Brody Lewis, a freshman at the U takes a bit of Colorado with him whenever he gets dressed. The Greeley native was wearing a retro fleece Patagonia sweater with an eye catching print along with a pair of tan zip-up Pacsun joggers, some rugged, waterproof Sorel boots topped off with a Poler Stuff 5 panel cap. It’s evident Brody is well aware of the culture he is emulating and supporting. “The cap is from Poler Stuff, it’s a smaller company out of Portland. They’re a kind of camping brand, sort of like Patagonia,” he said.
A detailed look of Brody’s patterned Patagonia fleece sweater.
At the core of Colorado culture is a deeply adventurous lifestyle which is reflected in Lewis’s personal style. “I would say growing up in Colorado, there’s just this sense that everyone is outdoorsy,” he said. “They always look like they can just drop everything and go do something, especially climbing.” This athletic look made to wear every day has become Lewis’s staple and represents his adventurous tendencies very well. A true athlete, Lewis came up with a considerable list of sports he’s played in the past: “I was in triathlon, cross-country, swimming. I played some soccer and hockey too.”
PLACES TO SHOP
Favorite shopping locations include Pac Sun, Urban Outfitters, American Apparel and given the correct location, thrift shops. Lewis points to one in particular located in Fort Collins, Colorado which offers a more curated selection of second-hand active lifestyle apparel. “They have a really cool thrift shop but it’s more expensive thrift clothes,” he said. “They have old North Face, Patagonia and Colombia. It’s like 30 or 40 bucks so they’re cheaper [than retail] and they’re in cool retro styles.”
SHOPPING ADVICE
Lewis offered some invaluable shopping advice for tall and slim guys like him. Unsurprisingly, Lewis buys the majority of his pants and shoes online, where sizes are much better suited to his unique body type. Being 6’4 and 185 pounds, Lewis finds the joggers offered by Pac Sun’s bullhead brand to be the best fit given they have exactly what he needs, a size 32 waist by 36 length pant. Shoes are equally as complicated:”I’m about a size 13 or 14 depending on the shoe, so in some cases they aren’t in stock at stores. That means usually having to buy online for shoes.” Finally, he has an age old trick for his t-shirts which he usually has to buy in size XL so they fit his longer frame. “Anything upper body is XL but t-shirts are usually pretty baggy so I wash and dry them so they shrink a bit.”
WARDROBE STAPLE
Hats are also a recurring item in Lewis’s wardrobe. He admitted amassing a rather sizable collection which ranges quite a lot in style. “I probably have about 40 hats, ranging from your typical snapback to your old school 5 panel hat, to your trucker hat,” he said. “When deciding which to wear I usually try and match it to whatever outfit I’m wearing. A lot of my hats I found at thrift stores. I even have one that’s a Forrest Gump hat that has a retro fit to it.”
THOUGHTS ON MEN’S FASHION
Lewis is also a major fan of the long line tees, a current trend in men’s fashion. Form fitting and added length together are a definite plus for the tall and slim. “They’ve been making the longer tops that I really like,” he said. “They’re also really easy to layer and I got a few new flannels for Christmas and they were definitely longer in the back which also keeps you way warmer.” Lewis also uses a bike as his main mode of transportation around campus and consequently appreciates the new trail joggers being released at the moment. “They’re a lot comfier too, especially when you’re riding your bike around campus and you don’t have to roll them up all the time,” he said.
However, Lewis tends to look the other way when discussing a particular fashion trend among fraternity members. “A trend I really don’t like is the whole preppy frat guy look,” he said. “I don’t like the Sperrys and collared shirt combo.”
WHAT TO INVEST IN
Boots and winter jackets stand out to Lewis as items which everyone should consider shelling out a little more for, especially when living somewhere like Salt Lake City where winter conditions can be somewhat extreme. “I would recommend getting a nice jacket,” he said. “I spent $300 on a Patagonia down-vest jacket. A nice pair of boots are important too, especially if you’re living in a place like Salt Lake where you get a lot of snow.”
STYLE INFLUENCE
Style influences were very easy for Lewis to point out, the biggest by far being his father. When speaking about his community and how many people seem to lead active lifestyles, Lewis pointed to his family as a specific example. “Same with my family, they’re very active, especially my dad who wears a lot of the same clothes as I do,” he said. “I’m for sure influenced by his style.”
@daanielsonn