryside and the next in the middle of a thriving city. I miss all the great friends I made in my program as well as the Bathonians I got to know. Needless to say, I have been planning my return since I got back.