XL Featured Tribesmen Of The Week Nelvern Samuel

We present to you our XL Featured Tribesmen Of The Week Nelvern Samuel. Today Is the day that we change this thing up our featured tribesmen are gonna be more frequently. Wanna see more featured tribesmen click here.

• Now that outside is opening what’s your plans for 2021?                                           
  • Now that “outside” is reopening, there are a few things that are on my mind. As the lead pastor of Love City Church, finding a new space is imperative. We left the space that we used for fellowship for 23 years, during the pandemic. We didn’t have the best situation and knew a change was necessary. Sometimes it takes a pandemic to make us pivot or else it’ll never happen. I intend on going back to do some mission work in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I also want to date myself more often. Being a husband, dad, pastor, community voice, mentor, student, entrepreneur etc. has drained me of myself; quarantine taught me that. I need me time as much as everyone and everything else needs time from me. Self care is an actual thing, but we’ve made it a fad in our community. I hope it stays and isn’t another fleeting trend.

• What’s one misconception about Big & Tall Men that you hear often? And what are you doing to change it?                                                                                               
  • The greatest misconception that I hear is, that, “we (Big & Tall men) can’t”. No matter what it might be, as it pertains to fashion, WE CAN! It might not suit everyone in the Big & Tall spectrum, but it will suit someone. They might think we can’t, I truly believe that we can… (Pun and shade intended) & what am I doing to change it? Hmmmm… I’d have to say, showing up sure. I mean when it comes to fashion, often time our confidence speaks louder than the combination of colors or patterns. When more Big & Tall men show up sure about who they are, confident in their body type-understanding what’s right for them, the rest is simply “dressing the part.” (See what I did there!?!)

• If your favorite Big & Tall brand gave you a million dollars what would you do with it? 
  • So they’re not a Big & Tall brand per se, they’re actually a made-to-measure suit company, two of which I’m wearing these shots. If Indochino, whose mission is to “inspire confidence that people admire,” were to give me a million dollars & assuming that there would be no tax taken out; the first $100k would go to my church. There is so much work to do in our community and that can help jumpstart some initiatives we have been planning in Brownsville, Brooklyn New York City. The next $200k would go to my wife and daughter for their own use. $400k would go into purchasing a home for them in Georgia near enough to my in-laws. $50K would go to closing out some bills and student loans. The next $50K in investments; I’ve got to flip it somehow. I’d throw $50K in to savings. The remaining $150K would be used to build out and underwrite a few business ideas including a fitness apparel line, a coffee company, and scaffold my consulting business. Phew, that was more than I anticipated.

• What’s been your worst shopping experience? And why?                                          
  • To be quite honest, the worst shopping experiences have always been not being able to shop. As a stylist who can’t shop for themselves, going to the mall is torture. It can be Bergdoff, or Burlington, walking in with the hope that something you see, that you can afford and like, & can fit, is practically inconceivable. Then many of the “Big & Tall” stores with good prices have trash selections, and the stores with good selections absolutely take advantage of us, where prices are concerned. I used to think it was fabric costs but it’s not as exaggerated as the differences in the marks up at the store. As I delve deeper in to developing and creating brands of my own I realize that it is really masterfully cloaked mannequin called, “supply and demand.” They get us men every single time. Why? Because by and large we don’t want to spend the day shopping- at least when we’re not shopping for ourselves.

• What’s on your fashion bucket list?                                                                            
  • I must admit, I did not have a fashion bucket list until this interview but since you asked… I’d love to be the subject for a designer on something like Project Runway. I hope my “swag” would inspire a forward progression in fashion, RESPECTFULLY. I’d love to walk for New York Fashion Week, and when Paris or Italy is ready for Big & Tall men of color to walk in their fashion weeks, I’d want to be there as well. And garner a few endorsements and hopefully becomes a spokesperson for a brand like Indochino, who has made attempts to be as inclusive as they can to all body types in their fashion offerings to the world. And personally, I’d love to walk down Saville Row and have a tailor measure me up head-to-toe and construct a few pieces for me.

XL Featured Tribesmen Of The Week Nelvern Samuel

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