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Sunday, March 23, 2025 | Special Advertising Section 30!\By Jessica RoyThe New York TimesWhen Larry Pennington started his TikTok account late last year, he did so hoping to show off his love of antique home d%u00e9cor and thrifted outfits. With a distinctive eye for hidden gems and a classically Southern personal style, Pennington, a 79-year-old former educator, has been honing his sartorial skills for decades. He thought he could teach the young people on social media a few things.Pennington had no idea his account %u2014 which features outfit-of-the-day posts and home d%u00e9cor hacks %u2014 would grow to more than 240,000 followers in a little more than a month, quickly positioning him among TikTok%u2019s thrifting elite.Pennington was born in Charleston, W. Va., to two fashionable parents %u2014 his father a corporate executive who wore custom suits and his mother a homemaker who opted for designer wear and couture garments.%u201cI grew up with wonderful memories of her clothes and his clothes, and that got me started,%u201d he said in a recent phone interview. Pennington, who describes his personal style as %u201cclassic men%u2019s%u201d %u2014 suit jackets paired with sweaters, lots of pocket squares and bow ties, a neatly trimmed mustache %u2014 often includes a sentimental tribute to his parents in his outfits, such as wearing one of his mother%u2019s earrings as a lapel pin. Pennington%u2019s love for thrifting and antiquing started in earnest in the 1980s, when he was living in Washington, D.C. Now, at almost 80, he%u2019s mastered the art of scouring the internet and social media for high-quality vintage items: He frequently purchases things on eBay, Etsy and Poshmark.%u201cYou have to train your eye to find things that look like quality, that have the right proportions,%u201d he said. %u201cYou can go to the dollar store now and find some really nice things %u2014 you just have to have an eye for it.%u201dPennington%u2019s style %u2014 and his videos %u2014 recall a previous fashion era, when everyone dressed up for occasions like meals and airplane travel, and pajama bottoms would never be worn outside the house.%u201cWe dressed up to go somewhere in the car,%u201d Pennington said.He and his husband of 20 years, David, live in Rehoboth Beach, Del., but rent a place in Florida during the winter, where they maintain their tradition of getting dressed up every evening, often in complementary ensembles.%u201cWe go out, we have drinks, we buy dinner, bring it home, go to the piano, sing and play, and then we sit down and eat our dinner,%u201d Pennington said. %u201cSo, doing the outfit-of-the-day post is so easy %u2014 I%u2019m dressed anyway, and then I have the chance to talk about things, like the difference between slip-ons and loafers.%u201dThe couple have high style expectations not just for themselves but also for those in their inner circle.%u201cWe give a big party every Christmas,%u201d Pennington said. %u201cFirst I said, %u2018Dress casual.%u2019 Then I tried saying business. I finally had to say semiformal, because I%u2019m from the South: If I have a party and you don%u2019t dress up for it, I%u2019m insulted. It%u2019s like you didn%u2019t try. I%u2019m spending a fortune %u2014 I%u2019ve got bartenders and waiters and caterers %u2014 and you came like you%u2019re going to go weed the garden.%u201d His TikTok account has struck a chord with young people %u2014 %u201cMy new mantra is, %u2018What would Larry do?%u2019%u201d a fellow TikTok creator, Traveling Terry, recently observed %u2014 who are drawn to his timeless style and home d%u00e9cor taste and are impressed with his social media savvy. %u201cPeople are so sweet and so kind, and they say the nicest things to me,%u201d Pennington said of his followers.But just because young people love him doesn%u2019t mean he%u2019s impressed by current youth fashion trends. %u201cI don%u2019t understand the athletic wear look,%u201d Pennington said. %u201cI will not wear a T-shirt. To me, underwear is not outerwear.%u201d%u201cAnd I don%u2019t understand sweatpants,%u201d he added.!\Larry Pennington%u2019s style recalls a previous fashion era, when everyone dressed up for occasions like meals and airplane travel. (Courtesy of Larry Pennington)