Shhhtyle
"Fashions fade, style is eternal."
- Yves Saint Laurent
"Your clothes should speak, not yell."
- Aladdin Dimas, master tailor and owner of Artful Tailoring (http://www.artfultailoring.com/)
It's starting to warm up here in the Phoenix valley, and with the change of the season comes a necessary change in dress. In a few weeks here my weekend attire will switch from jeans and a sweater to shorts and a t-shirt. My dark suits will be lovingly put away--but will get some use when I go to San Francisco at the end of this month--and be replaced with khaki pants and light weight dress shirts. And as I was preparing my suits for storage I got a lightning bolt of an idea: "Why not purchase a summer suit?"
I did some searches on the internet this morning for summer suits and found what appeared to be a beautiful khaki summer suit at J. Crew. Additionally, the pants and jacket appeared to be reasonably priced. For the most part, I treat the internet with a healthy does of contempt. It is a powerful tool, and is best for generating information. For discernment there is nothing better than putting "some boots on the ground" and checking out the items in person. So my activity for today was taking a "field trip" to the mall, and doing some scouting--not to be confused with shopping--for some appropriate spring/summer attire.
I learned last year that if you want to get outstanding service at any retail establishment you need to look sharp. I put on a pair of slacks and a pressed white dress shirt. Big mistake. When I walked into J. Crew every sales associate on the floor was looking at me like a piece of meat--and not in a good way. On four separate occassions different sales associates came over and asked if I needed some help or wanted a changing room to try something on. Each time they got the same answer: "No, thank you." Additionally, the khaki suit that I had seen online and thought to be lovely wasn't so great looking in person. The words "sweat shop" and "made in Taiwan" went racing through my mind each time I touched the material.
While driving home I went back through the history of where I have purchased my clothing. Back in high school I used to think that Banana Republic and J. Crew were great places to buy clothes. My closet had about three or four pairs of khaki pants and several collared shirts from both retailers. Out of college I thought that Brooks Brothers was really top of the line when it came to work apparell and thought, "Gosh, I've really upgraded from Banana Republic." After discovering the Barney's Sale last year I thought I found a "Forbidden City" of fashion, but this thought was quickly rescinded when I took some of the items in to be altered by my current tailor. Recently, I've added some custom shirts to the wardrobe. To be truthful, the thought of putting on some of the shirts that I had previously purchased from Brooks Brothers make me cringe.
Towards the end of this thought sequence I said out loud, "What is style?" I got an answer in the form of a mental image which is as follows: Sean Connery in his James Bond days wearing a three-piece suit and tie, backing the whole ensemble with a wolfish grin. Upon contemplation, there aren't any absolute here but more clues as to what what makes something stylish or appropriate. In the case of Mr. Connery, the three-piece suit is appropriate as England is horribly cold and central heating was spotty at best back then in jolly old England. More importantly, the posture and the grin are as much a part of the ensemble as the suit is.
More than anything else, I believe that individual style is about doing "your act," or said another way, "Wearing what you love." The odd thing about this statement is that nobody can tell you how to do "your act" or tell you what you love to wear. It's a process. It takes time to figure out what makes a person feel their best, and there are certainly going to be missteps along the way--just ask my sister about my orange Amoeba Records t-shirt that I wore with great pride and enthusiasm from 2004 through 2005. If Gerry Kaiser's dog didn't use that shirt as a chew toy I would probably still be wearing it to this day.
My act is pretty simple, but it took quite a long time to put together. I'm sure it will evolve over time, but feel pretty certain that the basics will be the same for quite some time. They are as follows: (1) Hair cut every two weeks, (2) Two pairs of black oxford captoes shined every two weeks; pair A is worn for one week and then pair B is worn the week after, (3) Pressed white dress shirt--French cuffs worn once or twice per week; (4) Properly altered slacks. I probably won't win any awards from GQ for creativity in fashion, but I feel good every day and know that there will rarely be a situation where I will feel out of place due to what I am wearing.
