A Campus in Style: Lesson in personal style

I’ve never considered myself a fashion expert by any means. That seems ironic on the surface because why else would I write a weekly fashion and style column? Normally, reporting on new trends, brands and styles is my number one goal. I’ve never been in the market to advise or guide anyone on what they should wear, because everyone is truly unique with their personal styles. What is trendy and what fits for one person could look absolutely ridiculous on the next. A few weeks ago a friend of mine asked about my personal style and where I find some of the weird clothes that I wear. I decided to take a break from the usual path this column takes and share with the readers some of my personal favorite brands, styles, and things to wear daily.

On any given day, I’ll be wearing one of many unique 5 panel hats that I have from Skulls NYC. This is a brand rooted in the skate culture of the late 90s which creates great quality hats in a large number of wild prints. Patterns they have featured on hats have been kittens, strawberries, zebra print, camouflage, lemons and even a special series of hats made entirely from vintage Ralph Lauren silk scarves.

Two newer brands that I’m a huge fan of are both Nobody Special & Co. and Abakus Takeout. Nobody Special & Co. is a New Jersey based creative company which specializes in apparel, design and music. They recently released their very first collection this season and are looking to blow up this year. Abakus Takeout is a streetwear store in Philadelphia. First opened in 2008, this store has expanded into one of the most unique stores in Philadelphia. With it’s location right in the middle of Chinatown, Abakus was modeled to resemble a classic Chinese restaurant; there are ducks hanging in the windows next to sneakers and the dressing room is a converted freezer. They are stockists of many popular brands but have also released excellent collections of their own clothing.

Unlike many peers of mine, I’ve never been infatuated with the Jordan brand of sneakers. Mainly, I never bought into the hype of camping out for days in advance to be able to buy-in to some exclusive club of sneaker owners. I wear sneakers six days of the week, and they are usually some form of the Nike Air Max running collection. Some of the classic models, such as the 1 and 97, are very versatile and can pull any look together. I’ve also recently experimented with the trend of combining performance running sneakers with casual wear.

Long before the hit song blew up across the country, I was a frequenter of many local thrift shops. Thrifting can be a hit or miss experience, but the quest for finding gems is half of the fun. In the summer time, every pair of shorts I own came from cutting the legs off of pants and khakis that I’ve found thrifting. I also have collected a pretty nice supply of nylon windbreakers and jackets that saved me a bunch of money. Also, if you’re in the market for Bill Cosby-esque sweaters of Hawaiian shirts, the thrift store is where you want to go. Maybe next week I’ll find a new style I like, but these have been staples in my collection for many years now.