Gossypium—unheard, unspoken, but hardly goes unused. Otherwise known as cotton, this material has been styled in a multitude of ways, in accordance to each generation of men’s fashion.
According to senior Graham Cleven, the best dressed male as voted by the senior class of 2017, the 1970s was a decade where “men understood sex appeal.”
According to senior Christopher Cotton, who usually wears jeans and solid colored shirts, the 1980s was the pinnacle of rocker culture with thrasher shirts and ripped jeans. In 2016, men’s fashion is…
“Sad,” Cleven said. “I can’t figure out what this decade is and it honestly confuses me. I have no idea what’s trending.”
Cleven is unsure what the current generation of men’s fashion holds, but his male peers do.
Junior Dalton Romagnoli, who has been seen wearing shorts and button up shirts, is clear in how he responds to trends.
“I follow trends [on occasion],” Romagnoli said. “Honestly I like to dress kind of fratty. That’s just the way I’ve always been and it kind of rubbed off from my family.”
This fratty style Romagnoli refers to is trending at Northwood High School. Brands such as Sperry Top Sider, Patagonia, Vineyard Vines and Ralph Lauren embody this trend because of how the clothes are designed. V-neck sweaters, capri shorts, polos, button ups and dress shirts all dyed in pastel colors have defined this “fratty” look along with edgy haircuts, sunglasses, distinct socks and watches.
Senior Trevor Pister recently got a new haircut, which is in close alignment with the Mohawk haircut. Today’s Mohawk is known for its signature hair strip in the middle that varies in length depending on personal preference. Nowadays, the Mohawk is prominent among younger men all over the world. However, Pister is not a regular follower of trends.
“I’m not a hipster or someone that’s going to follow a trend or get a haircut because it’s the popular haircut,” Pister said. “I’m going to do it because I feel like it would look attractive on me, and because I would like it.”
Cleven has his reservations about what he has seen males at Northwood wear on a regular basis, whether it’s trending or not.
“I realized these almost-men—17 or 18 years olds—were dressing like seventh graders, and that’s really unfortunate,” Cleven said. “The shoes. The fact that every boy thinks he needs to wear track shoes every day of his life. You’re not an Olympic athlete. You’re not going to get up and start running [in school].”
Some male students do respond to trends to a certain extent. Freshman Greyson Snyder, who has been spotted wearing a formal blazer and bow tie, explained that he follows trends that are seasonal and will continue to recur.
“I follow some [trends] but not all,” Snyder said. “Not little things that happen like ripped skinny jeans, but more seasonal things like fall styles and darker colors and whatnot.”
“I don’t even know what [trends] are,” said Senior Nathan West, who wears the exact same outfit of beige cargo pants and a black and white plaid shirt over a black hoodie.
Regardless of how male students vary in their trends and what they wear, Cotton is certain that people should dress how they want.
“Other people’s opinions of you don’t matter,” Cotton said. “Dress yourself for you. It’s your own personal [statement] and you shouldn’t let other people get to you.”
– By Chantal Shine
