Welcome to a curated collection of the wit, wisdom, and sartorial flair of Nick Wooster, an icon in the world of men’s fashion. Renowned for his impeccable style and boundary-pushing aesthetics, Nick Wooster has carved a niche for himself as a trendsetter and influencer in the fashion industry. With a career spanning decades, Wooster has worked with some of the most prestigious names in fashion, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of men’s style.
Through his unique blend of classic tailoring and avant-garde experimentation, Nick Wooster has redefined what it means to dress with confidence and individuality. Whether it’s mixing high and low fashion or effortlessly combining patterns and textures, Wooster’s approach to dressing is both fearless and inspiring. His keen eye for detail and relentless pursuit of innovation have cemented his status as a true iconoclast in the world of menswear. Below, you’ll find a collection of quotes from Nick Wooster that encapsulate his ethos and philosophy when it comes to style, fashion, and self-expression.
I happen to have an expensive clothing habit, so, for me, designing clothes is a way to kill two birds with one stone. Nick Wooster
For me, a Thom Browne suit is an investment. Nick Wooster
I carry both a Blackberry and an iPhone. But for my job, the iPhone is essential because of picture-taking and because of picture sharing. Nick Wooster
To me, how you dress is a way to show you care. Nick Wooster
I recognize that, to someone who doesn’t know my history, maybe I seem like this guy who gets dressed up for the Internet. Nick Wooster
Camo is almost like a solid. It is the perfect uniform: you can wear camo in any application and it is always right. Nick Wooster
Great product trumps all. You can have the biggest marketing budget, the biggest show, a perfect merchandising plan, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t mean anything if the design and quality of the product you are offering is not compelling. Nick Wooster
In the scheme of things, I’m just a guy who gets my picture taken. Nick Wooster
Anybody can make a thousand dollar garment because you find the finest fabric and the finest mills, and you churn that out. Nick Wooster
A classic fishtail parka, anorak, mackintosh, windbreaker, pea coat, or jean jacket will get you through every season. Nick Wooster
I have to say, I love the summer, but I don’t love summer clothes to the degree I love fall clothes. Nick Wooster
You really can’t function without a phone or an iPad. Nick Wooster
I am probably biased, but I think social media is the great equalizer. It gives everyone a megaphone. Young people who might not have had the platform for exposure can now get their ideas out to a very receptive audience. Nick Wooster
I feel like the menswear blogger is a special breed, and by that, I mean they really have brought menswear out of the closet and into the public discourse where guys are not afraid to talk about style, dressing, clothes. Nick Wooster
I went through a Billy Idol phase. I had white hair when Peter Rizzo hired me at Barneys. Nick Wooster
I think the way you dress is a direct reflection out of what you will get out of your day; you make the effort, people will notice. You’ll feel better, and those around you will feel better. Nick Wooster
I still think of myself as a retailer first, but I also know how to make clothes. Nick Wooster
I really like neck tattoos and hand tattoos. They’re just not for me. Nick Wooster
If someone tells me I can’t wear something, that’s the moment when I want to wear it. Nick Wooster
I’ve always dressed differently. I’ve always had my own deal. Nick Wooster
I would never, ever call myself a createur or a designer. I’m more of an amalgamator or a D.J., taking two things that don’t go together and making them go together. Nick Wooster
I always say, I have been fired from more jobs than most people would ever have had in their entire career. Nick Wooster
My dad was a mechanic, and I have great style memories of him. He wore, every single day: a blue chambray shirt, Levi’s 501s, and Red Wing boots. And that certainly wasn’t fashionable at the time; it was basically the opposite. And he wore these horn rim glasses that were very Sol Moscot. Nick Wooster
Fashion comes and goes; prints come and go. Proper camo never really goes away. Nick Wooster
It’s a love-and-hate relationship with New York. Much like Hong Kong, it’s expensive, crowded, the weather is not so nice. But New York is home, and I love New York. Nick Wooster
