Meet Brody Paul, a senior, East Asian studies Major from San Francisco. I chatted with Mr. Paul about all things men’s fashion which, until now, was unchartered column territory. During our interview we talked about the West Coast/East Coast fashion divide, style in Beijing, and life in the “Dream House.”

Do you keep up with fashion trends?

“Not really. I definitely care what I look like, but I don’t pay attention to what’s “hip” and “in” it’s too much effort.”

Where do you shop?

“Usually I like stuff from Theory, Rag and Bone, there is this store Scoop that picks out good stuff from all the brands I like.”

Do you have a favorite store?

“Well lately, I’m always wearing something Lululemon. It’s always in my outfit. It’s sneaky somewhere, sometimesit’s a t-shirt… I love their stuff, because it’s starting to look like real clothes. They are the perfect traveling clothes, because they are so comfortable but I don’t look like the schlub on the airplane.”

Did your style change when you came to Dickinson?

“Definitely. There were a lot of things I never wore, that people at my high school never wore, like vests. I used to carry a messenger bag to school, but here I felt weird so I use a backpack now. It might just be Dickinson, but I’d never encountered Vineyard Vines. I had a pair of Sperry’s but I didn’t know they were a big thing. It’s a lot more casual on the West Coast.”

You studied abroad in Beijing, what was the fashion like in China?

“There were a lot of people wearing shirts and things that said stuff in English. I saw people in shirts that said “Sex” or “The Pen is Greater than Bombs.” People cared about their clothes, but the [aesthetic] was so different.”

What was the wildest outfit you saw?

“One day I was getting lunch at a food stand and there was a woman behind me in head-to-toe hot pink, cowboy boots, cowboy hat, everything was bright Barbie pink. She even had a vest with white fringe and tassels.”

Any fashion advice?

“I really just dress for myself. [My style is] what’s comfortable, what’s easy, and what’s going to work with what I’m doing that day.”

Your closet is filled with classic pieces and neutral colors, is that how you would describe your wardrobe aesthetic?

“Ya, I don’t have too many things that are flashy, I have a couple [flashy items] that I wear occasionally, but otherwise I like to keep it low-key.”

Halloween is coming up, do you have any costume ideas?

“None. Well, maybe… our house is called the “Dream House” so maybe one night we will do a Barbie and Ken thing.”

Ken with his Barbies?

“No, only Katri is Barbie, Bri is Theresa. We are based off the reality TV show “Barbie: Life in the Dream House””