This Valentine’s Day, many men will be expected to look sharp and to dress to impress. Whether a man is trying to wow his date and just be stylish, Seton Hall students shared their tips.
Jason Abraham, a freshman biology major, said students should carry themselves with confidence.
“Just be yourself,” Abraham said. “Wear whatever you want if you think it looks good. Just rock it, don’t be scared and just ask your friends.”
Abraham said that everyone has a unique style and taste, and thus students should make sure that they look their best, according to their own standards.
Joey Wu, a freshman biology major, said that he often finds men wearing expensive pieces of clothing that, in his view, are only worn for their price tag, a trend he believes to be quite silly.
“I do think that when I see certain shoes or when something is trying to be super fancy, and you can tell costs a lot of money, in the end, [it] just doesn’t work,” Wu said. “They’re just shoes, man. You don’t need to spend that much money, you don’t need to worry about that.”
Milan Patel, a freshman biology major, said that slightly dressing up could impress a student’s significant other. Patel explained his outfit plans for Valentine’s Day.
“I think I’m going to wear a button-up to go to New York with my girlfriend,” he said.
Some men find beards as another area of attention to focus on for grooming.
Patel said that he wanted to look nice for Valentine’s Day while still being consistent with his everyday sense of style. Patel also gave a few recommendations on places to shop. “I would suggest H&M and Zara, but I also really like Banana Republic,” Patel said.
Patel also detailed his hair routine. He explained that blow-drying before using hair products worked best for him.
“I just think that blow-drying keeps the hair up longer,” Patel said. “If I just gel it, just after getting out of the shower, it just doesn’t stay the way I want it to. Blow-drying gives my hair the form I want.”
He added that no matter how one styles his hair or what one wears, confidence is the most important piece of any outfit.
“Just be confident in what you wear,” Patel said. “I think confidence is the best thing to have when it comes to fashion. You can rock anything if you’re confident about it.”
Sean Scally, a freshman chemical engineering major, said that having a good outfit does not need to be complicated. He said that often a simple assessment of color-compatibility will go a long way.
“Sometimes people wear clothes that just don’t match, and it looks bad,” Scally said. “It’s important to coordinate, especially with shoes.”
Some men find beards to be an additional area of aesthetic attention. Kevin Mathew, a freshman biology major, said that he has had a beard since the end of eighth grade, and is thus quite experienced in maintaining facial hair. To look sharp, Mathew said he trims his beard once a week, giving special attention to maintaining a defined shape. Trimming is not the only component of a sophisticated beard, he said.
“I actually shampoo it whenever I shampoo my hair,” Mathew said. “Occasionally I use coconut oil. I tried beard oil, but didn’t like it. Also, whenever it’s super long and gets frizzy, I have a cream that I use to push down the hairs.”
For Kadean Dennis, a junior finance and marketing major, hair is no less important than shoes, pants or a shirt. He said that while many men wash their hair every day, it might be wiser to lessen the washing because it can often cause hair to lose natural oils that characterize healthy hair.
Dennis also made note of an often-overlooked wardrobe component. “One of the most underrated parts of the outfit is the socks,” Dennis said. “People always recognize the socks, so having a pair that pops really adds life to the suit.”
He added, “Everyone has their own unique style. Just because I may not wear an outfit a certain way does not mean it’s a mistake.”
Liam Brucker-Casey can be reached at liam.bruckercasey@student.shu.edu.
