If you pay attention to the attire of your fellow students as you mount Rabb steps or sprint from Shiffman to Sachar, you'll notice our Brandeis campus is no exception to stylistic diversity. Waiting in line for lunch at Usdan, the girl in front of you will be wearing black patent leather pumps and hoop earrings with an off-the shoulder yellow cardigan over Seven jeans, while your best friend sports a Killers T-shirt and colored corduroys-mainstays of the indie-hipster style.

"There's never going to be a dominant style at a liberal school of 3,000 students," says Josh Levine '06, who used to work at an Abercrombie & Fitch store. "Personally, I like to look good...I don't particularly like how others dress but to each his own."

Trying to reconcile fashion styles amongst the female population at Brandeis is like trying to get Bush and Kerry to agree on Iraq. Sporty-styled Afton Bergel '06 muses, "I feel there isn't one particular style that defines Brandeis."

Bergel's polar opposite would have to be Heather Daugherty '06, who names Juicy Couture, Lacoste and Seven among her favorite labels. She looks to Lucky and Shop Etc. magazines for ideas on fashion and then searches for similar items in her favorite stores, such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Barneys.

"If I really love something and it is unique, I will usually buy it-even if it is expensive," says Daugherty.

Julie Craghead '07 doesn't favor upscale stores, but does hold onto one particular fashion obsession: "My favorite color is blue, and I wear blue all the time, from my hair down to my earrings to my shoes, and most of the time my nails are also bright blue."

The range of male fashion styles tends to be narrower. But the boys on this campus are strongly divided over a certain issue- the role of brand prestige in style.

"I used to wear baggy clothes in high school, like JNCO or Structure Jeans," Gil Harel '06 recalls. "Now I usually wear French Connection or Diesel jeans, or sometimes Express [for Men], which are my baggier jeans. I favor more form fitting clothes now. I also like cashmere."

Michael Vulfovich '07 represents the other side of the male fashion perspective: Those who prefer home-style comfort to couture.

"I buy most of my clothes at places like Filenes and Sears and also stores like Old Navy and Aeropostale, which sell really comfortable and baggy clothes pretty cheap," says Vulfovich.

Interestingly, Brandeis is probably one of the few universities in the country that could claim "religiously observant" as one of the more prevalent looks on campus. Many Jews on campus, most predominantly those of Orthodox denomination, follow a code of dress that encourages modesty. Men will wear a kippah, or skullcap. Women will typically wear skirts that extend beyond their knees and blouses covering their elbows.

One would think that by following this uniform with the elimination of items like pants and tee shirts, wardrobe decision would be much easier.

Not so says Jennifer Helgeson '06.

"Things have gotten better, but it can be hard to find skirts that are really comfortable and appropriate for everyday wear," comments Helgeson. "It's not quite as easy to dress down in skirts-no sweatpants."

On the other hand, Mira Abramsohn '05, who attended a modern Orthodox yeshiva, decided to pay more attention to fashion once at Brandeis to better express her individuality. Today, she favors a classy, elegant look, saying big earrings and tinted sunglasses help her feel bolder.

Students were all over the spectrum when asked to identify the source of style issues for this school. Vulfovich and Bergel each ponder the "scandalous style" that they feel is becoming more prevalent on campus. Meanwhile, the blue-haired Craghead thinks that the campus has a conservative vibe, especially with the abundance of girls who favor long skirts. On the other hand, Levine wishes that girls would wear more jeans and tight T-shirts to class instead of sweats.

"I don't think students have bad style, but we are outside of the city," Helgeson says. "In a lot of ways there is less emphasis on dressing well when you are going between class and the dorm all day long." Numerous students also commented that the cold New England weather limits their ability to focus on style.

The more style-conscious girls in particular came down hard on Brandeis fashion as a whole when asked to identify a predominant look for this campus.

"If you can call this a style, the dominant style at 'Deis is the college 'I don't care' look, jeans and plain tees," Daugherty laments. "People don't really take fashion risks at 'Deis. Many times when they do, it doesn't work out so well."

Abramsohn calls Brandeis fashion "nonexistent," excepting international students whom she says "always look put together and beautiful."

"I hate it when people show up to class in pajama pants. I think it is really rude," Abramsohn said. "Would you like it if professors showed up looking so unprofessional? I think that out of respect, it is appropriate to look in the mirror before I leave my room in the morning. It has nothing to do with trends or Glamour Magazine or the Gap. It is common courtesy."

However, the one aspect Brandeis students can agree on when it comes to fashion is that comfort, both physical and emotional, is the key.

Skirt-stylish Helgeson comments, "I really appreciate feeling comfortable, especially when I'm sitting around writing an essay or something like that."

Daugherty meanwhile prefers to sacrifice bodily comfort for style security.

"My love for fashion and style pushes me to wear clothing that I feel less comfortable in," says the designer devotee. "Whether it's a lower-cut top or uncomfortable shoes, I am willing to trade the pain in for looking stylish."

Explaining how his Armani threads boost his self-confidence, Harel says, "I try to take good care of myself. It's not necessarily that you are looking good for anyone person in particular, but when you look in the mirror, when catch your reflection in the glass, you just feel that much cooler."

Students also agree that their sense of style reflects their personality and sense of values. Craghead thinks her blue hair represents her silly character. Levine says, "I'm a confident, laid-back person and by wearing the different colors that most wouldn't, I think that reflects my independent and self confident attitude."

Similarly, Abramsohn comments, "I am an organized, put together, Type-A personality kind of girl. That's how I want to appear."

With such different approaches, it seems unlikely our clothing styles can co-exist in peaceful harmony. Levine recognizes this situation and offers a solid approach anyone should adopt with regards his or her personal style. "I don't much care as to what people think about my 'fashion,'" Levine says but I just like to keep my head up and be confident. Anyone can pull off anything if they're confident about it.