Update, 4/19 5:35 pm: To the prospective students featured in this post: The Bwog editors want to apologize for the tone of the comments below. We keep our comment sections as open as possible to encourage discussion and debate, but sometimes people get carried away. Prospies, please do not allow these few, highly vocal opinions to color your view of this university and its affiliates. Our only intention was to welcome you to campus—we’re happy you visited and we hope you stick around for next year. Hope to see you again soon.

–Bwog Editors

Emily Kawai

Where are you from? Madison, Connecticut.

What major(s) are you considering? International Relations and Art History.

What’s your spring style inspiration? I really like Alexa Chung—she has really cute style—so I guess that’s my inspiration.

What’s your favorite dessert? Strawberry shortcake. Read more…

Ah, spring in New York. There’s something so nostalgic and old-fashioned about it all–afternoons in Central Park, evenings by Lincoln Center, students all over Low Steps at all hours of the day. . . This week, Bwog brings you some of the more dapper Columbians, all of whose sartorial ensembles seemed a tribute to Old New York.

Michael Ryan, Director of Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library, College Walk

What inspired your ensemble? I wear a hat for [personal reasons] and I just came from a business event downtown.

What’s your favorite dessert? Crème brûlée. Read more…

The rain subsided, and the latter part of the week brought days of glorious weather. Florals, spotted on the young and old alike, dominated College Walk in an apparent nod to Easter and general spring spirit. Bwog brings you some highlights.

Annika and Trisha, BC/CC/SEAS/GS ’??, College Walk

To parents/family:

What brings you to Columbia? We’re just visiting. He [male teenage family member] is a junior who is applying.

What’s your inspiration [for the girls]? We’re all just waiting for spring!

Read more…

It may have been the first week of spring, but Mr. Sun had yet to rear his golden head. Lots of rain was in the forecasts this week, and campus style adapted accordingly. The trend seemed to be towards deep tones, heavy fabrics, and dark boots; still, everyone expressed optimism about the warmer weather ahead.

Kim Smith, Visitor, College Walk

What brings you to Columbia? I’m visiting with my sister. I’m showing her around the area—Tom’s, the cathedral. . .

Where are you going? Oh man. Wherever the wind takes us. We’re looking for some good chocolate. . . we just went to Max Brenner; we went to Jacques Torres yesterday. I got a butterscotch milkshake in an Alice cup.

What’s your favorite dessert? Chocolate! Read more…

Black with a pop of color was the new black this week up in Columbia-land. As the temperature finally warmed and spring break loomed, Bwog spotted happy splashes of color everywhere, a reminder that winter, and indeed, midterms, won’t last forever.

Alex Comiskey, SEAS ’11, Schermerhorn

Major: Applied Math

What are you wearing? I wanted it to be the end of winter, so I wore color today. Just a green checked shirt from Uniqlo. I found the hat at a thrift store downtown. The bag is a friend of mine’s. It’s from Zara and I liked it better as a briefcase than a shoulder bag, so I decided to fold it over.

What is your fashion philosophy? Always sleek and close-cut, and also colorful.

What’s one piece in your wardrobe you cannot live without? It used to be my big pair of headphones, but now I guess it’s this hat. It’s my new favorite thing.

Read more…

Bwog took a break this week from photographing eclectic students-about-campus to discuss fashion with the CU fashion experts: the editorial staff of Columbia’s new fashion magazine, Hoot Mag, and its associated blog.

Noel Duan, CC ’13, Low Steps

Where are you from? San Jose, California.

What are some style points? I’m the co-editor-in-chief of Hoot Magazine, the new fashion magazine I started with Jina Lim, CC ‘ 13. We got a grant from the Gatsby Foundation and the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue endorsed us. I hope people check it out.

What are some blogging points? I have a blog called Miss Couturable. I started it the summer before junior year of high school and I guess it got kind of big. It was on teenvogue.com and received about 10,000 hits a day. There’s definitely personal stuff on my blog–anything I felt like I wanted to share with my readers. It’s alarming to know that editors are reading it, though. I’ve encountered a lot of mean comments, but you learn to fight that off. I’ve also had a lot of fun experiences as a blogger. I even got to go to Betsey Johnson’s fashion show. Sometimes around the city, people stop me to tell me that they know my blog. It’s really awkward.

