Introducing Spencer

Within minutes of meeting us, 31-year-old Spencer has broken down and confessed all: “I’m a classic undercover nerd”, he tells us, laughing. He secretly enjoys reading, video games and shopping, while outwardly he is a regular gym-goer and loves to dress up and go out with friends. He lives with his boyfriend Michael and their lazy Irish Setter FireFox [definitely a nerd] in a spacious second-story unit in a duplex with a finished attic [“so we have plenty of space to get away from each other when someone gets annoying”] in the suburbs of Western Massachusetts’ Pioneer Valley, where he works with veterinary hospitals, a world he’s been employed in since he was 19.

Almost everything in their distinctly homely home is grey or blue, with some colorful oil paintings from Cambodia. Michael’s parents are from there, and he brought back some original canvas paintings from visits home; their collection has only grown as friends have gifted them paintings from their travels there. It’s the perfect cozy setting for Spencer’s voracious appetite for reading; a pastime he admits to taking up specifically because he resented being told what he could and couldn’t read at school. He’s currently revenge reading Edge Dancer by Brandon Sanderson. That’ll show them.

Let's start with having you explain your style to us, Spencer...

My overall style is clean and intentional. Every combination I choose is intended to make me look put together (I promise it isn’t just an illusion though lol).  My fashion choices are consistently fitted, and when I’m piecing them together will always have a star piece. An article that is meant to draw the most attention. Whether this is a trendy patterned shirt, or a sleek pair of Chelsea boots.

Would your friends describe your fashion/style any differently do you think?

They might say “tight” instead of fitted, in some cases lol! But otherwise, I think they can see what I’m putting out there.

Who inspires you style-wise when it comes to your career closet?

One person that I have always been inspired by [and maybe a little envious of at times] is Hasan Minhaj. He does a really great job of bringing some casual-inspired pieces into his more formal/professional looks. He also has a very long, skinny body which I have found from personal experience is not easy to shop for! Not only can certain patterns be more challenging to pull off when your body is longer, but it is simply more challenging to find clothes that fit. There are large, short sizes. Or large, long sizes. Even skinny, short sizes. But it’s hard to find skinny, long sizes. That he’s always dressed impeccably despite that impresses me.

In the public eye, whose style do you admire and are influenced by?

Hasan Minhaj – much of what inspires me about his style I mentioned above. What sets him apart from the others I chose though, is that he blends casual with more formal pieces of his wardrobe really well. Even when he’s wearing a fully casual outfit, it still looks INTENTIONAL. 

I like Tan France and Robert Sepúlveda Jr. Both Tan and Robert dress in ways that I really aspire to. Similar to Hasan, their outfits always give the impression of intention. They picked each piece of that outfit for a reason. They wear some fantastic clean lines, with bold patterns. I especially love some of Robert’s event looks where he has some looser fitted pants with a cinched waist. I haven’t found a pair of pants that has the same effect on me, but if I do I will throw all of my money at them.

If you could ‘steal’ one person [in the public eye’s] closet, whose closet would you steal and why?

Robert Sepulveda Jr. has such an eclectic closet, and many of his outfits are things I dream of wearing. It’s my inspiration closet!

Is there anyone else you want to bring up whose style you love or anything else you want to mention?

I recently discovered Simu Liu after watching him in Kim’s Convenience, and I’ve been following his style pretty closely over the last few months as he’s gained more fame ramping up to his new Marvel movie. His style seems more playful with some of the pattern choices than I’ve tried in the past, but I love the looser shirt with the fitted black slacks and am looking to create a look inspired by it.

Where are the other places you’re getting style/fashion influence from?

1. GQ – I follow GQ on pretty much all of the platforms. From magazine, to Instagram profiles (yes, plural), and their different newsletters. 

2. Instagram – Stores, hashtags, Discover, celebrities. I follow a wide variety of profiles to get a wider variety of inspiration. 

