by Shashank Jejurikar ’13, A&E Editor
The art of men’s fashion tends to be largely ignored by high school students. Many don’t have the time, the will, or the motivation to change how they dress and improve their appearance. Conversely, there are a few young men in the CCDS community who exhibit exemplary style – one young man in particular. Most Upper School-ers know Edwin Sam as one of the more stylish, sharp, and suave members of the senior class. I sat down with Edwin to discuss the importance of men’s fashion in our school.
Edwin Sam was not always fashionable – as those who knew him in middle school would confirm. “In middle school I was known as the child who wore stripes and plaid all the time, which is a big fashion no-no,” admits Sam. These bad habits carried on into high school, and truly changed only during the summer before junior year, when an online article linking fashion to confidence convinced Edwin to take the initiative to improve his style. After a shopping spree in Chicago,
Edwin’s style improved drastically over a short period of time.
After a year of trying out new styles and experiencing what works and what doesn’t, Edwin went into greater detail about his process of deciding what clothes to buy. “I get most of my clothes from JCrew,” explains Edwin. “But really, I go more based on what brands to avoid than what brands I stick with. I tend to stay away from Polo, Brooks Brothers, Vineyard Vines, and Sperrys.” Incidentally, many of these clothing lines make up the staple of the traditional men’s CCDS wear. Edwin elaborates, “See, I feel that when you buy clothes or shoes from these companies, you’re buying the brand, you’re buying a logo rather than buying the clothing.”
While the importance of choosing the right brands and staying away from the wrong ones should not be overlooked, nothing in fashion is as crucial as fit. “Fit is one of the most important parts of style,” stresses Edwin. “If you wear a shirt that’s either too large or too tight it looks very unattractive, but if you can find the right fit, it looks great. You get a certain confidence from it.” Once
again, confidence lies at the core of dressing well. “Look good, feel good,” says Sam. A man who wears well-fitted clothing exhibits a swagger that’s tough to match.
After we had discussed general style, we began talking about the controversial Upper-School dress code in place at Cincinnati Country Day. According to Edwin, the dress code can be a hindrance to good fashion, as it limits the scope of choices. “There are a lot of styles with which you don’t need a collar to look well in, such as vests, cardigans, and V-necks,” insists Sam. “That’s why I think the school dress code should be looser.”
Though he makes a good case for less regulation, Edwin also acknowledges the very real concern of leaving the student with the responsibility of dressing well within a more liberal dress code. “I understand you can’t rely too much on student interpretations, because then it ends up students vs. deans, which is a problem . . . at the same time, I feel there are certain exceptions that we could make.” Regardless of the rigidity of the dress code and its restriction of alternate styles, every high school boy has the potential to dress better.
While there are those who simply do not care enough to make a change in their fashion, there are others who want to improve, but don’t know how. Many believe that becoming a more stylish person requires one to become an expert in the science and art of fashion. Edwin is adamant that this is not the case. “If you read fashion blogs and websites, you can actually learn fashion really quickly. It’s not something that takes years and years of skill to build. You can learn it in a couple of months to be honest.” It is a process of low effort and high reward. As a young man on my own journey to improving my style, I can attest to the substantial gains in confidence and appearance that one experiences. In this sense, Edwin Sam embodies an art form – one too often ignored by our community.