Congrats grad, you did it! You’ve worked hard the past four years and more importantly, you’ve landed your first job! Your starting salary leaves something to be desired, but to make the right impression, you can’t be showing up to work in your infamous college t-shirt and ripped jeans combo you’ve been rocking the past eight semesters. Sorry babe, you’re batting in the big leagues now.

With deciding between health insurance plans and 401K options, the last thing you need to fret over is your wardrobe, which is why I’ve assembled an easy-to-follow, five-step guide that will help you live up to your interview promises.
 
Step 1: Know your office culture

• When you interviewed, what were other guys in the office wearing? Are we talking three-piece suites and pocket squares or shorts and polos? The best way to impress your bosses is to wear what others are wearing but wear it better. Now that you know what you’re dealing with, write it down and stick to it. Branch out a few months down the road if you’re feeling saucy, but don’t waste your hard-earned money on purchases that will sit in your closet for two years. 

 
Step 2: Take a look at your current wardrobe

• Do you have anything that will fit in with your office atmosphere or are you starting from scratch? Be critical and realistic. If you’re unsure about a piece, err on the side of caution. Physically separate your clothing: yeses on one side and noes on the other. Look through the no pile, is there anything you want to sell or donate? We could use a little extra dough and closet space #amiright? 

 
Step 3: Pick your leather color scheme

• Black or brown - pick one, write it down, and marry it. For those who don’t have much experience wearing more than slip-on Vans and Jansport backpacks, you’re going to have to invest in some versatile leather goods that work for you every day of the week. By leather goods, we’re talking everything from boots and dress shoes to belts and briefcases. As a general rule, black leather tends to be more dressy and brown leather is often times more casual. Take a peek at what you wrote down for Step 1 and peruse your “yes” pile from Step 2 to see which is going to work best for your office environment and current wardrobe.

Step 4: Choose complementary colors

• While complementary colors are largely a matter of personal preference, style, and skin tone, there are some colors to stay away from. Bright, neon colors like red, yellow, and green are a no-no. Stick with muted pastels and deep earth tones that fit with your personality and office culture. Bring these complementary colors out in everything from button-up shirts and polos to t-shirts and socks. These are the building blocks of your professional wardrobe, so make sure you feel confident in your choices before heading to the store. 

 
Step 5: Set your budget and pick your stores

• Your budget will largely depend on how many items you need to purchase and which stores you decide on. Remember that you’re investing in pieces that you will have for years to come, so think quality over quantity. 

 
That should be enough to get you started but stay tuned for my next article where I’ll show you where to shop to make the most of your budget!

When I created this image, I didn’t realize just how sexual the photo was until it was brought to my attention by a female professor. She dissected the photo and quickly shot me a troubled look, which made me think: had I unknowingly crossed a line with this photo? As a gay man, I often don’t think about the over-sexualization of women in my work. I always make sure that the model feels comfortable, but I very rarely think about the implications of the sexual images I have grown accustom to creating. Sex is a big part of gay culture, and the idea of exposing the sexuality of women through nightlife, photography, and verbal and physical communication is something that the majority of gay men don’t think twice about. This brings us to the question: can sex be simple? For lots of gay men, myself included, the answer is yes, sex can be very simple. Whether you’re scrolling through Grindr or cruising in Hell’s Kitchen, sex can be as simple as breathing. Furthermore, with the widespread introduction of HIV-preventative drugs, the hookup tendency of the gay scene seems to be getting stronger every day. Because casual sex plays such a significant role in gay culture, have I not fully realized the implications of my sexual photography? Am I alone in this category, or are there thousands of gay artists out there who also create overly-sexual work without realizing it? 

Although sex can be simple, we all know it isn’t. Because sex is such a loaded three-letter word, it’s no wonder that we don’t know how to handle art that explores the concept of sex. When you put women and sex in the same sentence, you open up another can of worms entirely. The flipside of this whole argument lies in the way we like to view women. Our society has been putting women into boxes for centuries and now that we are starting to realize that women can and should have a sexual side, we don’t know which box to put them into. As a result, when we look at a photo that explores a woman’s sexual side, are we simply uncomfortable? Do we assume that she was treated poorly and taken advantage of? Is it wrong to look at women in an objectifying way, or are we exposing the counterargument that some women thoroughly enjoy being viewed as sexual objects? To further explore these ideas, I sat down with model, Megan Thelen, to get her take on all of this. (see interview)

Did my rendition of 1990’s club kid drinking culture cross a line, or did I complete a homework assignment and unknowingly start a conversation all at the same time? Simply put: I wonder if I’m overthinking it, or if I’m just thinking about it clearly now.