Very Will

My brother, Will, is perhaps the most stylish man that I know. Growing up, I viewed Will as always put together and always very, very, VERY stylish. He is seen this way by most everyone who knows him – I just so happened to be fortunate enough to be his little sister. His strong sense of personal style started when he was young. My parents would style him head to toe in Ralph Lauren as a kid and he still carries his love for Ralph Lauren with him today. Will has most certainly dealt with negativity and judgement towards his style by people who were threatened by his confidence in himself. However, he remains completely unbothered and continues to wear the things he likes, which is something most people would not be able to do. He is one of the most confident people I know, which is something I have great respect for.

I have two words: Ralph. Lauren. If there is anyone who Will could be influenced by with his fashion, which is rare, it is Ralph Lauren. The timeless, all-American, preppy, clean look; that is Will. One thing that Will and the Ralph Lauren brand have in common is that their style is not so much fashionable as it is confident and personal. I watched the “Very Ralph” documentary with Will once (if you haven’t seen it, you totally should), and I found so many similarities between Ralph Lauren and my brother when it comes to fashion. Ralph Lauren mentioned in the documentary that he was never one to follow the fashion trends; that he just knew what he liked to wear, so he wore it. Will is the same way – he knows what he feels good in, so he wears it. I think Ralph Lauren inspired Will so much in that aspect and it has allowed Will to have so much confidence in his personal style. He has never once cared what someone’s opinion is of him, nor does he try to follow the trends being set by someone else. He is secure enough in himself and the style that he so naturally has, that he is never concerned with judgement from others or fear of what people will think. This has been such a beautiful thing to watch over the years; he set a great example of confidence in personal style and being true to yourself.

This all sounds so cliché, I know, but it is true. It appears his style was something that never wavered. He was never once insecure in what he was wearing, and if he was, you couldn’t tell. I remember being out with him one day when someone made fun of his outfit, I still remember what he was wearing. He had on a preppy blue and white striped sweater halfway tucked into his jeans and sneakers. He looked great! A grown man walked up to Will and made a rude remark about his stylish outfit. I was speechless. If someone had said that to me, I would have gone home to change and maybe even never worn the outfit again! That was not the case with Will. He laughed at the comment and wore it confidently the rest of the day and many more times after that. I was not surprised; I knew that was just how much confidence he had. Another instance happened when I was in elementary school. I overheard a group of kids his age talking about him and saying mean things based off the clothes he wore. I was sick over what I heard for days until I finally told him what was said because I couldn’t keep it from him any longer. Again, he laughed. There were so many instances just like this and at the time I just couldn’t understand why people would be so mean. Looking back now I can see exactly why those people were saying those things about him. They were jealous not only of the clothes he had, and they didn’t, but also the confidence he possessed, and they didn’t. He could see that all along, which is why it never bothered him.

With all these things being said, I would love to highlight that with the confidence Will has maintained through the years, he can honestly put on anything he wants to now and look amazing. After having years of developing his personal style with no second thought of someone else’s opinion, he truly is one of the most fashionable people to so many, myself included. He embodies confidence and personal style so well – he can wear anything he wants and feel great. Therefore, Will is such an inspiration to me and has been throughout my career as a fashion student so far. He is a true fashion icon in my book, and I will always have so much admiration for his personal style. May we all be like Will and wear what we like, with no fear of the opinions of others!