Tyler Barto

The ever fashionable Tyler Barto was my first complete interview and although in the presence of such a stylish young man, and on top of that a journalist, was daunting. However, our interview went swimmingly, Thanks Barto!

How did you define your style in Middle-High School? (Essentially, did you dress in a specific way because of the style and did you consider yourself to be stylish?)

It was very conformist, I was the typical mall shopper for pubescent boys--American Eagle was 7^th grade, 8^th grade was Abercrombie & Fitch, then Hollister was the rave, then Urban Outfitters became a thing. I was killin' the game.

Tyler, "killin' the game." ;) 

What do you see your style as now?

I definitely don’t take many risks, I am a big fan of the polo or button down shirt and khakis look. I’ve started to branch out—I never used to wear suspenders, cardigans, things like that. I define [my style] now as a mid-20 year old who hasn’t started to totally think on their own, The main places I shop are H&M and The Gap. I'm starting to think more independently about where I get my inspiration for style from.

The Tyler we all know and love. 

How important do you find style?

I think it’s important. It’s your most outward piece of self-expression, sub-consciously or consciously you tell others a lot about yourself by the way you dress. It helps me mold the person that I think I am, it makes you think consciously about how I want to convey myself to others and I think it is a very important piece of self expression.

Do you make judgements about others based on their styles?

Definitely, I try not to judge but, I think it’s only natural. Most of the time, I won’t judge but I evaluate how others prioritize things. For example if you’re a guy and you’re wearing Jeans and Flip Flops, you can’t do that, that's a fashion faux pas. But I will value peoples who I think take risks, because I think there is value in being creative. Sometimes it’ll just be subtle things they do, that I pick up for myself.

What is your must have style item?

I think I always have to have some kind of subtly preppy shoe. I’ve geared away from sperrys and boat shoes because everyone is starting to jump on that bandwagon. But I look for shoes that work with my style. 

How often do you go shopping? Where?

I actually don’t go shopping that much just because I’m a big fan of once you buy something, you wear the crap out of it. I go significantly shopping once every season, like fall and summer wear. I would say 3 times a year, major shopping. Usually, I’ll either go to The Gap, H&M, and sparingly thrift stores.

"One time, I saw Tyler Barto wearing Salvation Army pants and Flip Flops, so I bought Salvation Army pants and Flip Flops." 

 How much do you think is ok to spend on any single item of clothing?

Whew, Oh Gosh I feel guilty when it’s just one, I will never spend more than 100 bucks on any one item because of that third digit, I’ll try to find something of similar value for less.

How do you decide if something fits in YOUR style?

I definitely think, "Can I wear this item with multiple different things?" I really value versatility. Does it coordinate with other things in my wardrobe, am I buying it just for the sake of having something different—that’s a big key. I’ll never buy something just because it’s different. It has to add to the overall theme of my wardrobe.

So...you'd definitely buy this, right Tyler? 

How much thought do you put into style?

I’d like to say, I put forth a significantly conscious amount but I like not to overthink things because I like to have fun with what I wear. When I overthink I think it’s not natural and style should be natural. 

It’s three levels:

1. Do I inherently like this thing? 
2. Do I think it will look good in others eyes? Because I hate to admit it but if others appreciate it, than I’ll appreciate it. 
3. Will I feel good knowing that I purchased it?

How much thought do you put into what you’re going to wear for the day?

I put considerable thought into it, I enjoy the art of putting an outfit together. I'll think about a number of different variables, I think about the weather, as bad as it seems, how many people are going to see me. Like if it’s the middle of the week I would definitely put more thought into it than a Friday. I guess the mood I’m in, on an average day I would put about 10-20 minutes into what I think I’m going to wear before getting dressed. 

Tyler leaves us with a few gems, but I'd like to point out one of his most profound (no NSO pun intended) statement. Style should be NATURAL. I think we should all walk away from this thinking about how natural our own styles are. :)