In June, “People” introduced you to Kalani Han, a Chicago letter carrier who organized two history exhibits at the Post Office where he works.
We couldn’t help but notice: This fellow has style.
It turns out we’re not alone.
“Folks on my route call me ‘Mr. Hollywood’ and around the city I’ve come to be known as ‘The Dapper Mailman,’” Han said.
“There’s something about vintage — and even giving the uniform a fresh interpretation — that turns an everyday delivery into something a little more memorable.”
Han, 34, has been into vintage style since he was a child, a trait he attributes to a “wonderfully eccentric” babysitter in his native Hawaii whom he considers an early role model.
He gets most of his retro items from online shops and estate sales, “but some of the most meaningful pieces have come from retired postal workers who were kind enough to gift them to me,” he said.
“You feel the weight of its history. And when I wear it now, I try to carry that forward with care and a little flair.”
Han is clearly besotted with the postal past. He recently collected U.S. Air Mail coat buttons and a pin from the 1930s to use on a peacoat he sewed in a tribute to the Air Mail era.
But his love of vintage is not confined to work hours.
“Most days you’ll find me in high-waisted trousers and a button-down — not too far from my postal uniform, really. There’s just something about the silhouettes and sensibility of vintage style that speaks to me. It feels timeless, intentional and a little bit romantic.”
