On a winter's day on a college campus, there seems to be a uniform that a good number of the students adopt: jeans, sweat shirt, sneakers. Or jeans, sneakers and a North Face jacket.
Which is fine. It's a schoolhouse, not a fashion house.
But it was still a treat to stumble across Tori Butler between classes at McDaniel College.
In her stylishly casual, businesslike outfit, she looks like she's learned about a lot more in four years than just the Civil War and which days to avoid the cafeteria "cuisine."
Tori Butler
Age: 21
Residence: Westminster and Northeast Baltimore
Job: Senior history major at McDaniel College
Self-described style: "I'm in a transition stage."
The Look: Black sweater with bloused sleeves. Winter Bermuda shorts in gray tweed. Black Nine West pumps. Black cap. Necklace.
Where it came from: Sweater and shorts from Ann Taylor Loft. Pumps from Marshalls. Cap, she's had for a long time. Necklace, a gift from a co-worker.
What? No sweat shirt?: "Well, today I didn't have any clean socks. So I just said, 'OK, I went shopping yesterday and I liked this, so I'll wear this.'"
Not opposed to comfy: "My favorite outfit is a pair of jeans, a track jacket, some New Balance tennis shoes and a T-shirt underneath my track jacket. No major accessories. No make-up."
Transitioning to adulthood: "I've gone from being in tomboy, college-campus wear to trying to transition into the business environment. I'm at a point where I'm just trying to find age-appropriate looks. I keep trying things until I find something that fits me."
Fashion on a budget: "So far, I've been lucking out. Like my outfit that I have on today I was able to find for the original markdown price and an additional 40 percent off. I shop at Marshalls, Ross [Dress for Less]. I love Banana Republic but I shop on their sales rack."