When I was a kid, my parents were happy to buy me clothes; they provided for me. Nick Wooster
Getting dressed, for me, is like a window to my soul. Nick Wooster
There are so many more people in Tokyo than in New York, but it’s pristine. It’s so organized, and yet the address system is in complete chaos. Nick Wooster
I never wear a black belt with a black shoe. It’s always the opposite: a brown shoe with a black belt. Nick Wooster
I did this the hard way. I have worked my entire life in this business, and I’ve done the work – from being on the selling floor to learning to speak Italian to work with manufacturers with John Bartlett. I’ve done it all. I’ve paid my dues. Nick Wooster
I always say that MTV cribs is what brought straight men into the fashion world. Once they sort of saw sports guys and music guys had, like, a billion sneakers, they realized, ‘Oh, you mean I can have more than one?’ Nick Wooster
I truly find inspiration everywhere. I always tell students, and young people starting out, that the single most important skill, next to listening, is to pay attention. You never know where inspiration will strike. Nick Wooster
I like clothes. When I realized as a child that you had to wear them, and it takes the same amount of effort to look good or not, I figured out long ago that I only wanted stuff that I loved and looked good in. Nick Wooster
There’s something about the U.S. and Japan: two opposite ends of the planet, two completely different languages, and yet, especially in menswear, they share this kind of idealized way of dressing that is so close to what we do in America. Nick Wooster
I guess I know how to dress myself, and that’s probably the only thing I can do, so it’s nice that somebody notices. Nick Wooster
I love Italian food – especially Tuscan-style cuisine. Nick Wooster
I’ve seen a few lookalikes, and that kind of freaks me out, but then I’m not the first person on the planet to have tattoos, and I’m not the first person to have hair or a tattoo sleeve. Nick Wooster
Texas has a uniquely warm climate. So fabric weights and lengths of coats are always a concern. Nick Wooster
I did well in school and was able to excel in those areas where I knew I needed to be good at. Nick Wooster
I grew up in the ’60s and ’70s when men were required to wear a suit, shirt, and tie every day to be taken seriously. I was at the tail end of that generation, and it had a significant impact on me. Nick Wooster
I think with black tie, you can’t really do too much. I think you have to pretty much stick to the rules on that. Nick Wooster
Lardini is my go-to tailor. They work with me on a lot of personal things, which is nice. Nick Wooster
What I love about travel and shopping is seeing how different retailers in London, Paris, and New York interpret the same collection. I like to find the best store in town and take a good look because there will always be a nuance that you just can’t get anywhere else. Nick Wooster
Thom Browne is, in my opinion, one of the great minds in men’s wear. Nick Wooster
My advice to young people – wait until it’s your turn. Just kidding, sorta. Nick Wooster
I have been a fan of Forty Five Ten since my first visit to Dallas in 2010, when I was working with the hometown competitor. Nick Wooster
Clothes and fashion should work in people’s lives. Period. Nick Wooster
I’m a kid from Kansas, so J.C. Penney was where I got all my clothes from kindergarten to around 7th grade. Nick Wooster
Clothes are an amazing tool. They are an amazing way to hide a multitude of sins; they’re an amazing way to be creative. Clothes can do so many things. But at the end of the day, if they don’t serve you, it’s just a waste of time. Then it is frivolous. Nick Wooster
My face doesn’t look the same way it did at 39. My body doesn’t look the same way it did at 39. Nick Wooster
Yes, there are probably too many tattoos. But there are too many bad haircuts, too many bad shoe choices, too many bad jeans. Nick Wooster
Fire Island Pines is my perfect escape from N.Y.C. on weekends. Beautiful beaches, great restaurants, and fun people – exactly what I need after a crazy New York week. Nick Wooster
I think a lot of gay kids in the midwest or in places not in New York have to overachieve in order to sort of get through the fear of what they’re going through. Nick Wooster
I’ll never forget my transition from pleated pants to plain front pants. It was the late ’80s. I couldn’t get rid of those pleated pants fast enough. Nick Wooster
I always treat camo as a solid. Nick Wooster
