My science experiment

For Christmas this year, I gave my brother the gift of shopping with me. In return, he gave me the gift of allowing me to take him. You see, when we were younger, I subjected my brother to many failed experiments. For example, there was the time I suggested he wear a pink and white striped polo shirt with pink jeans. (It was the 80s; pink for guys was in, but apparently, not for guys in middle school.) There was also the time I taught him to dance. (Think “basket-case” in The Breakfast Club dancing to The Cure.) 

It was never my intention to scar him for life, but apparently these traumatic experiences still haunt him to this day. So, you can imagine my surprise when he asked me to take him clothes shopping. I was touched. He trusted me again! He wanted me to help him inject some style into his wardrobe. 

The irony here is that he currently lives in Paris, France, the fashion capital of the world, so what could we possibly find for him in central PA? And, he is an astrophysicist… a scientist with style? Actually, my brother is quite fashion-aware. Over the past few years, I’ve noticed his style choices becoming more sophisticated… narrowed-toed shoes, bulky scarves, and muted colors. So, it was fun helping him find new pieces to round out his European-influenced wardrobe. 

Luckily, he shares my budget-conscious tendencies, so he was all for finding some bargains. I decided to take him to our local Plato's Closet, a secondhand chain store that buys and sells trendy, top brand, gently-used clothing and accessories. (To see if there's a store near, go here: http://www.platoscloset.com). Here’s what we found:

First, we found an earthy orange Banana Republic t-shirt, a gray blazer, and a pair of jeans:

Express blazer: $7.00 (1/2 price)
Banana Republic t-shirt: $7.00
Express "King of Prides" jeans: $12.00

Looking smart with a phone. :-)

There's a lion on the pocket!

Next, we paired the blazer with a black and gray striped shirt and a pair of gray corduroys.

Stylish in stripes 

Then, we matched the blazer with an olive green shirt and a pair of black jeans.

I love the versatility of the blazer. With just a few inexpensive pieces, we were able to put together quite a few outfits. Plus, we had a lot fun! The only thing better than shopping with a purpose is shopping with a friend, or in this case, a brother.  

Photos: Monica Meagher