Junior Miles McCallum is originally from Cleveland and moved to Burlington in 2019 to attend UVM. He majors in global studies and serves as president of the Black Student Union.

THE CYNIC: Describe your style.

MCCALLUM: Probably pretty UVM kid-esque. It’s expressive but also kind of hearty. Part of it is by virtue of the weather and part of it is people noticing what others wear, but there are a lot of tough materials people wear. 

I would also describe my style as retro-adjacent. I think part of it is definitely my hair. That’s definitely something that plays into how I think of my outfits. I think it plays into those tougher materials I like, too — it’s durable. 

I like picking elements out of the 70s, 80s and 90s that feel durable, that aren’t gimmicky. For me, rocking a smaller ‘fro is durable.

THE CYNIC: How do you choose your accessories?

MCCALLUM: I had some friends before college who were like, “Oh, we’re adults, let’s get piercings,” and I kinda liked that. I thought it would be fun if all of my piercings were on the right side of my face. 

I like to have fun with asymmetry. I like how piercings look on other people but what makes it fun for me is having the imbalance. My necklace is the only jewelry I wear regularly that is symmetrical. I always wear my rings on my right hand.

THE CYNIC: Why the right side?

MCCALLUM: No reason at all.

THE CYNIC: Take me through what you’re wearing right now. Why did you choose these pieces?

MCCALLUM: Firstly, I’m all about layers. I have this under turtle-neck thing, keeps you warm and it’s something I’ve been embracing recently. Having a little bit of something going up like that, you can really highlight necklaces. 

I got my Case Western Reserve University long-sleeve, I’m from Cleveland. This button up I got thrifting in Cleveland. It’s all about texture for me. It’s heavy, I feel comfortable wearing it. 

I can slouch in these and it still looks good. My style is about finding what looks good without having to be modeling it all the time.

THE CYNIC: What’s the most meaningful thing you’re wearing?

MCCALLUM: These are my grandfather’s rings. He passed away last year and had a lot of jewelry, so me and other male family members each got one of his rings. 

THE CYNIC: What are your influences? Has anyone or anything changed the way you want to dress?

MCCALLUM: Friends and people I see around help me find the elements I want to incorporate. I think I’ve grown more confident to wear things that are a little more exciting. 

I still love wearing just jeans and a t-shirt once and a while, but I think I’ve gotten more confident in wearing funkier stuff.