I remember the first time I met my boyfriend. It was 2 in the morning, and I was outside of Towson University’s library, freezing, waiting for my cousin, Gianni, and his friend to pick me up so we could go on the adventure he had persuaded me to go on. I had been studying for finals and was dressed in my comfy clothes. A Towson sweatshirt, some baggy sweats and worn out Uggs.
As I waited, I heard my cousin's hearty laughter as he ran down the street chased by a guy with a snowball in his hand. The guy wore a button-down shirt, a gray vest, a sports jacket, jeans and some brown leather boots.
He looked so ridiculous throwing the snowball at my cousin; he finally looked over to introduce himself after I shouted out Gianni’s name. And all I could think about when looking at this guy was, What a dork!
Seriously, I had never seen a guy dress so well for a minor occasion like driving around and visiting a haunted bridge. I felt so out of place in my worn-out studying clothes and felt underdressed for the night, even though we weren’t doing anything extravagant. After meeting Josh, I realized right away that his personality was high-spirited and positive, he spoke with bold words and assurance and, in a way, he intimidated me ... a lot. With that, I didn’t like him.
Now we’ve been dating for a year and a half, and my time with Josh has been more than memorable. Dating a guy with great style and charisma has taught me so much, not only about style, but also about myself. Josh has brought out the best in me, teaching me to love my own style and to go with whatever I feel like wearing. It has brought so much confidence in myself and has allowed me to embrace who I am today. Sometimes it takes someone else to bring out the best in you that you can’t see yet.
When Josh and I first started dating, I was always extremely nervous about how I looked and dressed around him. I learned right away that he had a love for magazines such as GQ and Esquire, always attaining new stylish trends from their articles and photos. He never wore sweatpants out, always had pants that matched with his shirt, and a shirt that matched with his shoes. If Josh wasn’t wearing jeans, he would be found wearing a suit, and everyone who knows Josh knows that he would find any excuse to wear a suit.
With this information in mind, I always felt that I had to dress as nicely as he did. I’ve always had a certain love and appreciation for clothing and fashion, but I never strictly followed trends or completely altered my wardrobe. But dating a man who cared about how he looked and felt in his clothing made me change how I wanted to wear clothing as well. I started choosing my outfits carefully. I chose tops that looked good with my body type. I made sure that colors matched with one another, and I wore shoes that matched the style of my outfit.
Josh started boosting my confidence by helping me realize that I had a style of my own. I loved looks that were bohemian, but also beachy and Mediterranean, so I started investing in clothes that matched that style. I started experimenting more with my makeup, bringing my outfit more to life with bright lipsticks (which I never wore) and darker eye shadows.
Even after a year and a half, Josh and I plan fancy nights out where we dress up in our best attire and go out to dinner. When we visited New York City, Josh refused to wear anything but suits — even though we went during the hot summer — and persuaded me to wear dresses at night. And while on a family cruise, we both ignored the fact that there were only two formal dinner nights and dressed in our best for all seven. It makes me feel extraordinary and prominent knowing that I can look my finest for someone who wants me to look amazing. Instead of feeling awkward and self-conscious when getting ready for special events, I now feel confident. I know that there is someone who actually cares about what I look like and wants me to look beautiful.
And on those days where I’m not 100 percent sure about how I look — if my pants don’t match my shoes, or if I think I look ridiculous in a new dress — Josh is always there to give me an honest answer. He is always attentive to detail, and while many times he tells me I look gorgeous, there are those occasions where he will tell me to pair my pants with different shoes or ask me to try on a different dress because the one I’m wearing does, in fact, look ridiculous. He would never be the type of guy who would just say “Yes, you look great” just to make me happy, he’s the type of guy who wants to instill boldness, who may see a better outcome by tweaking some things here and there. Josh makes me feel beautiful by saying that something doesn’t look great, because it allows more room for me to improve myself.
By dating Josh, I have learned what men should and should not wear. I have learned that pleated pants are not in style, that sleeve cuffs should be slightly exposed, and that the bottom button of your suit should NEVER be buttoned. However, what I’ve learned the most from Josh is that he inspires others to improve how they dress. Josh has inspired his friends to buy suits and get them tailored, he has helped people buy their first suits and pair them up with matching shirts, shoes and belts. He has even influenced my brother — the most stubborn person in the whole entire world — to start a suit collection. The beauty of seeing his creativity unfold in the style of others is so amazing in that he is bringing to life, in his own way, a masterpiece. His enthusiasm to pass his knowledge of fashion to others is a gift — a gift that will continue to grow with him as he becomes more successful in life.
While many girls have to push their boyfriends to dress in khakis for a date or urge them to wear a suit to a formal event, I find myself being the one trying to keep up after my stylish boyfriend who is never left of out from major trends, and I love it this way. Now, how many girls can say that?
