Profiles: Alexanderburgh — “Nice-boy core” and Fashion as Self-care
‘“Fashion’ for me is a daily affirmation, and a motivator to stay in shape and care for myself.”
Alex (IG@alexanderburgh), soon-to-be lawyer, nice boy and master of the “look twice” fit. Creep his feed and at first glance everything looks clean cut and well executed without being too out there. Take a more detailed look though and you’ll notice subtle details that elevate his looks.
Apparel and Attire sat down to chat about dressing for who he is, “look twice” fits and more.
Let’s kick it off! Why do you care about clothes?
My aim in dressing myself is to stand apart without sticking out.
I want my clothes to reflect who I am, which is a 20-something student with a house and wife, not a rockstar, longshoreman, or person who knows how much cocaine costs.
It’s been called “nice-boy core” and that’s a label I’ll happily self-apply.
I got into clothes a couple of years ago after losing a lot of weight. I’d been a style-forum lurker for years at that point but never really had the confidence to participate in WAYWT or wear nice clothes.
‘Fashion’ for me is a daily affirmation, and a motivator to stay in shape and care for myself.
I love the stories that can be told by material culture, and am big on thrifting, but I also really value the cleanliness and organization of my home. So rather than accruing clutter I stick to the clothing racks and try to keep improving my wardrobe, while donating or selling things I no longer wear.
And what does being a “nice boy” mean?
I love striking up conversations with strangers, baristas, cashiers, etc. — something I got from my dad. Looking put together yet friendly definitely helps, and hopefully reflects my disposition!
So, we of course have to talk about this fit.
I think the EG shawl is a perfect example of something that looks a little out there but is really just a scarf with buttons. The grey wool herringbone also helps it feel less like cosplay and more like something that just makes sense in a city that gets a lot of snow and rain! My goal in experimentation is to create outfits that you maybe have to look at twice to notice that there’s anything different about them. The Universal Works Noragi is another great example of that. At first glance it’s basically an olive chore coat, but the details keep it interesting for me.
I think I really started to incorporate the shawl in earnest this past winter, after about a year of being afraid of it. That started more of an interest in Engineered Garments which led to the floral bedford, which I think is the first thing I bought that’s just blatantly and indefensibly weird.
This is another example of Basic Bastard But: side tab pants rather than normal chinos, popover instead of OCBD, and then of course all the subtle weirdness of a bedford.
How else do you see yourself exploring the “look twice” aesthetic? Are there any other “cape-esque” details you’d like to explore?
I think this fall will be interesting because I’m going from a biz-caz office to my first semester of law school. The lack of dress code will definitely open up some more opportunities.
The next frontier is definitely jumpsuits tho. I’m always on the look out for the right one when I’m thrifting. Jump suit and a cape, you heard it here first. A jumpsuit is like the highest rise trouser you can get, basically.
So where does it all go from here? We’ve talked about clothing exploration but is there an end goal with your style? How will your style shape for a law related career?
I think the end goal is to only own things I love enough to wear to shreds.
A few months ago I was sitting in a bar here in PGH talking to jerichokilo and I told him I miss being a kid and having a single pair of sneakers that you just destroyed over a school year. When you get into fashion you often end up acquiring a bunch of new and varied clothing, which is great, but actually wearing out and being present for the entire lifespan of every garment in one’s wardrobe — that’s definitely a goal.
I know some people are really into flipping things and having a ‘liquid wardrobe’ so to speak, but I’d rather acquisition just be a single step in the process rather than the whole point. There are a handful of things that I wear right now that I’m pretty sure I’ll have until they’re unwearable, hopefully that’s my whole closet eventually.
At this point I have no idea what sort of office environment I’ll end up in. I’ll definitely be doing my own thing wherever I end up though. I just bought my first suit and while I did get a conservative dark navy color I knew I wanted no belt loops, a natural shoulder, pleats, etc. Dressing for a more conservative environment doesn’t mean you also have to look like everyone else.
Alex’s point rings true, fashion is self-care. Wearing something that makes you happy throughout the day is a favor that we can all do for ourselves.
Acquisition isn’t the name of the game, a deeper enjoyment and appreciation for one’s wardrobe can come from using and wearing garments until they are truly worn.
How do you practice self-care with clothing? What are your favorite worn garments?
