Campus Character — Leo Moses '14

With his signature thick-rimmed glasses, grandpa-inspired sweaters, well-loved three-year-old J. Crew messenger bag and effervescent smile, Leo Moses ’14 isn’t one to blend in with a crowd.

Towering above most of his peers at 6’5”, this first-year has caught the eyes of students for being someone who avoids the Middlebury Patagonia fleece- and L.L. Bean Boot-wearing stereotype in favor of a more Brooks Brothers-inspired look; his own effortlessly dapper style is far more fitting.

Moses hails from Sacramento, Calif., but spent his high school years out east at Vermont’s St. Paul’s School. And while St. Paul’s may have had a lot to do with how he dresses now, Moses had already been dressing with his unique fashion for a while.

“I’ve probably dressed this way since ninth grade, although I hope there’s been some variation and maybe even some progression since then,” he said.

The self-described “friendly, liberal, church-going Episcopalian” cites the 1950s, dead people and “old things in general” as his sources of inspirations, expressing a nonchalant uncertainty by finishing off his list with an “I don’t really know.”

Moses’s glasses are arguably his most distinguishing accessory, which are made by Oliver People’s. He bought his current pair during the spring of his senior year of high school after losing a nearly identical pair by jumping in a lake.

In addition to his glasses, Moses says he would never leave his room without wearing a belt.

“No matter what the weather, you’re half naked if you’re not wearing a belt,” Leo said matter-of-factly.

With such a unique style, the question of his opinion on Middlebury dress was begging to be asked.

“I like the way people dress around Middlebury, in general. Flannel looks good in Vermont, and if people want to throw down over a hundred bucks for a colorful fleece, I’m certainly not going to stop them,” Moses said. He paused momentarily before adding, “I do hate it, however, when people wear sweatpants around campus. It drives me up the wall. They shouldn’t be worn outside.”

Also on the list of items of clothing Moses refuses to buy are expensive jeans and seersucker pants with patterns or embroidery.

As to whether his style actually reflects his personality, Moses is ambivalent.

“I’ll leave that one up in the air, although I will say my clothing makes me look a bit more put together and anachronistic than I actually am,” Moses said.

Despite his fervent distaste for sweatpants outdoors and WASP-y preppy pants, friends of Moses’s agree that he does not seem to have a bad bone in his body, likening him to a puppy due to his incessant smiling and general giddiness.

Moses sees this in himself as well, stating that he is “unintentionally often quite funny to [his] friends.”

His smile, when combined with his unique sense of style, makes it hard not to stare when Moses comes walking your way.

“I’m a smiley, really tall person. People tend to smile back, and I think they would regardless of what I wear,” stated Moses with his ever-present grin.

There is more to Moses than what most students know him for — his clothing. While he has yet to declare a major, Moses cites religion or English as his current top two choices, though he also finds German history interesting.

He has held a variety of odd jobs, ranging from working at a bakery to selling bikes. Moses’s summers are generally low-key, as he goes backpacking as much as possible during his time off from school.

The one question that has the ability to reveal the most about one’s personality is arguably the simplest: Why Middlebury?

“I chose Middlebury because it’s a really good school and seems to be filled with really friendly people,” said Moses without much hesitation.

Or, in other words, people just like Moses.