Every week, The Pioneer searches out Whitties who bring an extra splash of fashion consciousness and sartorial daring to campus. This week’s Style Spotlight: junior biology major Tom Vogt.
Style Soundbites
“I have a lot of different interests,–– bike racing, being outdoors––and I don’t have a lot of money on the side for investing in fashion, so I tend to trawl a lot of vintage stores at home in Portland. So many of my most interesting pieces tend to have once been someone else’s. The jacket, I know that it’s Italian, but otherwise I’m not really sure. I feel like as tweed jackets go, this one is unique because it has these nice suede elbow patches. It’s really comfortable; it’s a great piece for fall and spring especially. The vest is another vintage store find in Portland. I think that vests are kind of an underused piece of menswear, because they can be very slimming and they really accentuate an athletic build, which is something that a lot of Whitman guys have, because we tend to be a pretty active campus.”
“The tie was a gift from my brother; he’s a graphic designer, and so when he gives Christmas gifts, he usually likes to design packaging for them, as though they’re from some fictional company. I think that the skinny tie can sometimes scream ‘hipster,’ which isn’t always the look I’m going for, but I think the combination of the skinny tie with the more rustic tweed jacket is a nice look.”
“The shoes are local; I bought these a few weeks ago from Door Number Two, the vintage store next to the Colville Street Patisserie downtown. I was really attracted to this kind of rich terra cotta color that they have . . . loafers are super convenient, you don’t have to tie anything up in the morning. I think that the combination of the reds in the leather work as well with a pair of blue jeans as they would with a grey or a blue suit. I love this belt––this is probably circa 1940s L.L. Bean. The bag is from a Seattle company called Filson; they’ve been making outdoor and workwear since the 1890s––always made in Seattle––which I really appreciate. It’s interesting that brands like Filson or Pendleton are undergoing kind of a renaissance in menswear––things that are seen to have heritage to them, or authenticity, are very popular right now.”
“I think if there’s one key to pulling off a beard, it’s that you have to avoid looking like you’ve just forgotten to shave. The key to that is what most people call manscaping, or grooming. I think if you keep your beard trimmed to an even length and maybe trim some stray hairs, it lets people know you’re doing the beard intentionally and you’re not just getting lax in your personal grooming. But I find [beards] to be way more convenient . . . it’s like having a blanket on your face.”
