Best dressed contest heats up

Quill readers will decide who is Elder’s king of style.

Connor Sullivan, Lucas Downey, Daniel McSwigan, and  Duncan Rackers

Photographer: Joe Reiter

Connor Sullivan, Lucas Downey, Daniel McSwigan, and Duncan Rackers

Sperry’s, khaki pants, and a purple polo. Sound familiar? Yeah, I bet.

Though many stick to the norm, some dare to stand out.

Connor Sullivan, Lucas Downey, Daniel McSwigan, and Duncan Rackers swim against the current to create Elder’s best wardrobes.

However, it is up to you to decide who dresses the best.

Name: Connor Sullivan                        X-Factor: Persistence

Connor Sullivan strolls into class with boots, an Hawaiian shirt, corduroys, a mop for a hair dew, and a desire to stand up against the crowd.

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Joe Reiter’s photo of Conner Sullivan

Connor “Sully” Sullivaun did not always care about his wardrobe, but last year his fashion identity flourished.

“My style is often mismatched, combination which pulls together the best parts of different, typical looks,” said Sullivan, who enjoys tropical wear in the warm months and the lumber jack look in the fall and winter.

Try to catch him in an Elder polo because, trust me, you can’t. Sully, fighting the forces of conformity, informed me that he would do everything in his power to avoid wearing the typical Polo. He knows this will take some determination, but his persistence does not end there.

Being a man on a mission, Sully refuses to cut his hair. It’s been ten months since he has seen the sharp end of a razor, and it will probably be ten more because Sully let me know his hair was here to stay, and he is even working on dreadlocks.

As for the competition, Sully is looking to build .

“It’d be another trophy in the trophy case,” said Sullivan.

Name: Lucas Downey                        X-Factor: Negligence

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Joe Reiter’s photo of Lucas Downey

No comb, no belt, and no worries sums up the style of Lucas Downey. By not caring about his fashion so much, Lucas has created a brand of his own with his long ragged hair, embroidered shirts, and a signature orange backpack by Patagonia.

What is his brand? If you ask him, he’ll tell you “looking like a bum.” However, his fashion sense is much deeper than that.

A bum on the outside doesn’t make a bum on the inside; Lucas told me the greatest quality of his style is his “ability to consistently change and develop with different feelings.”

Lucas truly embraces his own emotions and the ever changing landscape of our dynamic society as he reflects it in his wardrobe.

He may be a free bird in a fashion sense, but this laid back attitude does not affect his desire to conquer.

When asked about why he wants to be win the competition, Lucas responded, “It asserts my domination.”

Name: Daniel McSwigan                         X-Factor: Originality

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Joe Reiter’s photo of Daniel McSwigan

 

Styles come and go, trends start up and break down, but Daniel McSwigan’s sense of fashion has always been and will always be.

D-Swig’s wardrobe was not influenced or adopted, instead he is simply just being “D.” Unlike most, who go with the flow, D-Swigs invented it; as a young blooded freshman, Swigs was already rocking the decorated shirt and long hair.

In fact, Swigs said that without his hair, he wouldn’t have even been considered for the competition. His voluminous mane has always been his trademark, but another signature is his checkered, black and white, Vans.

Swigs does not seem too worried about being named Elder’s master of style because, when you win as much as he does, this would just be “another one for the books.”

No matter how this grueling competition shapes out, Swigs is just glad he doesn’t try too hard with his style as “things just kinda happened this way” for him.  At the end of the day, he is just being a man of his own.

 

Name: Duncan Rackers                        X-Factor: Freshness

Duncan Rackers shows us that not all the best styles have to be topped off with hair flowing in the wind. His coordinated outfits show effort can be the key to fashion success.

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Joe Reiter’s photo of Duncan Racker

“I’ve invested a lot of time and [my parents’] money into my wardrobe, so I have a lot to choose from, like floral and striped shirts, red pants and bolo ties. I think I cover most of the fashion spectrum at Elder,” said Duncan when asked what makes his style the best.

Duncan does have more than enough signature shirts, but he said his shoes are his best asset. Also, overcoming obstacles, he uses a handicap to improve his style as he alternates between a glasses and no-glasses look.

Being a humble man, Duncan does not look at this competition as fuel for his ego.

“I just hope I can inspire the children,” responded Duncan on his feelings towards the contest.

Lastly, Duncan wanted to send a clear message to all.

“I just want people to know that no matter how nice I dress, I’m not a hipster: I don’t drink artisanal coffee, don’t watch foreign movies, and don’t eat vegan,” said fresh to death (non-hipster) Duncan Rackers.

 

There you have it: four men, four styles, and a one tough decision. Vote for your favorite and we’ll see who is truly the best dressed panther.

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