Ren's Journey to Self-Acceptance Through Style
Welcome to the first edition of our Style Spotlight series. We’re connecting with people from different walks of life to explore how fashion and style have helped shape their lives, revealing stories of resilience, purpose, and self-discovery. Read on to get inspired to stitch style into your own story.
Cape-like trench coats paired with casual ball caps, baggy cargo pants with tailored blazers, these are combos not everyone can pull off, but Renyl Lantano does so with effortless confidence.
His style perfectly complements not just his sharp graphic design and illustration skills, but also his soft-spoken yet uninhibited demeanor.
But Ren’s signature style did not develop overnight.
"Growing up, I was the fat kid in my family,” he says. “I didn't really take fashion into consideration at all — it was about whether the clothes covered everything I wanted them to.”
That changed during summer break before his final year of high school.
“I decided to just turn myself around, workout, and lose all that weight.”
When he returned to school in the fall, there was a striking difference.
“Everyone was like ‘oh, do we have a new student?’”
This was when Ren first felt the freedom to experiment with his style.
His grade 12 year found him graduating from covering himself up to letting himself shine.
He moved beyond skinny jeans and trends of the time to explore contrasts, like pairing trench coats with casual pieces or dress shoes with more relaxed outfits.
But the transformation was more than just physical.
As Ren became more confident in his style, he also became more comfortable in his skin.
"When I started to dress a little bit better, everyone was like, 'Are you gay or something? You’re dressing really nice.' I’d tell them, 'No, I’m just metrosexual, it’s fine.'"
But as Ren became more comfortable with his identity, fashion became a tool for self-expression and empowerment -- and at least a small part of finding the courage to come out of the closet.
"I came to terms with myself and that's also when fashion took hold and I started experimenting more with my style."
He started wearing billowing coats and relaxed fitting clothing to create striking silhouettes. “I’m such a sucker for coats,” Ren says. “Especially if you're outside with the wind blowing behind you. I feel like the main character.”
These dramatic, superhero-like ensembles were inspired by his life-long obsessions: Anime, K-Pop, and Asian fashion.
"I love the fashion-forward looks in anime. A lot of the characters wear wide-legged pants and trench coats, and that’s influenced me," Ren explains.
He specifically cites Sailor Moon as a huge influence — fitting, as his own evolution from a self-conscious teen to fully embracing his true self mirrors the way the underachieving schoolgirl steps into her true self with her dramatic transformation into the magical Sailor Moon.
Having the confidence to pull off looks that could make Tuxedo Mask jealous often comes with positive reinforcement. “I’ll be walking around, and people will stop me to compliment my outfits,” Ren says.
He acknowledges that these moments are flattering, but he dresses to impress himself first. "You can’t expect compliments. You just have to wear what you love, and if someone notices, it’s a bonus."
One of Ren’s signature style elements is his collection of enamel pins, often connected to his love of anime and video games.
"They’re subtle little details that showcase my personality," he says.
Ren takes care to match his pins to his outfits either thematically or by color, creating a cohesive look that reflects his creativity.
"It’s a fun way to add a little extra to what I’m wearing, and sometimes people even stop me to ask about them."
Despite his bold style, there was one area of fashion Ren stayed away from for a while: denim.
"I wore jeans all the time in university, but the skinny fit never felt right,” he recalls. “It wasn’t that it looked bad; it was just uncomfortable.”
For Ren, denim became associated with discomfort and a part of his style evolution that he had left behind—until recently.
On a visit to Bootlegger, Ren tried on some men’s jeans, but the fit still didn’t feel right. It wasn’t until an associate suggested a pair of women’s jeans that Ren rediscovered the potential of denim.
"They were wide-legged with some stretch, and I realized they could fit into my wardrobe really well," Ren says. He appreciated the potential for versatility, seeing them as a piece that could work with his existing style – while still being comfortable.
Ren’s advice to guys looking to find their own style is simple: don’t get caught up in labels. "I wish more guys would look into women’s clothing. There are so many great options," he says.
He encourages anyone to break free from the constraints of gendered fashion and try pieces from the other side of the store.
"Clothes are just clothes. If you feel good in it, wear it — whether it’s from the men’s or women’s section."
Ren’s open-minded approach to fashion extends beyond just breaking free from gender norms — it’s about embracing personal freedom and resisting societal pressures.
When asked why many men tend to not have much interest in fashion, he thinks that expectations around masculinity might have something to do with it.
“Growing up, I was in the closet, I even had a girlfriend who I thought I had to marry,” he says. “So that restricted me from dressing the way I wanted because I was afraid of truly expressing myself.”
Ren believes that once men stop dressing to please others, they can find real joy and confidence in what they wear.
He recalls nudging his brother toward embracing personal style, and eventually, without much help, his brother started dressing better all on his own.
“He just had to realize you're not dressing for other people, you're dressing for yourself,” Ren says.
And as for Ren’s style? Whether or not he enters his denim era, his style will keep evolving while continuing to be a source of confidence — and a way of expressing his authentic self.
"I think your sense of fashion should always be changing,” Ren says. “The clothes you wear should reflect how you feel, not what other people expect from you."
By John L. Bruce