Nick Trifelos uses his style to reflect who he is as a person and student on campus. Photo by Adam Cvik. 

AIDEN SMITH | STAFF REPORTER | absmith2@butler.edu

Junior international business student Nick Trifelos’ style is timeless, classy and European-inspired. It also reflects his professional yet bubbly personality. Trifelos talks about how he developed his personal style and became one of Butler’s best dressed.

The Butler Collegian: How would you describe your personal style?

Nick Trifelos: It is always changing and is always symbolizing my mood. I really like solid, basic colors and in the winter I really like mock-necks and turtlenecks. I really think that it all just has a very European feel which reflects the kind of lifestyle that I like to live. The food, the culture, and my family is originally from Europe, so I think my clothes not only reflect my background, but my feeling for the day and where I want to go.

TBC: Aside from your European background, what else has influenced your style?

NT: There’s not a single person that I go to all of the time and I want to be able to mimic or copy that. I’ve just always bought things that I like and hope they work out. The biggest inspiration that I’ve had is being an individual. I like items that most people wouldn’t buy or most people would think is weird. I like to bring it and neutralize it and make it a part of who I am.

TBC: You said how most people wouldn’t buy the things that you would — so how do you think your style is unique and differs from other students at Butler?

NT: I take more risks with my style. I like to wear a lot of solid colors, but I like to match or pair them with other colors that most people wouldn’t traditionally. I really like shoes, and I have quite the collection of shoes. I think my style differs just because it’s loud in a very quiet way. My style is not in your face, but it’s noticeable.

TBC: What is your favorite piece that you are wearing today?

NT: My favorite piece that I am wearing today would probably be this jacket. It is from a store in Italy. I think it’s something timeless and is something that you can wear with a variety of different items in multiple seasons. I like it because it is very versatile.

TBC: Has your style changed over time, or has it mostly remained the same?

NT: My style has definitely changed over time. I’ve always cared about how I looked. I’ve always wanted to be well dressed and very sharp looking. I would say that my style right now suits my personality more than it ever has in the past. In middle school and high school, I liked a lot of preppy attire. A lot of that was because that was very popular, so I wanted to have it. I liked them, but they didn’t really express who I was or my personality.

TBC: Where are your favorite places to buy clothes?

NT: I like Liu Jo — an Italian brand, Zara which is more widely known, and I sometimes will get pants from J Crew on sale. My favorite place to get shoes is Nordstrom Rack. I think they have the best shoes out of any place. I have never been there and left empty handed.

TBC: You said you have a very individualized style, but do you have any celebrities or social media influencers that you follow for fashion inspiration?

NT: I don’t really follow tons of celebrities or influencers on Instagram. I do watch some Youtube videos that do not typically revolve around fashion. I like Jenna Marbles because she is really bold with her hair. She’s always fearless and willing to make her hair express her mood for that week or that month and jumps over a lot of boundaries. That makes me feel like expressing my personality will reflect confidence and help me develop into the person that I want to be.

TBC: What advice would you give a Butler student who wants to have a more individualized and unique style?

NT: I think that individualism is one of the strongest attributes that someone needs to have. I think that in today’s society, we really need to start stressing individualism and I feel that people will be happier that way. People are very stressed trying to fit a mold, and a lot of that comes from the influencer generation that’s constantly surrounding us. I would tell them to express themselves in whichever way they feel fits them.

You can follow Nick Trifelos’ Instagram at @nick.triff.