English major fashion stands out on campus

Will Hoard ’21 has a reputation that precedes him. He is known on campus for being well-spoken, funny and kind. Hoard can be found around the English department wearing a white t-shirt with fun colorful pants and a beanie, around the theatre department in a classic jacket and boot combo or on his Instagram, @willjamesh.

Hoard is one of the best examples of a distinct Lewis & Clark style. His unique, thoughtful and consistent outfits make him instantly recognizable on campus. Although he is very confident in what he likes, his style has evolved over his time at LC. As a freshman, his style was described by his peers as “cowboy chic” because he wore a lot of flannels, boots and turtlenecks. 

“I still love all those things, but I’m trying to be a little more like, I live in a city now, I’m gonna mix it up,” Hoard said.

Currently, his closet is full of minimalist earth tones and white T-shirts. While he has recently been experimenting with more monochrome outfits, Hoard’s go-to is always a well-placed sweater. His favorite is a green-blue striped cashmere sweater that his grandfather wore when he golfed. A majority of Hoard’s sweaters are inherited from his grandfather, who greatly influenced Hoard’s style.

“He just passed away this last year,” Hoard said. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. He dressed really cool and I want to honor him in that way.”

Along with the clothing he has gotten from his grandpa, a lot of Hoard’s clothes are from thrift stores. Hoard acknowledges that there is a lot of privilege that goes into fashion and buying clothing.

“Ive been trying to think more consciously about where my clothes are coming from so it’s a little more sustainable,” Hoard said.

For Hoard, the way he dresses represents his grandpa and Hoard’s own self-expression. 

“That has been a meaningful part of my experience, wearing clothes and dressing nice, because it can also relate to the queer experience and feeling comfortable in my own skin,” Hoard said.

Hoard’s message to other students is to not be afraid of their fashion choices. His philosophy is, “99% of the time if you feel good about what you’re wearing and what you look like, other people are gonna say you look happy.”

Another fashionable, sweater-wearing English major is Marc-Anthony Valle ’22. Even if you have not met Valle, you have probably seen him around campus at improv shows and poetry readings, wearing a classic sweater, boots and Carhartt jacket combo. Or maybe you have seen him around the English or psychology departments, with his hair in a bun, wearing a floral button-up he got from his father.

Valle has a kind, outgoing personality that matches well with his distinct, put-together and steady style. 

“I like to dress as if I were going to interview at a coal mine, but I wouldn’t get the job,” Valle said.

It is a classy, trying — but in an effortless way — type of fashion. It sends the message that he is approachable, and, in his words, “ready to interact.” He also credits his fashionable nature to his housemate Bobby Campbell ’22. 

“He taught me the versatility of the sweater,” Valle said. 

Every day, Valle checks if it is sweater weather when he gets dressed. However, according to him, “It’s always sweater weather.” He then goes to his chest of sweaters that he has collected from various thrift stores. Valle likes that all of his sweaters have a story behind them, and when he no longer wears them, he gives them away so the story can continue. 

While most of us might be afraid of overdressing, and risking overheating and awkwardly holding the sweater, Valle takes that risk. For him, there is only one trick to wearing sweaters year-round: layering. That way you will have a shirt underneath if a surprise heatwave comes. 

“Bobby taught me that the weather doesn’t matter: sweaters — if that’s who you are, then you have to bring that to the table,” Valle said. 

Along with his reliable fashion sense, Valle has long curly hair that is recognizable from anywhere on campus. He has not gotten a haircut since his senior year of high school. For him, it symbolizes his character arc and how he has changed in college. Recently, he has been experimenting with different hairstyles and, currently, he is trying to learn how to do Dutch braids.

Valle’s message to other students is, “As long as you think it looks good, it probably looks good. And if people don’t think it looks good, then you don’t have to talk to those people. You know?”

You can find Valle on LinkedIn or at goodreads.com/marc-anthony.