3. Visiting brick & mortar Stores – Even though I can’t always find clothes to fit me, I get inspiration from looking (plus when I can’t find my size in store their respective apps normally let you scan it to find it quickly). It’s not just seeing the clothes on the rack though, but seeing the other people shopping. I’ve seen plenty of other men in the store who have either been wearing something that inspired me, or seeing them pick up an item that I was on the fence about has swayed me. 

Thinking about your closet, what percentage of your clothing is professional versus casual? How much of your wardrobe is given over to clothing you wear to look professional?

My closet is probably 70% casual (but mostly something that could be “business casual”), and roughly 30% professional. Over the last few years, I have primarily worked remotely, which has put more of an emphasis on casual wear since it tends to be more comfortable, especially when seated for 8 hours a day.

What does ‘looking professional’ mean to you? How do you carry out and perfect that look? 

Looking professional is more about the style of the look than just the fashion pieces. And the point of looking professional is to look trustworthy, to look reliable. Back to my obsession with fitted clothing – if it’s baggy you look sloppy. If you’re perceived as sloppy, can you be trusted to meet deadlines? Are you going to be available when that VIP client has an emergency? I like to err on the side of caution and not wear too many patterns when aiming to look professional. Pick one – too many can be too chaotic for the more conservative corporate world’s perception of you. Pair that with a fitted pant and a loafer. The loafer doesn’t have to be formalbut something other than a tennis shoe. I’ve seen some really clean looks paired with a sneaker, but I haven’t mastered that balance myself yet.

Thinking about those professional pieces in your wardrobe, what are the most important, staple pieces for you? The pieces that you wear time and time again and tend to replace?

The main top pieces that I keep up to date are pique polos. These have so much versatility! You can pair them with jeans for a casual event outside of work, or with a pair of slacks for work. You can pick a solid color and spice it up with a patterned pinstripe pant, or it can be the centerpiece of the outfit and have a retro diamond pattern with a more reserved pant. I have a solid pair of tan-khaki chinos as my most important pant staple. I’ve worn these to conventions where I had to speak, I’ve worn them to introductory meetings with potential partners, and I can wear them to group get-togethers for most occasions. When I need something a little preppier, I have some heather grey slacks that accentuate any shirt. It’s hard to pick a shirt that won’t look good with them. Recently, I have been super intrigued by drawstring slacks though, and I’m looking to add a few pairs to become staples of my professional wardrobe. 

Where are your three favorite stores to shop in for your career closet?

Express 

J. Crew

Banana Republic

What is it about these stores that make them your favorite/preferred place to shop?

Firstly, the touch quality of the clothes. If there’s one thing that drives me crazy, it’s an itchy shirt. I know it sounds weird, but it’s a big deal to me. 

The other thing I like about these stores is the overall style that they cater to. J. Crew and Banana Republic are reliable for my more conservative staples – solid colored shirts that feel great and fit great. 

Express has a slightly more modern style though, with some fresher patterns that I feel give me more variety. I also rely on Express pretty heavily for pants. While no store reliably carries pants in my size [especially in brick & mortar], Express regularly has more options that fit true to size online. That’s a huge deal!

Does the experience of those stores matter to you too?

Oddly, I think that I’ve moved away from caring about the store experience over the last few years. As I’ve learned to shop for clothes that have a more flattering fit on my body, I have primarily started shopping online. I would love a store that catered to experience though. When I think of shopping at Apple, I would love to see that approach translated to my shopping experience when looking for clothes.

Going a little more specific, what are your top five favorite brands and why?

Out of a desire to seem more informed on my purchases than I am, I wish I could even list 5 brands outside of the above “stores” but I don’t actually know more than what in the pictures and the price tag attached to it. At the end of the day, I’m another millennial coping with entering the job force during the worst economy since the Great Depression. The most important things for me are accessibility, the price tag, and how I feel and look in an outfit. Beyond that I haven’t been able to invest in more knowledge of the products I shop.

Thinking about your ‘career closet’, what part can your clothes play - if any - in helping you do your job even better?

