Boys — “Dress Outside of the Box.”

Adam DistlerStaff WriterWhen you people-watch in the city, you notice that the majority of people dress in black or darker colors. Another observation, in particular about men, is that they casually dress in the simple attire of jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers. Now, I don’t have a vendetta against dressing that way; designers create high-end looks with just jeans, t-shirts, and black colors. My point is that I find it to be a little too safe.Black: it can be bold and it can be different. Yet, something’s a bit awry when you see it everywhere; it seems to be obscuring the millions of colors and patterns that out there already. From what I’ve observed from New York’s fashion week, gem tones still seem to be recurring from last year’s styles: deep red, turquoise, royal blue, and midnight purple. If those colors don’t appeal to you, then step it up with patterns! Some of the most seemingly boring patterns can add an edge to anything. What we deem as “old man patterns,” like plaids, hound’s-tooth, can be funky if on anything outside of shirts, like Vans shoes. Be warned, some plaids can veer dangerously close to flannels; don’t look like a lumberjack spat you out, unless, of course, this is your style.That makes my next point: step outside of the box. Don’t be afraid to sport something entirely outlandish. I bought a t-shirt with bits of yarn hanging off it in patches. Some of you would cringe at seeing the sight of such garb. If you like to play it safe with a plain t-shirt and jeans though, that doesn’t mean you can’t dare to give it spunk. There are many t-shirts out there with unique graphic designs and outlandish logos and statements; just go out and look.Your average jeans can be spruced up in any possible way. The eighties continually tend to reemerge in this decade; jeans with ripped holes are always fun and in. Those jeans are a bit too drafty for you? You can add personality to them with sewn on patterned patches; you can put as many as you want on them: one, two, eighteen—whatever floats your boat. As long as it looks clean cut, you’ll look trendy rather than a hobo. Do and wear whatever makes you feel most comfortable to you and not what comforts others. Try to let that freak flag fly, even if you’re only wearing those jeans with a black t-shirt!