You know a person from your past that you were BFFs or partners with but then you parted ways because you moved on and they started to associate with people who were nasty? You forget them for several years; maybe even a decade, but then someone you bump into is like, “Hey, they’re actually really cool now and woke af.” So, you’re a bit apprehensive, but you give them a shot again, and you’re completely shocked about how much they changed for the better.

This describes my relationship with Abercrombie and Fitch. Long are the days of excessive logo tees, sinus shattering cologne, and a CEO that was a racist, fatphobic dick bag. I’ll be perfectly honest, the brand completely fell off of my radar after I graduated high school in 2006, but thanks to a fashion subreddit (maybe not, because now I buy way more clothes) I’ve learned that it is the PERFECT place to find clothes for a masc person who is on the smaller side! Everything is also reasonably priced, the company fired its dick bag CEO, and has been busting its ass on a rebrand. Who knew?!

I picked this shirt up at A&F for a cool $20. My wardrobe is heavily into blue hues, but what lured me in on this dark chambray was the all-over pattern that threw out some nice early 60s retro vibes. I’ve worn this shirt before with cream selvedge denim as well as the chinos seen here (also from A&F).

Keeping a subtle nod to the retro styling of the shirt and to pick up the navy, I paired it with my new watch, The Rutherford from Fossil. I scored this timepiece for only $30 on clearance at my go-to TJ MAXX. This watch reminds me of something someone would receive after a certain number of years at a company back in the Mad Men era, so not only did it work well with the blue dial and the blue shirt, but also the entire aesthetic of the outfit.

After I got into work, I realized that I should’ve worn my blue Tomboy Toes as those would have “tied things together”, but on my feet are leather John Varvatos Converse.

While I do get paid to sing the praises of certain brands that I feature on my Instagram, I’m currently not from A&F, but I highly recommend them for masculine folks who are on the smaller-side like myself for oxfords that actually fit well in the shoulders, pants that come in 28 inch and 30 inch inseams, and enjoy classic styles.