How Bromantic

Words: By Yours Truly, Adam Jeffery

Photos: By The Ever-Fashionable DonBorsch. My tripod, Trippy, and I helped a little.

As I think back on the four months or so bromance I had with DonBorsch, Chester See’s “Bromance” starts playing in the back of mind. I’ve only had one other bromance I can really think of and that was during High School (do you care?). My relationship with DonBorsch is one of those many important ones I’ve developed in Boston. At a time where I’ve finally became aware of my fashion sense it was he who helped me grow as a fashionista on Instagram. Our bromance started like many relationships today, on an app: tinderSnapchat (no really…Snapchat).

The Good, The Bad, The Sexy (No such Thing As Ugly When He's Around)

I had heard of @DonBorsch during my first WorldWide Instagram Meet (WWIM) back in March and had fallen in love with his style of instagraming and fashion. In midst of a fashion equivalent of the “Dead Sea” that is Boston - finding each other was like changing the title for “The Last Man on Earth” to the “The Only Fashionistas in Boston” (I exaggerate…I’m sure there are a number of fashionistas in Boston).

Hey DonBorsch, Let's Pretend To Be Talking...Sexily

So, how did we meet? The truth of the matter is that I had devised a nefarious plan to set us up and the key lied in his snapchat (which he has provided his username on his Instagram account, donborsch).

Step 1: Become active on snapchat.
- I wasn’t much of a snapchatter (madhattah93) until the fruition of this plan.
- Step 2: Ensure that DonBorsch follows me and see my snap.
  - Easy enough. His own misunderstanding of Snapchat etiquette at the time had ensured that we were communicating snappers.
  - Step 3: Create an instance where he would make contact with me without my direct interaction.
    - I had stumbled upon a gallery in the South End of Boston where an artist had utilized a minimal stylistic approach with a lot of whitespace.
    - Step 3.1: Snap the painting and caption “How very @DonBorsch-y”
    - Step 4: Wait…Direct Message received.
      - He took the bait.
      - Step 5: Plan a meet
        Luckily @CanAhtam had one planned that would take place in a couple days.
        Step 6: Meet.
        With that, the rest is fashion history.

A Kindred Spirit

Fashionistas At Work (The Cafe Shop That Started It All)

While I’ve spent many years as a Hermit, and being absolutely fine with it, interacting with individuals who share the same interests and passions go a long way. My capabilities and skills as a “Management Major” and Sociologist may have shone during my time at Bentley University (so praised my professors) but it didn't grow to its fullest potential. If my passion for photography, or instragraming, was born from the Instagram community in Boston then my addiction to fashion was nourished by my interactions with DonBorsch.

Boys Just Want To Have Fun (In Front of The Camera)...Wait, That's Not What I Meant

I cannot emphasize enough how barren Boston is of “fashionistas.” Yes, you have fashion majors and other fashion addicts but there is a stark difference between being fashion conscious and simply throwing on a couple of branded clothes and calling yourself a “fashionista.” By being slightly well put together one can garner the attention of the others but for DonBorsch that is not the case. His style, which some may call “clean,” or “classic,” or “minimal” should not be referred as just any one. Instead, I believe his fashion-sense takes into consideration of what is classic and what is trendy then coordinates his selection with his DonBorsch-y minimal essences. Though our time together may have been short, it was enough for me to see how his eye towards the minimal allows his charm…his charisma, to shine through.

Looking Back, There Never Was A Meet Without A Little Cafe

I enjoyed the time he used me as a model in his shots (though most feature my hands…apparently I’ve got some handsome hands), being a cameraman for his shots (though I was directed how to shoot…so more like a human tripod than a photographer…I kid DonBorsch), and learning so much from him. How does one look sexy? How does one compose a watch shoot? Check this out and this…and this one too to find out how. I told him that he was my inspiration and he told me that I was his…a humbling man.

DonBorsch, My Inspiration, My Friend, and Fellow Fashion Addict

Merci beaucoup DonBorsch~

Denim & Supply, Ralph Lauren's Wooster Cotton Sport Shirt

Floor So Clean That It Attracts Minimalist DonBorsch

Before I end this heartwarming post on fashion friendship it is only appropriate that I mention a little something about the shirt that I had decided to don for this friendly photo shoot (after all, aren't we fashion addicts?). Truth be told, knowing that I was meeting the DonBorsch for what would be our final photoshoot together I knew that I had to up my fashion game...which meant that I can't go with the super casual stuff that were left over from packing my entire wardrobe to be shipped to Malaysia. The day before this meet I had decided to go on a long walk and take in Newbury Street one last time before my eventual leave and that's when I went into Ralph Lauren's Denim & Supply located on one end of the street. The wooster cotton sport shirt immediately caught my eye because of all it's blueness. The colour that we have all gotten used to seeing is red and that colour/pattern combo can be found just about anywhere but here is a truly unique shirt. Sometimes, tweaking the most used fashion ever so slightly is all it takes. The fabric of the shirt allows the fashionisto a more laissez-faire kind of feel where you can simply put it on right out of the dryer, roll your sleeves up, and look absolutely sexy in all its wrinklyness.

Shirt: Wooster Cotton Sport Shirt By Denim & Supply, Ralph Lauren; Jeans: Black Super Skinny Jeans By H&M; Shoes: Drivers By Tod's; Shades: By SEE Eyewear.