Paul Wesley Interview
Vampire Diaries star Paul Wesley tells us how to nail it every time.
Coliena RentmeesterFour seasons in and the hysteria that surrounds TV hit The Vampire Diaries shows no sign of abating. We suspect all this success may have something to do with 30-year-old Paul Wesley, who plays
Stefan Salvatore, one of a pair of
vampire brothers (older brother Damon is
played by Ian Somerhalder) vying for the
attention of a mortal girl, Elena (Nina Dobrev).
Since its launch in 2009, the small-town
set supernatural drama has whipped up a
fervent online fanbase, been nominated
regularly for awards, and somehow also
crossed over from niche teen drama to
mainstream TV viewing. (The weirdest
place Paul has been recognised? A
motorcycle pitstop by a “dude with a
beard and a biker jacket out drinking
with his buddies”.) In GLAMOUR’s sexiest
men poll of 2012, Paul cruised easily
into the number eight spot, so who better to showcase the outfits we wish the men in our lives would wear, with a tutorial on how to get them to make the switch?Paul, we’re all ears (and eyes. Also eyes).
Coliena RentmeesterHis fashion credentials
“I think the way a person dresses is an expression of their personality, and I appreciate a well-tailored suit and the work that goes into it. But when it comes to fashion, on a scale of one to ten, I’m a two. It’s funny that I’m the guy in this article because I’m so not that guy. I’m the guy that needs this article! I don’t have a stylist, but I ask my wife [actress Torrey DeVitto] for her opinion when picking clothes. I don’t help her when it comes to dressing. I mean, I can tell when something looks good, but when she asks which of two things I prefer, I just arbitrarily pick something. I have no idea.”
Suiting up
“I always get jealous when I’m in London because the men are so well put together. They wear suits with shoes and ties that have splashes of colour here and there. I can’t even wear brown shoes, so although I secretly wish I could wear colour, when it comes to red-carpet dressing, I keep it traditional. There’s no wardrobe malfunction a guy can have unless you have toilet paper stuck to your shoe, or your flies are undone. That’s actually happened, but no one noticed. The aim is to end up with a picture that you look back on in 30 years’ time, and don’t think, ‘Oh shit, what was I thinking?’”
Coliena RentmeesterEveryday style
“Growing up in New Jersey, everyone wanted to be a tough guy. That meant baggy pants that fell down, big T- shirts, and chains. I couldn’t imagine wearing tight jeans as I thought it was dorky. Now I look at pictures of me then and think, ‘Yeah, you looked dorky.’ These days, my go-to outfit is a white or black T-shirt, jeans, boots and a hoodie. But when I go for dinner with my wife, she’ll say, ‘Can you not wear a hoodie? You look 16.’ As I get older, I think I need to get some more sophisticated clothing.”
Wardrobe essentials
“Men should own: a good pair of boots – they last forever and you can have them resoled; sneakers; dress shoes; two pairs of jeans, and black and white T-shirts. And I like a pea coat for when I’m in New York and it’s cold. As an investment, get a good watch if you can afford it – something timeless and not too flashy. I like sunglasses, the bigger the better, but I lose about a pair a week.”
My top tip
“If you want to tweak your guy’s outfit, just be rude. He can handle it. Or tell him how great it looks. If my wife gets me something and tells me it looks good, I’ll wear it. Guys don’t have the same pleasure in shopping as women, and there’s nothing worse than trying on pants, as only one in 40 fits. I think wives and girlfriends should just bring things to us. Men don’t dress for men unless they’re going to a meeting (where there are other men) and need to look professional. The truth is, we dress for women, so want to exude, well, whatever women want us to exude.”
Coliena RentmeesterYOUR WIFE ASKS, “HOW DO I LOOK?” WHAT DO YOU SAY?
Automatically: “Phenomenal.”
DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOUR WIFE WORE YESTERDAY?
“Yes, because she’s filming in Charleston, South Carolina, and she sent me a picture of her on a motorcycle so I remember her exact outfit. And I was impressed that she was on a motorcycle.”
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE OUTFIT ON YOUR WIFE?
“A tank top and jeans.”
