26 April 2012

White Bucks - Black Robes



Flagler College, St Augustine, FL - 1981

I was a work grant student in the college PR department. Freshman year I photographed the graduation ceremony above. I graduated in 1984 but no one took a picture of me. I always thought it had to do with my white bucks.

Shortly before graduation, a memo was sent to seniors with instructions for what to wear with black robes. For men, it was dark colored pants and dark or black shoes. I wore white trousers and white bucks.

I remember thinking, "What are they gonna do? Take the dashes out of my social security number. Happy graduation. Special dispensation for white buck wearing prior to Memorial Day.
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9 comments:

  1. Anonymous26 April, 2012 15:29

    remembering that day fondly...
    I wore lime green Pappagallo flats.
    I felt like a rebel! ME

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  2. Brohammas26 April, 2012 16:00

    Mental note... I have two weeks to buy some white Bucks.

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  3. Anonymous26 April, 2012 20:05

    Ah, Carrere & Hastings' Ponce De Leon Hotel! Great building indeed! Emblematic of a Florida that might have been. Plays so beautifully with the palms in this landscape. It's said Bernard Maybeck was the actual sensibility behind this building.

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  4. Alice Olive27 April, 2012 08:29

    I suppose it's not so surprising that I particularly love the third image.

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  5. GSV JR27 April, 2012 08:45

    It's Florida! Anything less than white and you may as well step into a Hefty bag.

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  6. Anonymous27 April, 2012 10:29

    I don't have a problem with white bucks...except for one thing: What always comes to mind is the character played by Charles Martin Smith in American Graffiti. He wore them with jeans. But I'm guessing that with white trousers the look was softened considerably.

    Glad you "bucked" the system.

    -DB

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  7. Virginia Country House01 May, 2012 08:10

    Hmm...I dated a guy in college who wore white bucks. He started reading the Wall Street Journal in elementary school. I dated him way longer than I should have because he had a marvelous voice and used to sing to me. But I don't THINK it was you... :) N.G.

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  8. Anonymous01 May, 2012 08:29

    In the middle photo -- is that Nurse "Braun" and Sadie watching from the sidewalk?? DMW

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  9. tintin01 May, 2012 13:50

    DB- Bucks with jeans make me gag. A sartorial anachronism of the most vulgar order only exceeded by swing dancing Proles who match white bucks to white belts.

    Jennings & Gates- I never sang anything in college.

    DMW- Nice eye you have there. Yes, that's the school nurse with Sadie. Was that your graduating class too?

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