Zach covering his schlep suit with a hot coat. Click for more. — Photos by Nicole Wasilewicz.

While many of us get caught up in trends as we claim comfort in our apparel choices, others stay true to themselves — oblivious to what’s "cool," yet managaing to still look it. When Zach climbed out onto the street on Montrose and Bushwick Avenues, I had to know how he managed to look like a gentleman amongst the crowd, albeit a tattered and worn one.

Zach, 32, Musician

With the simplicity and texture one can normally find on the pages of MisterMort, Zach sported a certain old-timey feel in his ensemble. A great coat ties together jeans and what seemed like a graphic sweatshirt hiding below. I, too, have been known to wear sweatpants to the grocery store and masking it with a classic knee-length vintage tweed, to make an instant chic facade.

I like your coat. Where do you usually shop?
Well, this coat was given to me. I go into Manhattan to find steals at places like Filene’s Basement, it’s a good place to get pants. The scarf, my sister made, so you can’t quite buy it. The things that I’ll always keep are the thing people have made for me, like relatives or friends — a sweater that my grandmother made, or a scarf that my sister made, things like that. That’s the kind of stuff I keep, even if it wears out or I can no longer fit into it. Anything you can buy at H&M or wherever, I’ll just toss or give to Goodwill when I’m done with it.

When you’re leaving the house, what’s a must for you when it comes to what you’re wearing?
Well, in the winter time I grab a jacket, a scarf, and something with a hood on it — it’s pretty basic. There’s no rocket science to the way I dress, I guess. 

Where are you from originally and does it affect the way you dress in Bushwick now?
I’m from a country called Wisconsin [laughs] and I think it’s tough to say if that has to do [with the way I dress]. I think you’re influenced by pretty much any place that you live, you always change your sense of style a little bit. I wanna say it’s inherited from where I lived, but it’s really a lot of the things I like. I’m a creative and artistic person and that tends to make my taste a little bit more eccentric — or eclectic I should say.

What’s a trend you dislike in the neighborhood?
Well, there’s nothing I really love. I see the trend really being these skinny jeans, which I hate. I don’t really follow fashion trends, I look for clothing that I feel defines me, something that reflects my personality. If I see something that I wanna have for a long time, until it basically wears out, [I'll buy it.] As opposed to just buying clothes due to a new trend or because it’s in style — it’s so high school or something to shop like that.

If you were a shoe, what kind would you be?
A cowboy boot.

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