My new style

I've gone through something of a transformation lately. I seem to have discovered a sense of style. I think I am now solidly on the path of metrosexuality.

First, let me give you a brief history of my style. I apologize in advance for not having any pictures to illustrate this story. When I was a wee lad, I had no style. I think I liked wearing those zip-up pajamas (you know, the ones with the "slippered" feet) as much as possible. I wore whatever my mom bought for me at thrift stores. This continued through high school and until I went on an LDS mission to Brazil. Yes, I said THROUGH high school. I had no idea what to wear in high school. I'd wear XL shirts (I now wear L, which fit me comfortably, and I am 50 lbs heavier than what I was in high school--and the same height). They literally hung off me. I'd wear pants that would taper at my ankles, and were often too short. I must have been one awkward looking kid. I wonder how I ever got a date. My mission style wasn't too wild. White shirts, ties, suits. You know the drill.

Then I came home off my mission. My new mission was to find a girlfriend/wife, and to do that I needed some style. I started going to the gym. I discovered stores like Old Navy and Ross. I bought some "stylish" and gently used clothes off ebay. Slowly, my personal wardrobe grew. After a couple years of no girlfriend/wife, I decided I needed to up my game a bit. So I forged ahead into new stores like Pac-Sun and American Eagle. I thought I could pull off some kind of punk/skater/preppy style (while maintaining a conservative haircut) even though the longest I ever stayed upright on a skateboard was 30 seconds or so. Still no girlfriend/wife after a year or so of that, so then I decided it was time for stores like the Buckle and Eddie Bauer. The Buckle typically had jeans that fit me, so that was a big plus, and to this day I still like some of their shirts. Around this time I think I finally got a girlfriend. So something must have worked.

The last couple years I haven't done much clothes shopping. My wardrobe had become dull and stagnant. I was tired of wearing the same stuff over and over each week. So recently, I have taken the plunge into metrosexuality (I considered myself an amateur, previously) by becoming a patron of stores like Banana Republic and.....wait for it.....NORDSTROM'S. At BR I found quite possibly my favorite jeans of all time, and a nice horizontal-stripe polo (optical illusion to make skinny guys look broader...haha). At Nordsrom's, I bought my first pair of jeans priced over $200, and probably my first pair of shoes priced over $100. I was told there's no turning back now. Once you get the good stuff, you can never settle for anything less than the best. So basically, I'm doomed. Hopefully all the money I save by buying all my food in bulk from Costco will offset the inevitable black hole I am bound to create in clothes purchases.

And check it out, after buying those jeans from BR (they are a tighter, slimmer fit than any other jeans I've ever had), I read the following from the fashion section of my Men's Health magazine: "The great thing about a lanky guy is that he can wear slim-cut jeans without it seeming too skinny or punk-rockish. . . . Stay away from baggy jeans: Relaxed fits will devour you alive."

That very day I had worn some relaxed fit jeans (that, incidentally, I had recently purchased at the Buckle) and noticed how they didn't look nearly as nice as my BR jeans. I wondered what the deal was. And this was the answer. So now I have entered a new era of "slim-cut" jeans. I never thought I would be able to wear them without looking like I belonged in an emo band. But already I've gotten complements on how much nicer they look than my regulars. I guess being skinny isn't all that bad? (oh, update: I'm up to 202 lbs now)

One last thing: I've also rediscovered the faux-hawk. I experimented with this a few years back but never really stuck with it. But I'm actually digging it and think I just needed to style it right, which I didn't do in the past.

Say hello to Orange County's newest metrosexual! (minus the tan)

p.s. No, I am not gay.