Sidewalk Style: Modern Gentleman

Soo Park, 27
Senior, Marymount University (major in fashion merchandising;
vice-president of the Fashion Club)

What he’s wearing: Dior Homme wool flannel jacket, Zara dark-blue polka-dot shirt, Emporio Armani pants, Fendi pocket square, YSL belt, A. Testoni “Chelsea” boots, Tom Ford black tortoise glasses.

Describe your style. “Fashion forward but not too edgy. I stick with basic styles and add some extra fun, colorful items. Preppy with a trendy twist.”

Favorite designers? “Tom Ford, because he represents how a gentlemen should dress; Balenciaga, because the structure of the clothes and Spanish flair appeals to me; and John Galliano, because he’s not afraid to express his craziness—his clothes are so artistic. And the Blonds, because they create something that’s almost like a fantasy and so imaginary. Their clothes are so unique and truly a fashion fairy-tale.”

What would you like to add to your wardrobe for spring?
“Pastel-colored suede lace-up driving shoes from Tod’s; a colorful silk scarf; a pocket square with a colorful print; fun cufflinks; monogrammed velvet slippers from Stubbs & Wootton; a leather briefcase—Goyard is always nice, but any brand would do; custom-tailored flannel suits from Kiton; tailored extreme cutaway collared cotton shirt from Tom Ford; black patent-leather Clichy or Declic from Christian Louboutin—the curve is amazing to look at.”

What’s the “look” at Marymount?
“As the college is very diverse, there are many different looks. Certainly, hooded sweatshirts with a college logo never go out of style on a college campus. Many styles can be seen on campus, including vintage, bohemian, hippy, casual, preppy, and that Hollywood look always seems to be popular with the girls. There aren’t many guys in the fashion department, so it’s hard to categorize the men’s fashion statements other than athletic uniforms and flip-flops with cargo pants.”

Where do you shop?
“In DC, Everard’s Clothing has a great selection of menswear, the general department stores (Saks, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s), Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, Leesburg Premium Outlets, Filene’s Basement (‘who doesn’t like discount?’), Zara, American Apparel, Club Monaco, and United Colors of Benetton/Sisley. Online, eBay (‘you can get whatever you want’), Bluefly.com, Barneys.com, JackSpade.com, ELuxury.com, Polo.com, Thomaspink.com, and dann-online.com.”

Rachel says: I love Soo’s updated take on gentlemanly classics. I especially like the way his pocket square has that loose, not-quite-folded thing going on. That and the edging make it look almost like a bloom.