“Gaerte Gear” Fashion Line Comes to Houghton

By Owen Hardiman

The Houghton Highlander Shop and Printing Press is excitedly preparing to run a new line of Houghton apparel. The designer: critically acclaimed communication extraordinaire and sweater vest aficionado Dr. Douglas Gaerte. The new line, Gaerte Gear, will be hitting the racks of the Campus Store later this month.

In an exclusive interview conducted by the STAR, Dr. Gaerte shared how he has become such a prominent influencer in sweater vest culture. “Mr. Rogers always had a sweater on when he was in his neighborhood. Like many kids are prone to do, I wanted to dress like my hero.” He additionally discussed the historically practical usage of vests. “Vests often provide a form of protection. The life vest protects us from drowning. The bullet proof vest protects us from, well, bullets. In high school, my sweater vests protected me from dating.”

Dr. Gaerte also shared with the STAR some insights into his steadfast passion for this unique form of apparel. “The sweater vest is such an iconic look,” Dr. Gaerte remarked. “It communicates both ‘I’m a professional’ and yet I am also approachable all at the same time. In that way, I think it’s the classic look for Houghton College.”

The announcement about Dr. Gaerte’s new fashion line has created an intense furor across campus, and that excitement is particularly marked among his colleagues in the Communication Department. Proficient designer and donut enthusiast Professor Murphy energetically shared her thoughts on the new line, stating that she has noticed Dr. Gaerte’s special talent for dressing people ever since he lent her one of his iconic sweater vests for a photoshoot in the Mac Lab. “That was when I realized: Doug Gaerte has a gift for working with textiles. Since then, it’s only become more and more obvious that Doug has a gift for communicating through fashion, so I’m incredibly excited that his line will soon be coming to the campus store—students are going to love it!”

Professor Murphy also noted that “fashion design seems like a very natural extension of Doug’s passion for effective communication… We say a lot with what we choose to wear, and the sweater vest is an iconic, timeless statement. I’m delighted to see him take the wealth of experience he has in making fashion statements and using it to design clothing that can speak on so many levels to so many people.” 

Many Houghton students have also expressed a strong zeal regarding the upcoming release of Gaerte Gear. Communication student Emma Norby (‘24) commented, “Dr. Gaerte will surely have a thriving side job designing sweater vests because of his motivation for everyone to wear one. He promoted his business in my interpersonal communication class the other day and stated ‘they are dressy yet movable!’ (arms flapping when stated).”

What can fashionistas and sweater vest fanatics expect to see in this upcoming line? Dr. Gaerte has kept most of the new line close to his sweater-vest-clad-chest but has teased his fans with some details, including hints about zipper front fleece vests. “I wanted to take some creative risks, so I decided to expand the Gaerte Gear sweater family with the more sporty fleece vest look. What I love most about this new line is what it communicates to the casual observer—that the wearer is a professional committed to doing his or her job well, but lurking just beneath the surface is a rugged adventurer just waiting to burst out and hit the trail for new horizons. There’s an edginess, or hint of danger and risk with the fleece zipper front that just can’t be replicated in the traditional argyle sweater vest. Hopefully this expansion of the vest look will bring more people into the Gaerte Gear family.” Dr. Gaerte assured the STAR that there are still places he will not go in his design. “Gaerte Gear will never promote the quilted puffy vest. It’s too artificial looking, and no one wants to look like the Michelin tire man.”

Professor Murphy has also teased fans with her insider knowledge of the new designs, stating “I’m actually already on the pre-order list for the Rosewood variety of his “Modern Argyle” line. I’ve had a chance to see the mock-ups, and they’re absolute genius. If I had to describe them, I’d say they’re somehow both runway fresh and comfortably classic. (But like, both, at the same time.)”

When asked for a comment, Helena Oden of the Houghton Highlander Shop and Printing Press described the eagerness and delight the campus store felt about the upcoming line. “We are very proud to be the sole distributor of Gaerte Gear so all of campus has the opportunity to look as stylish as Dr. Gaerte. Keep an eye out for his latest designs by following us on Instagram!”

In times of partisanship and uncertainty, Dr. Gaerte concluded his interview with the STAR discussing the larger impacts of sweater vest culture. “I think we would have fewer wars if world leaders wore more sweater vests. It’s those dark uncomfortable suits that make people angry. A sweater vest says ‘Hey, come give me a hug. Let’s go get coffee, and we can settle our geo-political differences over a donut.’”

In an unprecedented marketing move, Gaerte Gear will only be available at the Houghton Highlander Shop during a select set of hours on Sundays. Unfortunately, STAR reporters were unable to discover when these hours are as the campus store appears to be closed every Sunday. “It’s a cutting edge marketing strategy,” says almost-business-minor Sarah Mertzlufft (‘22). “The girls who get it, get it. The girls who don’t, don’t.” To find out more about Gaerte Gear, students simply must loiter in the campus center all day Sunday hoping to catch a vested customer slipping out of the campus store after hours.★