I think many men are either time poor or have little interest in going to stores. I love stores. Nick Wooster
To me, a Harris Tweed jacket is the kind of thing you should be able to have in your closet years from now – possibly it was your father’s jacket or, even better, your grandfather’s jacket. Nick Wooster
Just about everyone is quick to judge plastic surgery, especially on a man. We’ve all seen people who end up looking a little scary. Nick Wooster
A Mac PowerBook is a thing to behold. Nick Wooster
I think Hong Kong has always had this tradition of custom-made suits, which I’ve never done but love the idea of. Nick Wooster
I think that good, great things can come at every price. Nick Wooster
Bloggers and stores and publications and brands and houses all need to sort of take a deep breath and relax because no one is going away. The brands aren’t going away. The designers, bloggers, publications aren’t going away. Nick Wooster
Everyone looks better in clothes that skim the body. Items that fit properly make you look better than wearing something oversize. Nick Wooster
A gray flannel suit by Thom Browne or Tom Ford can be worn a billion ways. I’ll wear a gray flannel jacket with a white shirt, gray flannel tie, beat-up fatigues, and a dress shoe or Carpe Diem boots. Nick Wooster
I actually come from a long line of barbers. Nick Wooster
Not all black T-shirts are created equal. Nick Wooster
The only pair of trousers a guy needs are grey flannel. Nick Wooster
Dress for your body type and not your age. Nick Wooster
Instagram is my 401k. Nick Wooster
I love the idea of the sartorial mix of fatigues and a great blazer. Nick Wooster
I have a reputation that was sort of built on suits and boots, so I’m a huge fan of the sartorial equivalent of a mullet, where you’re business on top and party on the bottom. Nick Wooster
I’m not just a designer; I’m not just a retailer. I’m not just a street style person, whatever that is. I can instead do a little bit of everything. Nick Wooster
I’m so obsessed with Apple, and the chance to work with the people who really created Apple retail is the retail opportunity of a lifetime. Nick Wooster
Oh God, I am so pro-shorts. I love shorts. Nick Wooster
Some people are born with a caul. I was born with a jacket. Nick Wooster
I’ve decided I’m no longer pulling sweaters over my head. Maybe that’s sort of an old man thing, but if it is, I’m there. Nick Wooster
In Japan, the attention to detail in customer service is an experience that is unlike anywhere else. It’s really quite special. I think everyone who’s interested in fashion would do well to take a trip to learn about presentation and the way the merchandise is handed to you. These are skills that no one really thinks about. Nick Wooster
I understand I’m not everyone’s cup of tea, and I certainly don’t want everyone to look like me. I really only dress for myself. Nick Wooster
I’m really pretty classic. Nick Wooster
I’m probably one of the most fearful persons in the world, but not when it comes to getting dressed. Nick Wooster
Men shop for problem solving. They want something familiar. So if it’s a new version of something they understand, they are right there with it and, hopefully, loving it. Nick Wooster
I was 39 when I did, essentially, a three-quarter sleeve on my left arm. It was very late in life, which is good: I can’t think of any decision I made at 19 that I’d be happy with at 39 or even now, at 51. Nick Wooster
Fit and fabric are paramount. If the jacket fits, it doesn’t matter what price you paid for it – you will look and feel fantastic. Nick Wooster
I got fired from Neiman Marcus and Bergdorfs, and JC Penney didn’t work out. Nick Wooster
I almost always wear a jacket, but I like different jackets. I also like funny pants. Nick Wooster
I love London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Paris – there are a million places I could imagine I like, but N.Y. is home. Nick Wooster
Outside of white button-down oord cloth shirts, Trickers brogues, 501s, and Ray-Ban Aviators, the single item of clothing that I have had in my closet consistently since 1982 is a pair of black-and-white checked Vans. They are the lazy man’s shoe – perfect for dog walking and security lines at the airport. Nick Wooster
A man in Tom Ford will develop a nice, long relationship with the brand. Ford is very smart about positioning his product. He’s a name that is going to remain huge. Nick Wooster
The Japanese are the ultimate students: they analyse things in so much detail… until they have pretty much mastered whatever they are studying. Nick Wooster
