Pairing a grey cashmere sweater with a crisp white collared shirt, Eugene Hughes, Instructor in French, complements his look with a pair of dark wash jeans. To complete the outfit, he wears a black peacoat and a pair of shiny black leather shoes.
“I think he is one of, if not the most fashionable teachers on campus. He calls himself Dr. Mr. Coach Hughes because he plays many different roles on campus. But he has a very unique style that you can always recognize,” says Claire Jungmann ’18, one of his students.
Although Hughes grew up in a small town in South Carolina, he resided in France for approximately three years. Through Hughes’ experiences living abroad in France, he acquired different aspects of the European culture, which he integrates it into his own style.
“[Living abroad] definitely gave me the courage to take a few chances here and there. I always think that fashion and style is kind of interesting, so that opened my horizons for different types of clothing that I might not have worn otherwise. Being open to experiencing different cultures, and seeing the way different people dress in other places has really played a big part in my style today,” says Hughes.
Over the years that Hughes has lived in Andover, his style began to adapt to the New England weather while still maintaining his French flair.
Emily Trespas, Instructor in Art and a friend of Hughes, said, “[His style is] European, whether it’s France or Spain, that’s also kind of New York City mixed with the Andover Shop.”
Hughes’ style develops as time passes. His wife, Emilie Cliquet-Hughes, Program Assistant for the Community Engagement Office, has gotten to see his transformation over the last 20 years.
“I think [style] evolves. You don’t dress that same way you did when you were 20 as when you are 40. It depends on what occasion it is as well. Maybe spark is that right word to describe [why I dress the way I do]. I don’t take that many chances in my style. Usually, I tend to dress on the more straightforward side. Outlandish colors aren’t really my first choice, but I always try to find something to make my outfit pop. For instance, if I wear a boring outfit, I’ll pair them with a pair of bright colored socks. So you can take a really boring outfit, and have one little piece that makes people go like, ‘Oh, wow,’ ” said Hughes.
Many of Hughes’ students express their enjoyment at seeing his interesting outfits and pairings.
“The one thing I can remember is that he always wears really fun socks and he’ll kind of dress up for class unlike other teachers. He’ll wear a nice suit coat or a sweater,” says Jungmann.
“He has a very distinctive style. It’s very New England preppy. He wears a lot of button downs and khaki pants. I don’t think his style is super noticeable unless you’ve been in his class for a long time, in which case it starts to become a familiar thing. When he changes it up, everyone gets really surprised,” says Adrienne Zhang ’18, another one of Hughes’ students.