My outfit makes a huge difference in my professional performance, and I have different go-to’s depending on the occasion. When I’m presenting to a new vet hospital we’re partnering with, I usually choose a polo and slacks. I want them to see that I’m professional and project that I know what I’m doing [also I do know what I’m doing lol], but it keeps me looking approachable. If I’m presenting to my c-suite executives, I’m going to opt for something a little more formal – button-up,  tie, slacks, maybe a jacket or cardigan. And when I’m doing my day to day remotely, I’m going to wear something that looks clean. More often than not, this is a solid crew cut t-shirt. When you're presenting over ZOOM, there are really very few details that stand out. What’s most important for me when working remotely though is that I have shoes on, which is a controversial topic in my household! I feel immensely more productive when I’m wearing shoes! But I’m often told that we live in an Asian household and so we do not wear shoes in the house [to be fair, the household is only half Asian, and only a third if you count the dog as a person which I do!].

What are your top priorities when it comes to buying new items of clothing?

Fit, Versatility, Comfort, Quality, Cost.

And why do those things matter to you in the order they do? 

Fit – I’m buying clothes for the body I have, not as a stretch goal for me to work to. It’s important that when I buy clothes, they fit me well, which ultimately makes me feel more confident.

Versatility – It’s not just important that I be able to wear clothes for different functions at work, I want to be able to wear them for different occasions outside of work. 

Comfort – I need my clothes to feel good when I’m wearing them! The fabric should be soft and ideally be lightweight. I struggle with chronic warmness and nothing shakes my confidence more than breaking out in a sweat when I’m not working out! 

Quality – Being that my last one is cost, it should come as no surprise that quality plays a factor. I want something that will last me. Not just because I can’t necessarily afford to replace favorite pieces regularly, but also because I don’t want to have to. When I find something I like, I want to hold onto it! 

Cost – I’m fortunate enough to have a job that keeps me comfortable and affords me opportunities to shop both for necessities but also for desirables, but I’m pretty far from the 1% still. I’m not afraid to pay for quality when it’s an important staple, but don’t be surprised if I’m biding my time waiting for a sale.

How many pairs of shoes, any shoes, do you own?

As of today, I have 23 pairs of shoes, including my not so fashionable cycle cleats. 

If you had to split them up into categories and write a percentage next to them [what, math!] what would that look like?

Athletic (Tennis Shoes, Trainers, Running Shoes) – 30%

Formal (Wingtip, Loafers, Oxfords) – 30%

Casual (Sneakers, Slip-ons, Flip Flops) –  25%

Boots (Chelsea, Hiking, Snow) – 15%

What type of shoe would we typically find you in, if you there is a ‘typical shoe’ for you?

My typical shoe is going to be one of my pairs of Allbirds whenever I can get away with it. They aren’t flashy, but they’re extremely comfortable and lightweight. Plus, they’re machine washable. So if I get them dirty, I can throw them in the washer and they’re good as new.

What are the most important things for you when it comes to buying your favorite kind of shoe?

I’m a little self-conscious about my feet! Even though they’re not big, I’m convinced they look big in the wrong kind of shoes. 

What about your favorite brands for shoes? Who do you always end up going to?

Allbirds for casual shoes and sneakers. 

Clarkes, Kenneth Cole, Express, and Aldos for my loafers. 

Aldos and H&M for my Chelsea boots.

Rainbows for my flip flops.

Why are these your favorite brands do you think? 

They’re comfortable and, importantly, they’ve lasted me a long time. I’ve had my first pair of Allbirds for three years now, and they’re just as comfortable as the day I unpacked them. They also tend to not require breaking in! Some of these shoes I buy with the intention of wearing them for a special event. I would find it challenging to find a look that goes with blue velvet loafers to wear to the Stop & Shop to pick up some grapes.

And what about your favorite shoe stores, again - on or offline? What makes them your favorite stores?

Allbirds – it’s online only with a significant emphasis on reducing their carbon footprint. They sent me a pair of shoes that I love, and I can feel better that it didn’t have a negative impact on the environment.