XL’s Featured Tribes Men: Dr Marcus C Shepard

June 2, 2017

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XL’s Featured Tribes Men: Dr Marcus C Shepard

1. What are your biggest fashion obstacles?

I think my biggest fashion obstacle is finding the right size, which is oftentimes an obstacle for anyone of any size. Unfortunately, there is not a uniformed size in any clothing so sometimes I end up buying clothes that are either too big or too small. To overcome this obstacle I typically buy clothes that are a size too big and just get it tailored to fit my body. Also if you find a designer who has a size that works for you, I have just gone to that designer and gotten custom pieces made. This issue for men of some stature usually is that our clothing cannot be bought in store so you are doing a guestimate on your size online from the model that the company has selected.

2. Where are you from and what are biggest fashion trends in your city?

Difficult question, hahaha. I am originally from North Jersey, but I lived in Los Angeles for five years and before that I was in Chicago for four. Now I am in Philadelphia and the trends in all of these cities are quite different and really depends on what “scene” you find yourself in. Being new to Philadelphia I cannot really say what the style here is but I have been fortunate enough to link up with up-and-coming Philadelphia designer Abidjan (https://www.instagram.com/aclopez709/) and we are working on some looks for summer. He was inspired fashionably by a big man himself and has a great aesthetic that is similar to mine.

3. What would you say is your biggest fashion miss? (attach a picture if you can)

Oh I am sure I’ve had many but none come to mind and scanning through the picture on my computer and social media, I was hard pressed to find an outfit I disliked, probably because if it was a miss, either no pictures were taken, or I deleted it with the quickness. Those misses though always involved a piece of clothing either being too big so it looked like I was swimming in it, or too small and just not flattering on my body. No matter your size, I’ve learned especially living in LA, that an ill-fitted garment will look horrible on anyone.

4. What are some of your biggest style inspirations?

I do not have someone or a group of individuals I look to for style inspiration. However, I will say I’ve been blessed to work with Jamaal Carroll of Oublier (https://www.instagram.com/oublier.us/) and up-and-coming stylist Jalil Ryan (https://www.instagram.com/8_jalil_ryan_8) who have influenced me in my style selections. I have always been about accessories more so than the actual clothing, so I like my clothing palate to be neutral so that my accessories (coat, shoes, sunglasses, hat, jewelry, etc.) can be the focal point of the look. Therefore, I typically wear a lot of solid black, white, gray, blue, and brown shirts and pants that will compliment whatever accessories I have on.