Courtesy Princeton Class of 1967. Princetoniana Museum use only.
As graduation approached in 1967, the Class needed to come up with something to wear in the P-rade for the next four years. Back then, the seniors did not march in their beer jackets. That custom came along only in the early 1980s, as did the practice of acquiring the beer jacket in May of senior year. Both of those traditions continue today with the stylized windbreakers that replaced the classic beer jacket in the 1990s. But back in our day, a graduating class would choose an actual P-rade costume—not their existing jacket—to wear until the 5th Reunion.
The usual custom was to pick some minimal garment like a shirt, a vest, or overalls. ’67’s more ambitious approach was to opt for an actual blazer like those worn by grown-up 25th Reunion classes—except that ours were made with a type of reinforced paper (!). The outfit also came with a clip-on paper tie. Topping things off was a styrofoam boater hat of equally obscure origin. (The authorship of this ingeniously economical ensemble is lost in the mists of time.) Unfortunately, the grand experiment in cheap-’n’-cheerful costuming fell apart as quickly as the paper blazers did. Armpits were particularly susceptible to disintegration, and the rest of the jacket didn’t hold up too well either. Following a weekend of partying and P-rade marching, hardly any survived to be packed away after graduation.
As graduation approached in 1967, the Class needed to come up with something to wear in the P-rade for the next four years. Back then, the seniors did not march in their beer jackets. That custom came along only in the early 1980s, as did the practice of acquiring the beer jacket in May of senior year. Both of those traditions continue today with the stylized windbreakers that replaced the classic beer jacket in the 1990s. But back in our day, a graduating class would choose an actual P-rade costume—not their existing jacket—to wear until the 5th Reunion.
The usual custom was to pick some minimal garment like a shirt, a vest, or overalls. ’67’s more ambitious approach was to opt for an actual blazer like those worn by grown-up 25th Reunion classes—except that ours were made with a type of reinforced paper (!). The outfit also came with a clip-on paper tie. Topping things off was a styrofoam boater hat of equally obscure origin. (The authorship of this ingeniously economical ensemble is lost in the mists of time.) Unfortunately, the grand experiment in cheap-’n’-cheerful costuming fell apart as quickly as the paper blazers did. Armpits were particularly susceptible to disintegration, and the rest of the jacket didn’t hold up too well either. Following a weekend of partying and P-rade marching, hardly any survived to be packed away after graduation.