Men can cultivate their style to reflect their goals, interests, and masculinity, some Hillsdale men say. 

Senior Caleb Holm said masculinity does not come from the way one dresses. 

“If you’re a man like you are, divinely and innately masculine,” Holm said. “You don’t need to become a man if you already are one.” 

Holm said true masculinity comes from a sense of self assurance that one is a man. Men should embrace who they are, instead of trying to embody a particular aesthetic. 

“Find a way to accentuate what you’ve already got, that’s really important,” Holm said. “You shouldn’t try to be something else, you should be comfortable and like the way that you were made, and the way that your tastes have been formed.” 

Holm said he likes to wear traditional workwear, monochrome outfits, and jewelry. 

Men should wear clothes that fit them, instead of trying to flatter their physique, according to Holm. 

“Don’t wear clothes that are too small for you, and don’t wear things that are too big,” Holm said. “If you’re gonna wear a big top you have to have slimmer pants, and if you’re gonna have big pants, you should wear a slimmer top.” 

According to sophomore Nicholas Bass, masculinity and style are compatible, and style can be useful.

“If style were unique only to femininity, men would still be wearing neck ruffs from the 16th century. In other words, style changes for better or worse — I would argue for worse in recent decades,” Bass said. “General ideas of masculinity are obvious, but style does not compete with those ideas, and can in some cases help to accentuate it.”

Sophomore Graham Wesbury said being conscious of his style makes him feel put together and allows him to succeed in other areas of life. 

“Dressing well is usually a reflection of your internal state of being — it’s kind of like the whole clean room thing,” Wesbury said. “So if you have a really dirty room, generally speaking, your mind might be cluttered and all over the place. Dressing well conveys a sense of being mentally put together.”

Wesbury said he became more conscious about his style in high school when he started going to the gym more often. Both his parents played an important role in the cultivation of his style, Wesbury said.

“My mom actually helped me a lot. She’d say, ‘You should wear this’ or ‘You should buy this,’ and then she’d give me a couple pieces for Christmas. I decided I liked them,” Wesbury said. “About half the sweaters in my closet are from my dad.”

Sophomore Erik Teder said his love of photography has helped him develop his fashion sense.

“A lot of good composition in photographs is about the contrast of color, shape, and pattern,” Teder said. “That’s one of my guiding principles for every outfit I put together.”

Dressing well does not have to be expensive, Teder said. Often, when it comes to clothing, quality is more important than quantity. 

“I have to give credit to my mom for teaching me how to take really good care of my laundry,” Teder said. 

Thrifting used clothes appeals to Teder because it allows him to channel his creativity, he said. 

“We have a bunch of thrift stores in our area that I really like,” Teder said. “It’s nice because when I find something, I can kind of visualize how it works with the other colors and patterns I already have. That makes it into more of a process and an art.”

Sophomore Jude Barton said the way his father dresses for work has influenced his style. 

“He always goes to the city to work, and he always looks really nice,” Barton said. “So whenever I do something that is in more of a professional environment, I’ll try to imitate what he does.”

Traditionally masculine figures, particularly in movies, tend to dress well, Barton said.

“Look at all the movies from the 1930s and 1960s,” Barton said. “You have all these extremely masculine men who look really nice. I would say that’s my goal, to imitate that era.” 

Barton said he plans to attend medical school and believes dressing well is more conducive to learning at a higher education institution.

“I believe you should dress to suit the occasion,” Barton said. “School is like work, essentially, so I try to dress nicely when I’m doing that.”

According to Bass, one can indicate respect by dressing to the best of one’s ability. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean one needs expensive clothes, Bass said.

“Wearing expensive clothes should not be the hallmark of how we define style,” Bass said.