Bless up from your feet to your head top
We go Again,
We speak about colour and pieces and communicating codes and messages in clothes but we haven’t had the conversation of the principles of style. I spoke about my style philosophy now its to get on the principles
I want this to be the start of the era Style is at the pinnacle and first in mind over brand name or face. We do not dress to show we have money no more we dress to show we have style and to tell a story and communicate the codes of ourself.
Example of Communicating Codes
There are people out here who don’t dress by just style they dress by pieces of a designer they love because the designer tells a story through clothes. This is the height of fashion and the meaning of building a house. Not the luxury of spending a band on a top but the luxury of a designer telling the story you share together
Marni, Miu Miu, Yohji Yamamoto, Rick Owens, Early McQueen, Dries Van Noten Ann Demeulemeester all have a man or a woman they’re speaking to and communicating with through clothes.
The point of dressing in a designer is to tell the story or have them tell the story for you piece by piece you are recognised for delivering a code to another person in your clique or someone else to tell them you are part of this house.
The message for all designers that all designers should deliver is the hope or provocation of a man or woman wanting to style on themselves.
Move How You Like
For those of us without the want or need to communicate or relate to a Designer we dress by style. We do all the same things for ourselves and without the use of a house.
We practice the fundamentals of all the great houses and designers without making the clothes. Things I want to make clear in style everything goes and what’s not for you isn’t for you, you dress as yourself and no one else.
Editors Note
With me I like comfort as my luxury versatility as a key and layering as function. We all have our things we want to communicate how I was bought up is a big part of what I want but it doesn’t need to be I remember a time I used to only wear shirts and suits that time is gone that was still me but right now those things I named earlier are me now.
Now here are the fundamentals
Versatility
With versatility being high on my style slider I care about, how many places can I wear this one item? and how many things can it be paired with in my wardrobe? those questions need to be answered before buying an item and more-times it’s second nature unless it’s a totally new wave for me.
Simply answer those questions and you got versatility down.
Layering
This is one of the hardest to deal with in fashion and style in general I don’t expect everyone to have down asap at all. However layering is one of those that can accent, accentuate and make an outfit blow up out the stratosphere. People that are amazing at layering usually are done with simple and are ready for adept and advanced styling techniques.
Pairing an undershirt, shirt, coat and overcoat together with a scarf a hat and a pair of shoes isn’t simple and is what we respect about people who have outfits that do that. Keeping an outfit kosher but layered making it look simple effortless and relaxed makes you the best at styling.
Coordinating
Co-ords took over summer shorts and shirts bought together in a pack making it easy for a buyer. For me coordinating goes further than that when you have a tartan or a plaid and houndstooth or a pattern or a print bringing those together to make your outfit pop with different colours and sequencing.
These are the times where we can know who knows what in colour matching and print matching and pattern matching. Can you bring all those together simply not look like you’re overdoing it move like you know what you’re doing.
This right here along with layering is what separates the good from the great stylists
Storytelling
Just as when you wear a designer you’re communicating a message when you put together an outfit you want to communicate your own message, show people not only you know what you’re doing.
Who are you today what’s the story are you an international visiting, are you a fairy are you a dapper dan or pretty flacko you here for a good time or a long time here to dance, show off or floss, you not trying to do too much are you doing a lot with a little. Let them know who you fricking are you are that guy my guy. Give it to them.
Codes
Things we can’t escape the codes, especially being a black guys being dressed a certain way, in my most me I get more play wearing my suit than my hoodie or durag with white people outside I don’t know. In my trench coat/turtleneck/print hoodies I get looks & women are more available than in my simple toned down or quirky looks
I play to my strengths more time and like to communicate to all parties I can do all things with my character and demeanour than with my dress. It makes me feel more natural than communicating with clothes.
However when I have a mission I dress a certain way and I’m more manicured and simple than full quirk.
Pairing
Something everyone can address is how they pair all things simply pick a colour top or bottom or on your sneakers and match the colour with something else on your outfit.
Match your accents and secondary colours and have a through line between the colours or patterns your matching not many People can match fabrics but if you start with colour you’re well on your way to perfect pairing
Signature Piece
Showing yourself off a piece of clothing off by having everything be understated and down played apart from that one piece.
When you shop by pieces and not looks you are given the luxury of having one piece from a designer you really like and are able to do whatever you want around that piece. And that piece pops
Editors Notes
Some fundamentals are easier than others and usually you pick your thing and sample everything else. Doin it your way everything goes there’s really no limits and every fundamental has its own wormhole you can go down to transport you to the you, you really are. The only limit is your imagination.
Whatever Moves Your Dial
NYTypical
