Now onto the other aspect of my blog that isn’t worrying about school: menswear and personal style. While I’m perfectly content in a pair of sweatpants (slim-fit joggers, mind you), there is something special about buttoning up a suit jacket or lacing up a pair of boots . As I mentioned previously, the white coat still needs some getting used to, but even that makes you feel different, more composed. You stand a little straighter, you hold your head up a little higher, you walk with a purpose (at least until a resident calls you a “shortcoat” which isn’t exactly a good thing). While I might feel uncomfortable in it now, I’m sure I’ll wear it like a second skin soon enough.
As for my layperson clothes, I’m on a strict grad student budget, so I try to get the most bang for my buck. On this site I hope to share my tips on dressing for certain occasions, secrets to snagging the best deals, and how to cultivate your overall personal style. I like to use style instead of fashion because I think it connotes a sense of personality and individuality that fashion does not. I admit, finding your own sense of style can be difficult. Barriers can come in the form of price, access, or general apprehension of trying something new. But if you follow a few simple rules, you too can put together a killer look that’s more than just the matching shirt/tie combo that comes from the same box. Here we go:
Rule 1 – Comfort
- In my opinion, the first rule of style is that there are no real “rules.” For example, “no white after labor day” is probably one of the most well-known, yet absurd fashion rules that we follow. It’s an outdated custom from the upper-crust elite that should have died when they did. Nowadays, it’s more acceptable to wear year-round. When I say comfort, I mean more than physical comfort, I mean comfort with yourself and how you look. Yes, a look may be very popular and trendy, but if it doesn’t feel right, don’t wear it. That’s not to say you shouldn’t experiment and push your boundaries, but it’s important to find what you think looks best on you and what makes you happy. Everything else is extra.
Rule 2 – Fit
- You might be wondering why I’m talking about fit when I just finished talking about being comfortable. Both are important, but fit is what elevates your outfit to the next level. It’s amazing what changes you can make to your look when you pay attention to how clothes drape your body. For men, that would be in your jacket, shirts, and trousers. Ideally, you don’t want to have a lot of billowing fabric around your waist, and this holds true even for some of the bigger guys. Just as in women’s fashion, the same holds true for menswear: hiding underneath a tent won’t make you seem smaller, you’ll only look bigger/sloppy/like you’re trying to hide. My personal style hero Dan Trepanier and his team at articlesofstyle put together some great guides for men of different body types, here’s one for the larger guys. I don’t plan on doing too many posts about dressing for your body type, but there is a lot of great information out there regarding that.
Rule 3 – Keep it simple
- Style isn’t always about being the loudest one in the room. Most of the time, it’s about putting your best face forward and tackling the world while looking and feeling good af. Style is about building confidence, and the best way to do that is to not let your clothes speak for you. My best advice regarding that is to start off with a few key staple pieces that you can build your wardrobe around. Here are a few that are in constant rotation in my closet:
- brown penny loafers and brown leather boots (and my trusty LL Bean boots)
- dark denim, black denim (your go-to pants)
- faded/vintage wash denim for the spring and summer
- oxford cloth button downs in white and blue
- a navy blazer, a lighter blazer (in gray or khaki)
- a casual crewneck sweatshirt, a cardigan, and a denim trucker jacket
And those are your three simple rules for being pretty. Now go ahead and show the world who’s boss, (student) doctor’s orders.
– TS℞
The Style Prescription 