Photo: Sari Goodfriend
Back in Fashion
Style expert Clinton Kelly ’91 returns to TV.
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mailFor more than a decade, Clinton Kelly famously told people What Not to Wear on the TLC network’s hit makeover show, alongside cohost Stacy London. Nowadays, though, he and London are more interested in empowering folks to Wear Whatever the [ahem] You Want, the name of their upcoming Amazon Prime Video series. Instead of dictating how others should dress, the duo is “helping people live their style truth” by encouraging them to unabashedly express an entirely new side of themselves through fashion.
It's a concept that resonates strongly with Kelly. After all, the one-time “shy, working-class kid” chose BC in part because he read about the school’s snazzy reputation in The Official Preppy Handbook and felt it “fit the vision” he fancied for himself. “Style is communication,” said Kelly, who majored in communication. “It tells the rest of the world something about you without having to open your mouth.” Ahead of his new show’s premiere, we asked Kelly to look back at faddish looks that defined his school days and offer a few fashion statements of his own.
Padded-shoulder power suits. “Fierce. A strong shoulder is a great way to manage the proportions of your body.”
Preppy polo shirts. “That was my life, that was my look: Short shorts with a polo, collar popped, under an argyle sweater.”
Acid-washed jeans. “I briefly tried the high-waisted, triple-pleated, acid-washed denim look. I felt silly. I hated these then and I still kind of hate them now.” ◽
Eagles off Broadway
Theater is a tough business. Its grinding financial pressures incentivize producers to play it safe with shows based on hit movies or pop songs. But away from the lights of Times Square, these three Boston College alumni are taking risks and earning applause with innovative original works.
