Jason Kim ’23 wears a casual green crewneck paired with khaki Chubbies shorts and finishes the look with a pair of Alexander McQueen sneakers. He creates these comfortable and simplistic looks using solidly colored pieces and a mix of casual and higher-end fashion brands.
“The aesthetic I’m drawn to is a simple, oversized hoodie, with nothing on it, […] For me, I like a more simple fit than a complex fit, sticking to the basics,” said Kim.
Over the past few years, Kim has experimented more with different color combinations, straying away from his previous style of mainly darker shades and incorporating vibrant tones such as red and green into his outfits. He feels this is a major part of what sets his fashion apart from others’, spicing up the minimalist simplicity of hoodies and sweatpants with this bold mixing of colors.
“I think over the past few years I’ve gotten more complex with it, I tried different things, two years ago I used to be more a dark color person […] but now I just mix in a little bit of blue sometimes, a little red, a little green—it’s more colorful now,” said Kim.
Though Kim usually likes casual clothing, his wardrobe is versatile and diverse, covering higher-end fashion such as Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen in addition to more casual brands such as Nike. Kim prefers Lululemon for comfort, while he likes Patagonia for more looks-based fits. He also sometimes combines casual elements such as turtleneck shirts with formal pieces such as Vivienne Westwood necklaces as a bridge between casual and formal fashion, maintaining a balanced, composed outfit.
“I’m a mix of both—two sides—the one side being, maybe some casual polo shirt, jeans, and the other side being more comfortable, like sweatpants type, Nike, hoodie type fit,” said Kim.
Whether Kim’s outfit is more casual or dressy, he’s able to artfully piece together simple yet fashionable outfits with what he has, according to Kim’s friend, Alanna Olsen ’23. Olsen added that Kim doesn’t plan outfits the night before; an integral part of his morning routine is picking his clothes for the day, being able to efficiently and effectively spontaneously compose outfits from what he has in his wardrobe.
“He’s able to put things together well, […] either when he’s dressing nice or pretty casual, but with each outfit I feel like there’s something unique about it,” said Olsen.
Kim values the unique character of his style, and looking forward into the future, finds it very important to pass on this sense of individuality in fashion to future generations.
“I hope to shine an influence to my kids when I grow up. I want to make my kids dress well, make them have their own fashion sense even if it doesn’t align with mine, encourage them to have their own sense of style,” said Kim.
