Peddling Preppy Pants

With an endowment that suffered an $8 billion drop last October and a list of expenses that keeps on growing, it is no surprise that Harvard has been hunting for revenue sources to continue funding its essential programs. But one of these new ventures—Harvard’s agreement to license the phrase “Harvard Yard” to the Wearwolf Group for use in a line of upscale clothing—has elicited unwarranted student criticism and media attention.

Given that the profits from the clothing line—which will sell men’s shirts for $160 and sportcoats for as much as $495—will directly benefit Harvard’s financial-aid program, it is misguided to blame the university for doing what it can to pay its bills, even if that means allowing Harvard’s name to adorn crimson-lined blazers and madras shorts reminiscent of the 1950s “good-old-boy” era.

Some students have complained that attaching the phrase “Harvard Yard” to expensive clothing will entrench Harvard’s elitist image and discourage potential students who aren’t from affluent backgrounds from applying. Because the clothing is expensive, the argument goes, these prospective applicants will be convinced that Harvard really is a place for the privileged alone.

But all things considered, it seems highly unlikely that the Harvard Yard clothing line will do anything to discourage applications. Harvard licenses its name to a wide variety of products across many different price ranges—and unlike the readily affordable fleeces and T-shirts that are peddled at the Coop, the new Harvard Yard line won’t even bear Harvard’s insignia. Nor is this the first time Harvard has sold its naming rights to clothing companies on the higher end of the price spectrum: Just check out the Coop’s Ralph Lauren section for confirmation.

By licensing Harvard Yard, the university is doing what it can to support financial aid—which runs directly counter to the “elitism” the clothing line’s critics denounce. This is a case in which the benefits outweigh the incredibly small costs, particularly in a bleak economic climate that has already diminished or destroyed several other universities’ commitments to financial aid.

Unfortunately, the media coverage of the clothing line has blown Harvard’s decision out of proportion. The reality is that Harvard is rightly doing everything in its power to ensure the well-being of its own financial-aid program. Claims that a couple of pricey jackets and khakis here and there will lead to “exclusion” miss the point.