What to wear? What to wear? I know this question seems to become more daunting as the quarter comes to a close and as the days keep getting colder despite the cloudless sunshiny days.

For most of us (yes, I am also guilty of this), when we get a new top for the fall season, we assume that it will go well with the many different pairs of jeans that fill our pant drawer. But after reevaluating all the splendid possibilities of fall fashion for below the waist, I have decided there should be a revival of casual business wear among the students at the University of Washington.

Now I understand what most of you are thinking: You don’t want to look like your professors when you leave your dorm/apartment/house/frat/sorority, but not to worry, there are a few fashion trends out there that only the younger crowds (both men and women) are able to pull off.

For men, this season is full of fun varieties of pant styles that don’t include denim. First, when looking for a good cut, go with the well-known European slim straight-leg slack. It is a sleek and stylish look that makes the pant less formal and more natural and casual.

When choosing colors and styles, pinstripes are always the best bet for a different take on the casual slack. Another look that is special this season is the modest plaid style. When searching for this item, make sure that the plaids aren’t too wild, and stick to more neutral colors. Base colors like brown, gray and dark blue are probably your best bets, and you should also be careful on how many colors are in the plaid stripe themselves no more than one or two.

For women this season, the pant style is quite the opposite the bigger the leg, the better. I’m sure you’ve seen all the ads in the magazines by Gap and Nordstrom that feature large wide leg trousers. However, just make sure that they’re not too large; girls who are short and have smaller figures should probably stay away from the wide leg look since it tends to weight them down. Unlike the boys’ playful options with colors and stripe, with the wide leg look you shouldn’t steer too far away from the basic colors like black and gray.

Now when you wear these fabulous new pantaloons, don’t forget to be aware of your upper body as well. For men, if you have striped or plaid trousers make sure that the sweater or shirt you have on doesn’t have any sort of patterns or stripes as well, just solid colors that complement the slacks. Shoes can vary depending on how casual your look is, but I highly suggest steering clear of tennis or basketball shoes.

— Ben Schock