With a peacoat draped over his chair, a new quilted jacket tied around his waist, and his computer open to a tab of Nordstrom’s men’s clothing, Fashion Lover of the Month senior Ben Poulios can often be found during his free periods online shopping and hanging out with friends.
Ben’s love of fashion comes from how it allows him to express himself and stand out in a crowd. “I started becoming interested in fashion when I came to KO because at my middle school we had a uniform, which was the same thing every day,” Ben said. “Then I came to KO and although you mostly wear khakis every day, you can wear a certain jacket or switch up other parts of your outfit to make it unique.”
Ben’s perfect outfit is one that he creates himself and did not copy from a trend. He recommends using a pattern in your outfit to make it pop. Ben’s favorite part of an outfit is the jacket. “I love jackets because they can really make an outfit stand out while also dressing it up a lot,” Ben said.
Ben does not find it too difficult to create stylish and chic outfits that still are within the KO dress code. The only part of the dress code that limits his fashion is the prohibition of jeans. “I love wearing jeans on the weekends, and I like to wear different colored jeans too,” Ben said.
Even though he does not copy trends, Ben still keeps up with global fashion, as any true fashion lover would. His favorite fashion event is New York Fashion Week. “I hope to see a New York fashion week show one day,” Ben said. Besides events, his fashion idol is Tom Ford. “He always wears really great suits and always looks so stylish,” Ben said.
Ben’s favorite places to shop include Nordstroms, DSW, American Eagle, and Tom Ford. “Tom Ford is probably my favorite brand,” Ben said. “It is expensive, really nice quality, and has good styles of clothes.” He recommended checking out the jackets and shoes on the Tom Ford website.
A pro shopping tip from Ben is to take advantage of the rewards programs at your favorite stores. He uses the “DSW bucks” and all the coupons American Eagle sends him to get great deals on many shoes and clothes he would have otherwise had to buy for full price. By being a savvy shopper, Ben is able to save money on basic attire and then can splurge on bigger items like a new jacket from Nordstrom.
Ben said his advice to everyone, fellow fashion lovers or not, would be to stop following trends and find your true style.
