Meet Geoffrey Fella, fashionisto extraordinaire. You might know him as “the guy at Eckerd who dresses nicely,” always donning a sleek suit equipped with a bowtie and his trademark attaché case. Bottom line: He likes to look good.
Geoffrey’s style is antique, masculine and somewhat European. He has a professional, classic looks that boasts a faint air of nostalgia. “I’ve always been one for a very outfit-oriented style. When I lived in Madrid, I took an art class and I began to appreciate colors and how they fit together,” he says. He enjoys the 1930’s deco art and surrealism that were introduced to him through videogames as a child. Combined, these things influence the look he values today. Geoff explains, “those kinds of aesthetic appeals in the video games I played when I was four come back to me in different things now.”
His style has evolved from the moment his mother started dressing him as a child. When he got older, he started wearing much more eccentric things, developing a funk and hip-hop influenced style for a while before he began desiring a more professional look.
“As a child, I would chew on the collars of my t-shirts. The elastic would stretch out, and the collar would fall off of my shoulders. I hated that, so I started having an affinity for button-ups,” says Geoffrey.
Nowadays, Geoff has a system. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday he wears a suit, and the other days are more casual. “My casual clothes are just a step above jeans and a t-shirt,” he comments. Casual for Geoff means skipping a tie, and very casual means throwing on jeans and a shirt. “I only own one pair of shorts that I really like to wear,” says Geoff, “which is often difficult in Florida, but I think my legs look better in pants than in shorts.”
Winter is perfect for Geoff’s wardrobe, and one of his favorite things to wear is a coat over a suit. With fall as his favorite season, he always gets excited for Halloween to roll around. “I never have to buy anything, I just get to take the clothes I already have and rearrange them in a way that works as a costume,” he explains.
Geoff believes in having clothes for every occasion, whether it’s Halloween or bedtime. He has full body, baby blue pajamas that he wears to sleep every night. Where on Earth did he manage to find Dior footed pj’s? You might be surprised. “I get a fair amount of clothes from Goodwill, including my pajamas. You can actually get really great name brands from there,” he explains.
Some students might not understand why Geoffrey dresses up just to go to class. It’s Eckerd, right? We are the epitome of the laidback, beach look. But Geoff sees it differently. “I treat my class like my workplace. It’s just this urban, business aesthetic that I desire and appreciate,“ he clarifies, “although college is not particularly good on dress clothes. The washers here are awful.”
Geoff’s favorite accessories include anything that has family significance. “My cufflinks were my great grandfather’s, and this watch was my grandfather’s who got it for his birthday back in the 30’s. This watch is probably my favorite. There is something about it that is, ironically, timeless,” he says.
Suspenders are another one of his favorite accessories. He thinks they are much more functional than belts, and that the parallel lines complement everyone’s body. He also really likes when the pants of a suit are just short enough to show the ankle of a sock, and he would choose a bowtie over a tie any day.
Hats are a category of their own. “I have a beautiful black hat that’s a family heirloom,” he comments. He does not wear “bro” hats, of course: you will never see Geoff in a backwards baseball cap.
On women, Geoff likes Jackie Onassis-inspired headscarves. He adds, “A lot of guys won’t admit this, but we also really like when women wear knee-high socks.”
Geoff likes to wear textured solids splashed with bits and pieces of floral or paisley prints. “I don’t like plaid, and if you’re clever enough, there’s more than you can do with a solid than with a pattern or print,” he explains.
The female equivalent to Geoffrey’s style would be a lengthier dress with a jacket on top. He adds, “Shorts and a low cut shirt probably wouldn’t suffice.”
Geoff is very conscious of the way he looks. He says, “It’s easy to say that the way you look doesn’t matter, but it does. A big part of how people perceive you is based on the way you look, and it just feels nice to look nice.”