In addition to being a regular contributor on the "Today" show, he has appeared on both "Oprah" and "The View" numerous times and is a commentator for "Full Frontal Fashion." He has also appeared on several Style Network programs, including "The Look For Less," "Style Essentials" and "Runway," and is the author of three books on fashion: "Men of Color," "Make Over Your Man" and "Before You Put That On."

Although he acknowledges having had an eye for fashion for as long as he can remember, Boston discovered that it wasn't always easy to execute — particularly while attending St. Peter the Apostle School in New Brunswick.

"It was hard in Catholic school because you had a uniform," he says. "I had to find a way to twist it up."

He managed somehow. After graduation, he attended Morehouse College in Atlanta before transferring to Rutgers, where he graduated from Mason Gross School of the Arts with a bachelor's degree in fine arts.

It was while he was at Morehouse, though, that Boston had an encounter that would change his life: "I met Tommy Hilfiger as a sophomore and he offered me an internship (during) a chance meeting at a department store."

He spent 10 years working with Hilfiger, doing everything from helping design logos and embroidery to staging fashion shows and styling photo shoots. During his tenure there, he penned his first book, "Men of Color," a history of black men's style. That garnered him invitations onto television programs, and eventually led him to be invited to be a contributor for "Today," where he has been for eight years.

As the spokesman for Jones New York, Boston dispenses fashion advice to the needy. Although he says it is a rewarding job, it is not as easy to accomplish as you might think.

"As much as people want my help, they don't accept it easily once they get me in front of them," he says. "The moment you hold something up that they don't feel comfortable about, the fight begins."

Still, as difficult as dressing the everyday woman may be, Boston prefers it to styling celebrities.

"It's more of a challenge to dress a real woman with real issues and a real body," he says. "If Cameron Diaz wants to look good at the Oscars, she really doesn't need me. She needs me to call the designers and get a rack of clothes. But ultimately she's going to pick what she likes, and I'm going to zip up the back and here's the shoes."

Boston is currently working on his next book, which he calls "the ultimate style guide for women," and anticipates that it will be released next year. In the meantime, he answers fashion questions via www.jonesnewyork.com.

"Women can e-mail me and ask me style questions and I will e-mail them back," he says. "And I honestly answer them myself. If you've got a big night coming up, you can send me a JPEG of the shoes you own and I can tell you what dress to wear."

When it comes to his own style, Boston keeps it simple.

"I'm a minimalist," he says. "I kind of like neutrals with a shot of color. A tan suit with a green-and-white shirt. Or I'll do white jeans with an orange polo (shirt) . . . I want my clothes to just really complement me, but I don't want them to overpower me.

"I've learned over the years to just keep it simple and let my mind be the thing that people see and hear."

Boston has some tips for women on how to look chic this summer:

"Color is huge," he says. "Crayon-box colors . . . Whether it's a fun patent leather handbag in pink or a trenchcoat in grass green."

In addition, "lots of floral prints have made a return. (They are) more sophisticated and painterly."

But no matter which trend is hot, Boston cautions women against blindly taking part in it.

"You might see it in every store, but don't feel compelled to put it on," he advises.