Describe your style. Prim and proper, maybe a little quirky. I like structured shoulders, tights, and bows.

What was a recent excitement? [Two weeks ago] I went to fashion week and sat front row, a few seats away from Chloë Sevigny.

What’s your response to people who say being so passionate about fashion is just materialistic? People confuse fashion with shopping too much. I’m interested in the design, art, and writing side of fashion.

Tell me about your outfit. [The six-inch platform booties] are actually really comfortable because my heels are only raised two inches and the platform is four inches high. I’m 5′ 1″, so with these on I’m 5’7″. I’m wearing sheer leggings layered over other tights, and my friend made the bow. It’s kind of dorky, but I like it.

Read more…

You keep dressing sharply and Bwog will keep taking your picture! Here, another week’s snapshots of Columbia’s most stylish students.

Katherine Taylor, BC ’13, Hewitt Dining Hall

Where are you from? Originally St. Petersburg, Russia.

What’s your major? I want to major in ballet and psychology.

What inspires your fashion sense? I think the thirties and fifties. I like–it’s very feminine, cute.

What are you looking forward to right now? Summer and beach time!

What’s the most interesting class you’re taking? Probably ballet.

Moooore! Read more…

You know the drill: you wear things we like, we take pictures of you! As Seen on College Walk marches on, despite frigid temperatures and slush.

Zhuoxi Lu, BC ’09, Barnard Gates

So you graduated a couple of years ago. What brings you back? I’m meeting up with a friend.

What was your major? Biology and psychology.

What do you miss most about Barnard/Columbia? I don’t know. I guess. . . nice professors!

What are you doing now? I go to Parsons for fashion marketing.

What will you be wearing this Valentine’s Day? Red shoes – red heels.

Jump for more. Read more…

Bwog: Sartorialist! You: campus! Bwog found the most stylin’ students outside Hamilton, next to the 1 train, and on College Walk, and we asked them where we can get their clothes. This week on As Seen as College Walk: the coolest glasses we’ve seen in a while, plus lots of freshmen. Mini-Bill Cunninghams Contessa Gayles and Hannah Goldstein report.

Hannah Kahng, BC ’11

Cool glasses. Where did you get them? They’re Slow and Steady Wins the Race; they sell to stores like Opening Ceremony.

What’s your major? Art History and Visual Arts.

What’s your favorite class that you’ve taken at Columbia? Twentieth Century Art with Brandon Joseph.

What’s your favorite thing about February? It’s the coldest month here in New York.

Where are you going? To buy apples.

Read more…

The weather in Morningside Heights over the past couple of days may not have been particularly cooperative, but neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night could keep these Columbians from stepping out in their winter best. This week, Bwog began to prowl College Walk and various Columbia/Barnard haunts (i.e., cafeterias) in the hopes of catching a snapshot and interview with some of the school’s classiest characters. Here are some highlights; interviews and more photos after the jump.

Morris Michael, SEAS ’11

What’s your major? Biomedical engineering.

Favorite thing about New York? I guess just the people. You meet people from all over the world.

Where are you from? Sudan.

What’s one thing you always wear? My necklace. (Pulls out necklace with white fang-shaped charm.)

Is that a shark tooth? No, it’s ivory. I guess this necklace is the one thing I always wear.

Hairin Bahren and Yurina Ko, BC ’11

Where are you from? Hairen: Singapore. Yurina: Tokyo.

What’s your favorite thing about Barnard/Columbia? Hairen: New York!

What do you like most about winter, clothing-wise? Yurina: Wearing a scarf. And hat. My scarf and hat. Hairin: And boots. Yurina: Yeah, boots!

Which is your favorite fashion brand or designer? Hairin: Stella McCartney. Yurina: Uniqlo. This hat is from Uniqlo. Hairin: My scarf is from Uniqlo! Yurina: And my coat. . .

Sheng Yanyu, Ye Xinyi, and Zhang Bi Yuan, Foreign Exchange Graduate Students from China

What are you studying? Yanyu: Economics. Xinyi: Journalism. Yuan: Mathematics.

What do you like about Columbia? Bi Yuan: Its history and location.

What’s your favorite thing to wear in winter? Bi Yuan: I like those black clothes – clothes in black that you wear inside.