Men We Love: Bruce Sturgell

I don’t know about you, but there’s just something about a stylish man. There’s a confidence like no other. I think that’s why I love Chubstr.com so much. It’s the only site I know of that offers big guys the option of fashion and style . Bruce Sturgell is the man behind it and another one to add to the list of “Men We Love.”

Name: Bruce Sturgell

City: Springfield, MO

Web Site: www.Chubstr.com

Occupation: Chubstr’s Founder

(and sometime marketing consultant)

Tell us a little about Chubstr.com and how it was created.

Chubstr started out on Tumblr as an outfit of the day blog back in 2010. I felt like there was a lack of options for big men out there, and thought I’d post photos of looks I put together and just see how it went. At the time, I didn’t really have a specific focus – it was mainly about posting photos when I had time. After a few weeks of doing this, I noticed that the photos were getting a lot of traction with visitors and that guys were writing in with questions about where I bought my clothing, or looking for tips on putting together looks of their own. As this happened more and more, it just made sense to create a brand that was separate from Tumblr, and Chubstr was born from that.

Who is your fashion or style icon?

I really used to look to some celebrities for inspiration, but now I get most of my inspiration from the guys who send in photo submissions. We get pictures from some big guys who really have it together – they know their style and how they want to look, and they make it work. It’s inspiring to see someone my size pulling off looks that you generally only see on someone of a more mainstream size.

Right now, I’m really addicted to Idris Elba’s personal style. That guy could make a chicken suit and sandwich board look good. He’s probably the only celeb I’ve been following lately.

What would you say are one of the biggest misconceptions about men (big or small) and fashion?

In general there’s a misconception that most men don’t care about their appearance. This is doubly true about bigger guys. When you look at TV and film, most big men you see are portrayed as slobbish – basically the comic relief. Starting Chubstr has shown me that this absolutely isn’t true. In many cases, these guys just aren’t catered to in any way that matters. When they do come across articles about dressing themselves, the focus usually goes to losing weight or wearing something slimming.

Style is about wearing things that help you show who you are as an individual, and putting together a look that you feel good about. What we’re trying to do with Chubstr is show the world that big guys are as interested in this (and have as much of a right to do this) as anybody else.

Do you have any advice for the big guys out there when it comes to style?

Don’t be afraid to try things. I spent a long, long time wearing what was basically a variation on one specific look. You miss out on so much when you do that. You can wear colors, try different fabrics, even wear something other than a button down or a polo. What I do when I need inspiration is head to tumblr and look at some of the menswear blogs or style blogs I follow there. Just because the models aren’t my size doesn’t mean I can’t replicate the look they’re wearing.

Don’t think that just because you’re not a size 28, you can’t pull off a unique and interesting look. You can wear anything you want and make it your own with a little work.

Where do you love to shop?

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