Fashion is a profound and critical piece of a boy’s definition. It is the shirt they wear that indicates their friend group. It is the pants they dress in that determine their personality. It is the hat they pick that signals their passions. It is the socks they put on that tell their past. It is the sneakers they sport that decide their future.
Though most people may think that the boys at Staples don’t give a thought about what goes into their outfit in the morning, they are wrong. Everyone at Staples, boy or girl, has their own individual style, whether they choose to realize it or not.
Garrick New ’16, for example, thinks of his style as a bit more dressy than the typical crowd of guys at Staples. New says his signature look would be, “a J. Crew shirt, a Cole Haan belt, H&M corduroys, a cardigan or v-neck sweater, suede shoes, and a light spray of [his] favorite Ermenegildo Zegna cologne.”
New helps us to understand that fashion helps express individuality. It is the makeup to our personalities. Fashion helps people to discover who they want to be by reflecting their personas in their outfits.
Max Rothstein ’17 notes that most boys dress similarly to him. Like many, his favorite item of clothing is “the sweater,” while New does not like the Vineyard Vines sweater look or any patterned shirt for that matter.
This, however, is the typical style of many male students. Outfits also tend to consist of sports jackets or patterned sweaters, corduroys or jeans, acquired t-shirts from past events, and some kind of big named sneaker of high value. These are the kinds of clothes that are “safe” to wear because you can’t be judged if everyone is wearing it. Although fashion may only be on the surface of your skin, it is so close to a person’s inner feelings that they tend to push it away.
Everyone tends to buy the same things, that is why trends occur. And as the trends change, all of the boys’ outfits change with them, with the exception of those who embrace their originality.
“Fashion changes like the weather,” Rothstein said. Because all fashion becomes unfashionable at some point.
Fashion has become a social agreement, the concurrence of people’s judgements and opinions. Most boys are conforming to it, while others wear it as a display of uniqueness and pride. It is important to find the fashion that suits you.
As Rothstein said, “Everyone should dress to impress.”
