Everyday students walk down the bustling halls, unattentive. But one teacher stands out, wearing anomalous outfits everyday and drawing attention. This is Fletcher Woolsey, who has been a teacher for 16 years and has a unique sense of fashion that inspires his teaching and life in general. His unique style started at a very young age.

Woolsey’s hometown had a designated elementary school, but Woosley had to travel and attend a different school where he didn’t know anyone. He often felt isolated from the other kids in many different ways, including how he dressed.

“My dad dressed me like I went to a 1960s prep school,” Woolsey said. “He sent me to school in a blue blazer on my first day. It was very clear that I did not fit in.”

He observed other kids on how they dressed, and he noticed that they all dressed in similar fashion, an athletic and more relaxed style. So he decided to dress the same way, which helped him feel less alone when he was young. He soon realized fitting in was the opposite of what he wanted to do.

“I pretty quickly realized, this is actually really, really boring,” Woolsey said. “So now how do I stand out?”

He stands out by how he dresses. Woolsey always has a brightly colored or a loud pattern part of his outfit. Choosing to be different influenced more than his style – it also influenced his teaching.

Woolsey has always been a reserved person, so he found one way to have attention on him, in a good way, was through his clothes – so he didn’t have to talk first.

“If the way I dress attracts attention as soon as I’m in the room, it’s the icebreaker,” Woolsey said. “I walk into a room in pink trousers or a mint green jacket, [and] everybody’s looking at me.”

Woolsey, being a shy person and not wanting to start the conversation all the time, found the perfect way to avoid it while still being present in the room.

“My teaching style is definitely intended to grab attention,” he said. “I want my lesson to stand out in your mind at the end of the day, the same way my outfits do.”