Tevin Milo Evans

TEVIN MILO EVANS, 25

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Location: Brooklyn, NY

Fleece tee by Underdog Men. 

UD: What is your style vibe?

TE: A mix of prep / punk and whatever makes me happy in the morning. I'm not afraid to walk out of my house looking like a bag of skittles if it makes me happy.

UD: Name a few places you've recently found inspiration... 

TE: I find a lot of my inspiration in the music I listen to and the city around me. There's a sense of pride I feel being from New York City and I like to showcase that in my photos and not just snap a photo of the art I see but be a part of it

UD: How do you put conceptual or visual thought into your outfits, if any?

TE: It's all about textures, colors and movement! I'm huge on denim and a lot of what I wear on a daily basis starts off with finding the right pair of denim. I like for my outfits to have some movement.

UD: Go-to brands?

TE: American Eagle is where I shop for most of my everyday wear. They have some of the best variety in denim that fit guys my size (they go up to size 44 in denim / pants and 48 in shorts) for other items I shop Calvin Klein and now ASOS. I'm really into their men's Plus / Tall line. As for my shoes I love John Varvatos and Doc Martens (they're a wardrobe staple and last forever.)
 

Oversized sweatshirt from ASOS.

UD: Do you ever tailor, or make your own your clothes? 

TE: If I shop vintage often times I'll take pants to get tapered  and or hemmed because at 5'7 almost everything in my size comes at a standard 32 length and well we all know the struggle of having a huge thick cuff at the bottom of your pants. 

UD: How do you feel about the current mens style landscape? 

TE: I think we need more color... Everything is so dark and broody, not that there's anything wrong with that but big guys like color! I don't want everything I wear to be navy blue and black but that's most of what's put out there for big and tall guys. Also I hate that high end designers do not carry my size in anything. While I love looking at the clothes during NYFW, the underlying thought is that at my size, most of these looks are things I will never be able to obtain. 

Denim is custom damaged and dyed, Wrangler, Jump Strickland Shoes in Purple.

UD: Does your cultural background play into your style choices? If not, how do you differ from that?

TE: I think my cultural background played a big role in how I developed my style. My parents are both immigrants from the Island of St. Lucia and although I was born in the U.S. My parents raised me differently... I'm thankful for it because I don't have any embarrassing photos of my pants bellow my waist or tee shirts that hang to my ankles. I got my love for all things preppy from my mom and it's morphed as I've gotten older.

UD: How does your level of daily confidence influence what you wear?

TE: On days when I'm not at my most confident, I'll go for the brighter colors in my wardrobe to brighten up my mood. I have this orange jacket I bought at American Eagle years ago and it's got holes that I've patched, but it's so bright and vibrant and it's still one of my favorite pieces to wear.

Denim is custom damaged and dyed, Wrangler, Jump Strickland Shoes in Purple.

UD: Is style a vehicle for your individuality or do clothes just serve a purpose?

TE: It's both-- style drives what I do + how I feel on any given day. It's an extension of me as a person and as an artist. There's a quote from Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girls, "Fashion is the most powerful art there is. It's movement, design and architecture all in one. It shows the world who we are and who we'd like to be."

UD: What struggles do you face when shopping for clothes?

TE: OMG... Button down shirts and blazers that fit my shoulders and chest without being ill fitted on my stomach. There's also the annoying issue of having to order almost everything I wear because normal retailers refuse to carry "extended sizes" in store because they claim there isn't a market for them. I'm still going to combat that message of ignorance every chance I get. 

UD: What are some exciting aspects of fashion to you right now?

TE: Being able to shop the runway right away... We live in an impatient society and to be very honest, I am as impatient as they come! H&M has managed to do this very well-- Opening up a pop shop for attendees of their designer collaboration shows to shop the collections before the public.

Dip-Dyed Wrangler Denim Shorts, Nike Air Force-1. Cardigan is vintage, T-Shirt from ASOS.

UD: If you could say anything to men's clothing designers and manufacturers, what would you say? 

TE: Just that not every big guy only likes jeans (that double as a parachute) or sweat pants. We wear skinny jeans too! Just as a skinny guy wants to look sexy and feel confident, we do too.

UD: What gets you excited about your personal style?

TE: That I'm not tied down to one style of dressing... I like to experiment and try different trends and how do they fit into my personal style. For example, I bought patent leather combat boots with monk straps and figured out how could I wear them... but that was the fun in it, just like one big fashion puzzle. My size doesn't define everything that I am, nor should it be the main thing that defines anyone else!

Cardigan is vintage, T-Shirt from ASOS.