“I would recommend that everyone wear a cloak at some point in their lives. It gives you this weird sense of confidence and you kind of feel like a badass.”
Hailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Norman R. Storer ’19 is often spotted on campus (and, occasionally, on the Ivy League Snapstory) wearing a long black cloak, resembling that of Jon Snow from the television series “Game of Thrones.” FM caught up with Storer to meet the man behind the cape—and to steal some style secrets.
Fifteen Minutes: So, you’ve often been spotted wearing a long black cloak around campus. Where’d it come from and why do you wear it?
Norman Storer: Well, first of all, I made it. I work a bit with leather, wood, metal. That started actually... because I used to make belts for my pirate costumes and little pouches for money and stuff. I would make stuff to sell to my family—wallets, purses, bracelets, that kind of stuff. So anyways, during the summer before I came here, I was already contemplating that it was going to be very, very cold. I’d heard about the legendary 2014-2015 winter, and I was like: “Winter is coming.”… I’m a big fan of “Game of Thrones,” so I decided to make myself a Jon Snow cloak.
FM: I notice you are also wearing a kilt.
NR: Well, so my first kilt was—I mean is, because I still have it—a Utilikilt... It’s a brown utility kilt with big cargo pockets. It’s so cool... I’m a really big fan of Irish and Scottish music... and then I saw kilts and I was like, “Yo, I need one of those.” And then I saw the Utilikilt and was like, “Yo, that’s actually useful, ’cause it has pockets!” So then I got that... and a year later, I got this kilt, which is a semi-traditional kilt. I hope to get a proper thick woolen quilt soon, so I can properly face the Boston winter.
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FM: Do you have a story about a time when someone recognized you for your clothing?
NS: Well, once I was walking—about a week or two ago—when it snowed. And I was walking around with the cloak here in the plaza and some... tourists made signs at me... I thought it was for me to take a photo of them, and I was like, “Of course, sure!” And then I’m waiting for someone to give me a camera, as they get close to me. But then they just stand at my side, and I see the other guy with a camera, and I’m like, “Oh, okay!”
FM: How does it feel when people stop you for pictures or just take pictures of you in general?
NS: I like to think that I don’t care about what people think of me, and that’s sort of true. I also do kind of get a guilty pleasure from knowing that people are like, “What the fuck is he wearing?” I kind of have a hard time not smiling when I notice people looking at me. I just walk, and I’m like: [he smirks].
