Welcome to the Cable Knit Collegian! Before any further introductions, I'd like to thank An Affordable Wardrobe, Maxminimus and The Natural Aristocrat, above all, for inspiring me to finally extend my thoughts beyond the constraints of blog comments. Many things have led me to this point. I hope to inspire anyone who reads this blog to think deeper, dress more creatively, and simply enjoy the little things in life.
I recently turned 22. Not even two years ago, I was not much more than the standard collegian in terms of style credentials and confidence. I wore American Eagle and Abercrombie. Those were the big two for me, before Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers came to the forefront of all my sartorial choices.
Growing up, I followed all the fashion trends a boy could pursue. I had my years in loose shirts and jeans, , band tees and black chinos (of course at the time, I had no idea what chinos were), and even Hawaiian shirts and cargo shorts (though never with hippie sandals). Not until my junior year of high school did things start to turn around. The son of a single, school-teaching mother, I felt I never had the money to even concern myself with true style. My many rich friends started dressing like their fathers, wearing Ralph and Lacoste polos on a daily basis with chinos and boat shoes. I did my best to compete, picking up my things from Walmart and such. I lost weight at the start of college and saved up the extra cash to start buying from the likes of American Eagle to fit in even more.
Coming home the summer after my freshman year, I went thrifting for the first time on a whim. I recall going to yard sales, flea markets and antique shops with my parents when I was a young boy. Going thrifting brought back the memories of those times and allowed me to reminisce on my own past, while giving me the ability to build a future from other people's old memories and things given up. I began finding Polo and Brooks galore. A world that had long been closed to me opened up and my venture into true style emerged.
So over the past two years, I've learned to appreciate the past more than ever. I've come to realize what being an adult is all about. I've certainly learned, and will continue to learn how to best dress myself in the classic style we should all aspire to capture.
Scott Alexander
