Best Style Advice Dad Gave You? These 11 Bostonians Tell Us

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It's true—most dads are armed with their own special breed of advice they'll revisit on many, many occasions ("Stand firm," "Appreciate the value of exquisite tailoring"). As June 16 approaches, we chatted with eleven of Boston's stylish milieu about the best advice Dad ever dished out. Brace yourselves.—Heather C. White

Chris Duval, Circa Vintage: "Best advice? Never outshine your date. The light should shine on her. You'll have your time. Chivalrous fatherly tips."

Dua Boakye, Bad Rabbits: "The best style advice my father has given me is to always look clean. He hates when I wear graphic tees. He always suggests that I wear more button ups and wingtip shoes. I take his advice when I'm doin' events with my band and crew. And 9 times outta 10 I'm taking his advice. It works all the time."

Sean Donovan, @BostonMo: "The best style advice my father, Dennis, ever gave me had to have been to invest in classic pieces. He always told me to opt for solid, or basic, striped oxford shirts for school, and then a polo for more casual days with khakis."

Winston Hughes, Ball and Buck: "1. Always have a pocket square. 2. Never wear a clip-on. 3. Button the top button when you wear a tie."

Alexandra Hall, COUP Boston: My dad is the worst dresser I've ever met. He wears cowboy hats with Hawaiian shirts, shorts, and socks under Tevas. All at once. So the best thing/advice I ever got from him style-wise was just implied: "Do. Not. Under any circumstances. Dress Like Me." Basically I grew up with a real-life What Not To Wear."

Casey Von Iderstein, Rue La La: "Streamlined, classic pieces are the foundation of any wardrobe (and never go out of style)."

Brittney Rothweiler, The Tannery: "It's actually what advice my Dad didn't give. He never gave me or my sisters any advice, which lead us to be able to create our own style and feel comfortable in whatever we wore. Maybe with four daughters he felt out numbered, but his silence and nod of approval of whatever we had on resonated more than any verbal advice he could have given."

Eric Levin, Elevin Studios: "My dad is so far from a fashion icon it's ridiculous. What I learned? Mustaches were cool in the 70s and comb overs will never go out of style."

Jeff Lahens, DressCode Boston: "Shine your shoes before you leave the house!"

Dani McDonald, Flock: "The best advice that my dad ever gave me was to get experience in the retail industry, working every possible position before taking the leap into opening my own shop. And then, take the leap! Thank goodness for that advice otherwise I'm not sure if Flock would be where it is today!"

Christine Mitchell, N'East Style: "My dad has a knack for predetermining trends. For example he bought my sister the floral Doc Martins years before Sienna Miller was shot wearing them and they became a cult classic. But he's always encouraged wearing the classics, and the power of dressing well for an occasion."
· 5 Gifts to Impress Dad on Father's Day [Racked Boston]