midweSTYLE: Entryway

Since moving to Chicago, I've been fortunate to meet passionate people. I love meeting folks who are going after what makes them tick. It's a beautiful thing to meet someone who loves what they do and attacks it relentlessly. I've met a few of these types already—take roommates Drew and Anthony. Drew is a hairstylist and Anthony is a photographer. Here's how we met:

When I was jet-setting to Chicago for interviews in the tail end of what we all thought was winter in March, I bumped into Drew at a Thursday-night event that bridged our interests. His style was a little West coast, relaxed but put together, but the dude is from Wisconsin. We starting chatting about why he was wearing slim-fit, white rolled denim and why he is in Chicago. I asked him what he liked to do and he replied, "I cut hair and you need a hair cut."

Cool, I thought. I've got my guy to cut my hair. It's a thing that many don't have these days: "their guy" at the barber shop, at the menswear store, at the tailor, at the local restaurant. Their guy. Your guy who helps you out when you need the latest or a fixing. He knows enough about your life to ask how your family's doing. How work's going. What you thought about that thing that happened on the Blue Line the other day. I just moved here, and I've officially secured another year of not having to step into a professional salon. Glory, glory, glory. I can pay AND tip the hairstylist in booze, meals and bargains. Relief.

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A month later when I moved to Chicago, I show up to Drew's apartment and met Anthony while I was getting my hair cut. I told Drew to do whatever he thought would work best. (It's hair. It'll grow.) Anthony is a rad man from Pennsylvania who has got a serious case of trigger finger. Dude's got the camera glued to his face, and when you get a chance to see his face past the scruff, he has a smile that stretches from ear to ear an reveals an enthusiasm to know you and your passion.

Anthony took some time off between shooting medical hip replacement surgeries and New York weddings to hang out with Seth and I. We got a little work done...

FAVORITE PART OF THE LOOK: Clashing patterns and prints. If these socks had parents, Mortia Adams and Beetlejuice would be a notch above in the family tree. Kind of a dark and quirky feel much like the set in Anthony and Drew's old apartment entryway. Mix these with a preppy and spring-madras bow tie, and it somehow works. Or maybe it doesn't. Give it a shot.

Straight-leg "Mushroom" stretch chino ($175) by Nonnie Threads, small; brushed cotton navy button-down (900 Shops in Chicago, sale $30) by J.Crew, extra-small; spring-madras bow tie (Etsy, $20) by AnnaRuna; brown leather belt with brass hardware by J.Crew, size 32; black-and-green striped socks (sale $2.99) by J.Crew, one size; brown leather wingtips (Nordstrom Rack in Chicago, sale $40, reg. $140) by Florsheim, wool scarf (thrifted at Urban Mining in Kansas City, $8) by Pendleton; unzippered green canvas tote (eBay sale $50, reg. $90) by Filson.

Photography by Anthony Barlich.