John Michael Kinney ’20 sports a dark blue pullover, which he considers an Andover staple, with faded blue jeans. He finishes his look with a leather belt, fastened with a silver buckle.
“I’d describe my style as a ‘refined’ Texan style since it’s evolved to include a Patagucci pullover to survive the all-year-round cold at Andover. I like to wear jeans and sweaters—I think they’re a nice look. Throw it all together,” said Kinney.
At home in Austin, Tex., the warm temperatures allow Kinney to dress almost exclusively in t-shirts and shorts; jackets rarely make an appearance. The cold New England weather has led him to diversify his stylistic choices, according to Kinney.
“When I first came to Andover I ordered like a ton of sweaters from L.L.Bean so I’ve been wearing those basically. You have to figure out how everything looks with a jacket. You have to figure out how everything looks with a jacket and then with the right sweater you can pull something together,” said Kinney.
Kinney also gained newfound interest in how he dresses after coming to Andover, when he realized that his parents could no longer monitor his style. He draws inspiration from his father’s dressing sense and credits his mother for teaching him how to plan his outfits.
“Earlier, my parents wouldn’t let me leave the house looking crazy, but now when I leave my dorm, I have to figure myself if I’m looking crazy or not,” said Kinney.
Kinney tests the line by maintaining Southern style and adopting East Coast style. Recently, he tried out some popular trends, but has become wary of them after an unsatisfactory experience involving shoes.
“I bought a pair of white shoes recently to follow a trend but I personally found it annoying because you have to look and stop and see where you’re walking so they don’t get muddy- which just defeats the purpose of shoes,” said Kinney.
Despite relocation to New England and a need for winter clothing, Kinney still stays true to his roots and keeps his closet filled with leather belts and flannel shirts. His wardrobe is now inspired by a combination of East Coast and Southern styles.
Henry Hearle ’20, a friend of Kinney, said, “Being from Austin, he has a constant flow of big leather belts and flannel shirts rolling through his wardrobe. He has conformed to the East Coast styles a bit. I believe he gets this refined aspect of his style from the Hamptons, where he spends most of his summers.”
Kinney also finds himself resorting to hoodies and sweatpants multiple times during the dreary months of winter for convenience.
“By February, I’m usually too tired to figure out what to wear, and everyone around me is too. So I usually just choose one jacket to go with everything or the ‘typical’ Andover outfit with the hoodie and pullover,” said Kinney.
Kinney firmly believes that a good outfit is not the only aspect of being stylish; one must be comfortable and have the confidence to carry it off.
“You have to own your outfit. If you don’t feel comfortable in whatever you’re wearing then it’ll affect how you feel for the whole day. If you’re trying to make a statement with an outfit, then you have to make sure that it’s what you really want to wear,” said Kinney.