Arno Min ’19 pairs loose-fitting burgundy pants with a simple, long-sleeved tee. The words “enjoy it while it lasts” repeat themselves in a bold print along the sleeve arms. A pair of circular, thin-frame glasses perched on his nose complete his look.
“Cohesiveness is the main thing. Although [I often wear] red, black, and white—a lot of my wardrobe is like that—they don’t all necessarily go together. For instance, I probably wouldn’t wear grungy ripped jeans with a nice long coat. So I think about what matches the same sort of aesthetic style that stays within the realm of the taste that I have,” said Min.
Min cites his mother as a inspiration for his style. According to Min, he frequently went shopping with his mother when he was young, and his mother often gives him tips on what to buy and wear. As such, much of Min’s style imitates that of his mother.
“He and his mom have very similar tastes in fashion. He was telling me this story, for instance, where he really wanted this jacket. And before he even told his mom about it, she actually came home with the jacket and said ‘I thought this would look really good on you.’ They definitely share a bond because of fashion,” said Clara Li ’19, a friend of Min’s.
Min also draws inspiration from his Korean heritage and the Korean-pop fashion scene. According to Min, he doesn’t try to make a particularly bold statement, but rather pays respect to the culture of the second place he calls home.
“He gets a lot of inspiration from Korean culture, like K-Pop. He’s very involved with that kind of culture. I think he channels that into what he wears, which is really cool. He’s always had a very similar style, but it’s evolved over the course of Korean fashion,” said Brian Ko ’19, a friend of Min.
Growing up in Boston and in cold weather, Min considers his upbringing as one of the main factors for his preference for winter and fall clothing, especially long coats and jackets.
“I’ve lived in Boston for a really long time now—I think since I was six? Obviously, the cold weather does influence the way I dress. I do think I prefer winter and fall fashion over summer and spring fashion. So surviving the weather has influenced how I dressed,” said Min.
While Min does not have many statement pieces, he often shops at Uniqlo for basic clothing and at Zara for pieces that stand out, mixing and matching clothing from both brands in his everyday fashion to complement his aesthetic.
“Uniqlo is a great place to get really basic items from. They’re really consistent with what they have. There aren’t any particular statement pieces that you can get there nowadays but if you go there you’ll find something you like generally speaking. If I’m trying to find more of like a statement piece, I might shop at Zara or something if they’re on sale,” said Min.
