Work It, Tiger

Earlier tonight students piled into the basement of Frist to strut their stuff in auditions for Fashion Speaks, Princeton's annual sartorial extravaganza to benefit the charity Autism Speaks.Clay Blackiston '12, one of the candidates, decided to try out on a whim. "I did it for my ego," Clay said, deadpan. "It'll kind of suck if I don't get it, but the risk is definitely worth the reward."Upon arrival, candidates dished out their measurements - for better or worse. "It was pretty awkward for girls because they had to fill out bust size," Blackiston added. (Blackiston prides himself on the ability to identify awkward situations -- see his blog, Awkwardize.com.)Shortly after, judges measured candidates' waists, took a mugshot, and asked the auditioners to do their best America's Next Top Model impression on a pseudo-runway made of masking tape. ("I'm pretty sure I walked too slowly," Clay noticed as his awkward-meter beeped. "I think I heard them mutter something about it not going fast enough." A little awkward. A little.)At the end, candidates walked down the runway side by side with a partner. Standard fare, but the highlight came when two burly male students arrived in pea coats and underwear. "One of them had clearly stuffed his underwear with tons of socks -- it was way too big down there to be real," Clay said. "The other guy was in some sort of thong."Looks like fashion speaks, sure, but I have no idea what it's saying.