Caption: Lucan O’Neal ’26 (left) and Braeden McCollow ’26 (right) showcasing their vintage style. Photo courtesy of Ron Soto-Solari
They are all around the college. Eating in Stav, singing in choir, taking pictures in the Mellby basement. We call them the “Suit Guys,” on a very simple basis. They wear full-on formal attire to their 8:00 a.m.s. While some of us struggle to get out of bed and put on sweatpants, the Suit Guys have been up for an hour already, combing their hair with gel and deciding which collar is starched in the most suitable way for another day of classes. This phenomenon seems to be popular at St. Olaf, with most people being able to count up to five Suit Guys all around campus. But did you know that there are subcategories, even subcultures of this specific group?
I had the chance to interview Lucan O’Neal ’26, one of the Suit Guys on behalf of The Olaf Messenger. “There are different kinds,” O’Neal said, “different schools of thought.” O’Neal said the main differences between the Suit Guys’ attires were the style of suit they wore. While some wear more modern suits, O’Neal prefers a more vintage look. “My preferred era is the late 20s and early 30s, but I do have a pension for early 20s and Edwardian [style] as well,” O’Neal said.
Despite his affection for the Edwardian style, O’Neal and other vintage Suit Guys wear pieces sparingly. “[Braeden and I] have Edwardian days maybe a few times a year, but Edwardian clothing is so fragile and warm that you just can’t wear it very often,” O’Neal said.
The other branches of Suit Guys, according to O’Neal, are more modern, “straight off the rack.” The main difference between the different branches is what era or time period they are going for with the suits they purchase. “I bought my suit off of Amazon,” said another suit wearer, who wished to remain anonymous. While some Suit Guys try to recreate vintage outfits, others prefer to keep up with the current trends in suits.
I talked to some non-suit wearers as well. Nathaniel Alms ’26 comments on the different subcultures within the Suit Guys. “I would say that from an outside perspective, you can clearly tell that there are different categories,” Alms said. When asked about what the exact practices of the different kinds of Suit Guys were, Alms said, “I think you would, like, need to know them very well. I know some of them dress vintage because they are my friends, but I don’t know all of those guys well enough.”
This homage to a different era, this “I was born in the wrong generation” dress can be easily compared to another trend hopping on campus, the comeback of We Heart It, Tumblr 2014. To me, this is just like people dressing up like the 80s after Stranger Things came out. We could even see the resurface of fancy dresses on the daily as a nod to the Twee aesthetic. Next time you see one of the Suit Guys™, take a closer look at their outfit. It might be more than just a suit.
