Tom Proustington Interview #3

Name: Ben Goddard

Age: 22

Hometown: Brookline, MA

Current Profession: Photographer / Gelato Scooper

What is your favorite article of clothing that you own and why?

I must say although I enjoy my nicer clothes, I really have a love for my t-shirts. Each of my t-shirts have their own memory attached to them. This is because I have always bought them in a thrift store, purchased them while I was traveling, or were handed down to me from close friends. All of my t-shirts are connected to a place I once was or a particular period of time in my life. My favorite t-shirt that I own is my gray, purple, and pink Lake Placid t-shirt because it reminds me of summers in the Hudson Valley and all the fun I've had up there over the past couple years. I recently purchased a limited edition Quintron and Miss Pussycat t-shirt in New Orleans though, which I have been in love with as well.

What qualities of dress do you most admire in a member of the opposite sex?

This is a tough one. I admire a lot about how girls dress. I actually really like girls who wear flat-brimmed hats.

Who are your fashion icons of fiction?

Case from Neuromancer, by William Gibson.

Who are fashion icons in real life?

Stephen Malkmus. Basketball jersey underneath the striped shirt is so real.

Under what circumstances do you put effort into your dress?

When I am meeting somebody for the second time after first meeting them spontaneously.

What articles of clothing do you most associate with past lovers/love interests?

A pair of blue & white Québec socks that my girlfriend from high school bought me. Also, this over-sized sweater that I made out with a girl inside of while we were outside in the freezing cold.

When do you feel worst in your clothing?

When things are matching too much. I'll sometimes catch myself wearing a jacket and shirt that are very color-coordinated and it drives me crazy.

When do you feel best in your clothing?

When I'm dancing.

Describe the people in high school whose dress you wanted to emulate:

Well, I was a big metalhead at the beginning of high school, so I must say Tom Araya of Slayer was a big influence on my fashion. By the end of high school though I was idolizing a lot of avant-garde jazz musicians such as John Zorn who wore pink camo pants. I never wore pink camo pants (I just thought it was really cool at the time), but it's funny that a metal legend like Araya and a jazzhead like Zorn share a mutual love for army fatigues.