Thomas was one of those people that stopped me in my tracks when I saw him in the subway station, standing still as a monk in his prototypical custom suit – “two-toned shoes, patterned socks, and stingy brimmed fedora” perfectly shaped for his face – with his rich and passionate taste for modern classicism in dressing. Needless to say, he is not a fan of the “herd mentality” of fashion and prefers to say “style” when talking about his aesthetic. For Thomas, dressing sends a message to oneself and to the world about your place and value. I thought it was notable that he was reading a Zen Buddhist book called Ending the Pursuit of Happiness that addresses people’s anxious preoccupations with changing – he thinks of his own style as a constant evolution, rather than a trendy, sudden about-face. Everything from his handlebar mustache that he has been obsessed with having since he was five years old to his peak lapels, niches to place flowers and mother-of-pearl buttons on his suit sleeve to the orange silk lining in the jacket is thoughtful, deliberate, and consistent. Thomas’ icons are the time-honored kind: Steve McQueen in Bullitt inspired him to wear turtlenecks, and Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief provoked him to wear an ascot under a pullover. Never without the most perfectly fitted button-down, I felt I had to hide in my hugely oversized, ripped-to-shreds men’s Victorian shirt.

If you like Thomas, you might also enjoy Cator Sparks, John Wellington, or Mister Burton.