I think there is a difference between being "interested in fashion" and just looking decent put together. The latter is totally obtainable even for people who don't give a hoot about fashion. Instead of wearing baggy jeans and a hoodie, why is it so much harder to wear jeans that fit with a knit top?

I guess from an American perspective, we are used to seeing people at their worst and so it becomes acceptable to us, when it would NOT be acceptable anywhere else (to Angie's point). I went to a school with a very high percentage of international students, mainly from South Korea, who were always presentable at the very least--usually a lot better than that. They worked as hard as much as anyone else in the school did, but managed to look a whole lot better.

Jean, I totally agree with your assessment of artists v. designers. I have been at both ends of the spectrum and designers are pretty sharp dressers for the most part. I was always very aware that my classmates at Parsons, for the most part, looked great every day...and that is no small feat considering the amount of work involved.