Since we are a blog dedicated to differing styles, what better way to start off than by showing you how three different people dressed for a meeting at our college.

Business Prep on Rajesh

First is Rajesh.  He personally enjoys dressing conservatively with a little splash of prep, due to the fact he hails from Maryland.

Even though Rajesh is a leader on campus, he decided on an outfit that is professional yet comfortable.  He does so by trading a suit jacket (or blazer) for a quilted vest.  The lack of jacket allows him to look serious but also very accessible.  The vest is well insulated and warm, but also offers coolness by being thin.  Quilted vests have always been a staple of preppy menswear and is definitely recommended as an alternative to a normal waistcoat.

Blue is a common theme in his outfit, indicated by his vintage tie and shirt.  Rajesh breaks the color block by wearing  faded grey suede tassel loafers.  Tassel loafers are always a great staple of menswear, as they are easy to put on (in lieu of lace up shoes) and go with almost every outfit.

When in doubt, blue is always the way to go if you want to break out of the solemn and corporate tone of black.  It is calmer and friendlier than most colors, yet dark enough to look conservative when needed.

Striped Shirt by H&M, Black Quilted Vest by J. Crew,

vintage neck tie, Blue slim fit pants from H&M, Grey Suede Shoes by Zara

Business Casual on Matt

Matt is a newcomer to menswear and as a result has stuck with a simple, classic look.

As you can probably tell, blue is a very versatile color when it comes to clothes.  Blue can be paired with almost any color, and Matt has chosen to pair his blue with its common partner of brown.  Personally, blue and brown gives me an aesthetically pleasing feeling.  It is a good go-to match if you want a small dash of color diversity in your outfit.

On top, Matt is wearing a light blue dress shirt and a navy blue blazer.  If you feel that white shirts are boring, go with light blue.  His blazer is made of cotton , adding a nice texture to his outfit and setting him apart from the common suit jackets people tend to wear.

For pants, Matt went straight into the 90’s and wore corduroy pants.  However, these are not your dad’s corduroy pants.  The weave is tighter and the fit is overall very slim.  Even though the trend nowadays is to have little to no breaks in the pant leg, Matt’s pants work for him because he is tall.  Little to no break in pants tends to only work for small or larger people.  He finishes off the outfit with timeless brown oxfords.  Even though he is new to menswear, Matt dressed himself without help from Rajesh or myself.  I was impressed with his choices.

Navy Blue Cotton Jacket, Blue Dress Shirt, Slim Brown Corduroy Pants from H&M

Brown Oxford Shoes from Mens Wearhouse 

Business Streetwear on Ethan

There are days when I get tired from wearing the typical conservative or “easy” styles and for this outfit, I went a bit crazy.

My common theme was green, in contrast to the blue of the previous outfits.  My first layer was wearing a blue, button down collar, floral shirt with white buttons.  Next was my dark green v-neck sweater.  I always love  to buy clothes that are diverse, and this sweater is no exception. The sweater added much needed texture to the outfit and also helps cover up the floral pattern of the shirt.  That was important because the blazer also has a pattern.

The blazer is a plaid/tartan one that does evoke feelings of Irish kilts and golf.  This is one of my favourite blazers not only because of the pattern but also because it has white faux-suede elbow patches, making it a unique piece.  The white is also repeated in the buttons of the blazer.

On the bottom half, I wore black skinny fit jeans.  It is always important to ground an outfit with a plain color if either the top or the bottom has patterns. Since I have many patterns (the floral print shirt and the tartan blazer), it was imperative to utilize the solid black jeans.  My jeans were also cuffed up, in order to preserve the unconventional style of the outfit and to also make legs look slim.  Like I said before, having no break or cuffing your pants helps those who are short or not skinny. Additonally, be sure to wear fun socks when you do so.  My socks are a faded white with a faint print, which echoes the white buttons and elbow patches.  For shoes, I went against the current and wore brown spectator shoes.

Overall, I had a lot of fun on this outfit and it was something different from what I used to wear.

Floral print shirt from Gap, Green Merino Wool Sweater from H&M, Tartan Blazer from H&M,

Black jeans from Hot Topic, Socks from TopMan, vintage Spectator Shoes

As you can tell, there are always different ways to dress up.  Matt and Rajesh certainly look very professional, but they evoke different vibes in their choices in colors and specific items in their outfit.  I recommend is always good to utilize the rules of fashion to your advantage, whether it be a simple color block, mix and matching, or intentionally breaking them.  What matters is that you are able to look how you feel.

Sincerely,

Ethan W.

Street x Sprezza

Photography by Ethan W.