I noticed Austin because of his dark red pants. I could not help staring at them in the Caf because the color was so special and the pants looked fit but not tight. Not many guys here at St. Olaf dress nicely on a daily basis, so I decided to interview him to see what makes a guy be stylish, as well as to provide some tips for Ole men!
Here is a little background: Austin Dressen, class of 2013, is from Wayzata, MN, and plays soccer at Olaf. I asked him if he thought he was the one who wears the outfit, or if it was the other way around. He replied, “Both. I choose an outfit that can express myself; every single piece makes the whole. But I will buy some brands that look cool as well.”
Then I made a guess of his favorite brands: Bingo, Ralph Lauren and J.Crew. Well, that wasn’t hard at all! My guessing is what pretty much every guy who takes care of themselves would say at St. Olaf. But Austin is more than that. While he says he does like those brands, he adds: “I also like those classic pieces, like Levis jeans, cord pants, and I buy vintage as well.”
This surprised me, because I would not imagine that a guy from a typical American middle class would go to a second-hand store to look for some inspiring pieces! He said it was fun to mix and match vintage with more brandy stuff. I can’t agree more. Austin mentioned that during his childhood, he was often exposed to certain occasions which require ties and shirts – this was the beginning of his developing his own style.
In middle school, he said he started to try out some random pieces and tried to be creative. Austin added that he likes winter and fall most because in those two seasons he can pair sweaters and shirts with scarfs and jackets. He also admitted he enjoys wearing board shorts – although only in the summer on the beach.
Talking about his favorite colors – navy being one – the same rule goes for girls: Austin pointed out that navy matches everything, and you can never go wrong. He said he also likes dark red and fall yellow. I think those colors are great for guys, here is an example from Zara:
All of a sudden, I heard myself asking THE QUESTION, to which he smiled and said: “It is understandable, but it is very sterotypical to think being stylish makes a person gay. And in fact a lot of good designers are not gays, like Ralph Lauren!” I think a lot of guys here at St. Olaf actually care about how they look and how they dress, but they are concerned that if they dress nicely, people will judge their sexuality.
Austin exemplifies exactly what I think a guy should wear. (Those types of clothes he mentioned would also be a good choice for girls who like boyfriend style!) From a girl’s opionion, a lot of guys at St. Olaf spent so much time working out, I don’t quite understand why they like hiding their bodies under sweat pants and sweat shirts! This concern is unnecessary!
As Austin said, your outfit can represent your personality and your attitude of the day. So how to dress is a question about YOU, not anyone else. At the end of our conversation, Austin pointed out that it is not that hard for guys to dress stylishly. To start, try something simple like wearing more fitted pants or jeans, rather than baggy jeans or sweat pants.
I hope Austin’s ideas can help guys develop their own style, or get it started! Think about his tips for a fresh start in the fall!
Have a great summer!
*photo credit: http://www.zara.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category/us/en/zara-S2011/…{%22lookDetail%22:9}