Styled by Liz: From sports-casual to dapper gentleman

By Liz Browning | gargoyle@flagler.edu

As someone who has an eye for style and could practically make a career of shopping, I know shopping for clothes does not come easy for everyone. I want to help those individuals who struggle with the turmoils of shopping. I reached out to my peers, asked them if they would like me to help them shop and promised them that they’d have no stress and be well dressed.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve received quite a few inquiries from people, and here is how it all went down:

My shopper

Meet George Daugherty: a fellow Gargoyle editor majoring in Theater Arts. When he’s not in costume for the upcoming production, he’s wearing the typical college guy outfit – basketball shorts and a t-shirt.

Why did he need me?

For a lot of guys, including George, they need some help when it comes to buying stylish clothes and putting together a coordinating outfit.

“I’d like to get new clothes that have a bit more style to them instead of some plain old t-shirt and shorts kind of outfit,” he said.

A start to style

I decided a good place to take George was American Eagle — the same store you probably frequented at the mall with your friends in middle school. Believe it or not, the store has changed since you were 13 and carries hip clothes for millennials, especially in their men’s department.

The new George

When we first arrived, George and I discussed things he thought he could use in his wardrobe. He said he already had tons of shorts but wanted a nice pair of jeans. When I suggested a pair of chinos, he looked at me puzzled, like I was speaking another language. I explained to him that “chinos” are basically casual pants that aren’t jeans.

We went over to the pants selection and picked out a few pairs of jeans and a pair of chinos for him to try on. I took a risk and asked him if he’d consider wearing a pair of skinny jeans. As I suspected he said he’d never worn them before and was turned off by the idea. I convinced him they might look nice, and he tried them on. Let me tell you, he looked just as good as I thought he would.

When it came to shirts, I wanted to see George try on a button-down, another piece that he had never worn before. I told George when a guy wears a button-down shirt, it makes him seem more confident like he put effort into his outfit. Not to mention, the shirt style goes over well with the ladies. With that said, he agreed to try on a few and picked out this Hawaiian flower printed one, pictured here.

I wanted to show George he could still wear his traditional shorts and t-shirt look, but make it look a little more elevated. I suggested a printed t-shirt like this striped one pictured. This was surely a step up from his usual sports or logo tees. All he needed to pair with the outfit was a nice belt, and this kid would be looking fresh off the stage.

After our shopping trip, George called his mom and told her about how I helped him shop. He sent her pictures, and she was impressed with his new look. Then he thanked me, but I also believe the thanks was from his mom as well.

If you would like to go shopping with me or know someone who could benefit from a shopping trip, please email gargoyle@flagler.edu.