For Belmont Cameli, More Is More

Between filming and promoting Prime Video’s smash-hit hockey romance Off Campus — then jumping right back into production for the highly anticipated second season — Belmont Cameli hasn’t been home in a year, leaving most of his personal wardrobe stashed in storage in Los Angeles. “I’m kind of just wearing the nearest and cleanest thing on a day-to-day,” he tells Bustle with a laugh over Zoom. “I’m just hoping to have laundry done, honestly.”

Even if he’s usually rocking a sweatsuit off the clock, the 28-year-old actor happily embraces opportunities to lean into fashion for work. In his latest role as a Reebok global brand ambassador, he models the classic EX-O-FIT Hi and Club C 85 Vintage silhouettes, mixing them with a variety of looks against a dance-inspired backdrop.

The brand’s “Born Classic, Worn for Life” campaign pairs perfectly with Cameli’s own fashion ethos. After all, he’s been pairing Reeboks with just about everything well before he ever picked up a hockey stick.

His top tip for stepping into your own personal style is to take it one piece at a time. “If you want to dress up a casual white sneaker, like a pair of Reebok Club C’s or the EX-O-FIT Hi’s, I would say wear them with a dress pant and a casual T-shirt,” he says, noting that this simple trick introduces a single formal element to a laid-back ensemble. “Then, once you feel a little more comfortable, you can add, say, a blazer or a collared shirt. Eventually, you could find yourself wearing a suit with a sneaker and feeling really good in it.”

And don’t be afraid to try something new — Cameli doesn’t believe in fashion icks. “Everybody is on their own style evolution,” he says. “I can go pull up photos of me being like, What the hell was I thinking? But hindsight is 20/20. On that day, I was like, Hell, yeah, this is good. You know, you can’t go wrong.”

Below, Cameli opens up about shopping the women’s section, his take on the internet’s great sock-length debate, and the surprising reason his Off Campus looks sometimes get vetoed.

Your oversize pin-striped trousers and white Reeboks look fits well with the current “eclectic grandpa” trend. Is that something you and your stylist leaned into for this campaign — or are you just comfortable wearing it in real life?

The eclectic grandpa vibe describes my personal wardrobe pretty well. That look I put together with my stylist, Sydney Lopez, is based on my version of what smart, stylish, academic looks like. A lot of that look was vintage. I like a high-waisted pleated trouser and a sweater vest over a patterned shirt with a patterned tie, and some sort of good detail on a blazer. I’m a maximalist when I’m building my own outfits. In my personal life, I’m using vintage and thrifted clothing as well.

We’re also in this era of “slutty little” accessories — glasses, watches, rings. Is that part of your personal style, or do you let your sneakers do the heavy lifting?

I do love to accessorize. I have horrible vision, so a lot of times I wear glasses because I need them. And so I love a slutty little pair of glasses, but that’s genuinely because I’ll bump into sh*t if I’m not wearing them. That is a big part of my personal style too. I’ve had crappy glasses for years, and I’ve been experimenting more with different frames and styles, so that’s been really fun.

Are you someone who’s very particular about keeping your shoes clean — or are you OK if they look a little scuffed up?

For the EX-O-FITs, gosh, I’ve been wearing them for like a decade. It’s the only sneaker I wear, so I’m probably on pair... I don’t know, 20? I like to keep a couple pairs of EX-O-FITs in rotation. I have my daily beaters, and then I keep one pair clean for when I have a nice dinner or an event.

That’s really smart! In the dance studio shot, you’re wearing cream socks with your Reeboks. There’s always a debate about what the different generations prefer. What is your stance on the ideal sock length?

I have always been a mid-calf guy. I wear the high sock, but I’ll usually scrunch it down. That’s been my personal style, and I’ve never deviated from it. Growing up, when I was an athlete, you just wore mid-calf athletic socks, and that’s still all the socks that I have. But now I have cute versions of them, in different fabrics. I’ve never been a no-show guy. I have nothing against the ankle-sock people, but it’s not my personal style.

When you did your Bustle photo shoot, you made some waves in the best way with a cropped baby tee moment. Are there other traditionally “girly” fashion trends you like to borrow?

Oh, 100%. I’m often shopping in the women’s section of clothing stores. Women’s clothing is so much more inventive. I feel like women get to be so much more expressive in how they dress, and I don’t think those clothing racks should be off-limits to men.

I’ve done photo shoots in skirts. I have a little collection of cheap vintage bags that I pick up when I’m traveling. I’ve painted my nails in the past. I think men should lean into those things too, because it’s a way to further express yourself. I’m always happy to take inspiration from female style.

Working on Off Campus Season 2, are you aware of ways that Garrett’s style has evolved — or maybe seeing pieces of yourself in his looks?

It’s funny. We laugh a lot because in my fittings for Garrett, a lot of the stuff that gets shot down that I don’t get to wear in the show — which is a totally reasonable and informed choice — is because, like, That’s too Belmont. We always say, “OK, this is too Belmont. This isn’t Garrett.”

But Garrett’s style definitely does evolve in Season 2. Like, I love his grungy concert tee, baggy denim, and sneaker look. The way we style these characters is really individual, and they’ve all grown in their own ways. So yeah, there are some fun looks for Garrett that I really loved wearing in Season 2, and little bits and pieces I’ll probably take for my own closet, too.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.