Upon my last visit to see my tailor he told me, "Custom and properly altered clothing give a man confidence." Can a shirt alone give a man confidence? I don't think so. But what I think he is getting at is at the heart of what I believe style is--getting the details right. Regardless of what "your act" is, getting the details right seems to be a common thread--pun intended--in looking great and feeling confident. When you get the details right, it's hard NOT to be feel good--whether it is the work product you are producing or their clothing you wear.
- Yves Saint Laurent
"Your clothes should speak, not yell."
- Aladdin Dimas, master tailor and owner of Artful Tailoring (http://www.artfultailoring.com/)
It's starting to warm up here in the Phoenix valley, and with the change of the season comes a necessary change in dress. In a few weeks here my weekend attire will switch from jeans and a sweater to shorts and a t-shirt. My dark suits will be lovingly put away--but will get some use when I go to San Francisco at the end of this month--and be replaced with khaki pants and light weight dress shirts. And as I was preparing my suits for storage I got a lightning bolt of an idea: "Why not purchase a summer suit?"
I did some searches on the internet this morning for summer suits and found what appeared to be a beautiful khaki summer suit at J. Crew. Additionally, the pants and jacket appeared to be reasonably priced. For the most part, I treat the internet with a healthy does of contempt. It is a powerful tool, and is best for generating information. For discernment there is nothing better than putting "some boots on the ground" and checking out the items in person. So my activity for today was taking a "field trip" to the mall, and doing some scouting--not to be confused with shopping--for some appropriate spring/summer attire.
I learned last year that if you want to get outstanding service at any retail establishment you need to look sharp. I put on a pair of slacks and a pressed white dress shirt. Big mistake. When I walked into J. Crew every sales associate on the floor was looking at me like a piece of meat--and not in a good way. On four separate occassions different sales associates came over and asked if I needed some help or wanted a changing room to try something on. Each time they got the same answer: "No, thank you." Additionally, the khaki suit that I had seen online and thought to be lovely wasn't so great looking in person. The words "sweat shop" and "made in Taiwan" went racing through my mind each time I touched the material.
While driving home I went back through the history of where I have purchased my clothing. Back in high school I used to think that Banana Republic and J. Crew were great places to buy clothes. My closet had about three or four pairs of khaki pants and several collared shirts from both retailers. Out of college I thought that Brooks Brothers was really top of the line when it came to work apparell and thought, "Gosh, I've really upgraded from Banana Republic." After discovering the Barney's Sale last year I thought I found a "Forbidden City" of fashion, but this thought was quickly rescinded when I took some of the items in to be altered by my current tailor. Recently, I've added some custom shirts to the wardrobe. To be truthful, the thought of putting on some of the shirts that I had previously purchased from Brooks Brothers make me cringe.
Towards the end of this thought sequence I said out loud, "What is style?" I got an answer in the form of a mental image which is as follows: Sean Connery in his James Bond days wearing a three-piece suit and tie, backing the whole ensemble with a wolfish grin. Upon contemplation, there aren't any absolute here but more clues as to what what makes something stylish or appropriate. In the case of Mr. Connery, the three-piece suit is appropriate as England is horribly cold and central heating was spotty at best back then in jolly old England. More importantly, the posture and the grin are as much a part of the ensemble as the suit is.
More than anything else, I believe that individual style is about doing "your act," or said another way, "Wearing what you love." The odd thing about this statement is that nobody can tell you how to do "your act" or tell you what you love to wear. It's a process. It takes time to figure out what makes a person feel their best, and there are certainly going to be missteps along the way--just ask my sister about my orange Amoeba Records t-shirt that I wore with great pride and enthusiasm from 2004 through 2005. If Gerry Kaiser's dog didn't use that shirt as a chew toy I would probably still be wearing it to this day.
My act is pretty simple, but it took quite a long time to put together. I'm sure it will evolve over time, but feel pretty certain that the basics will be the same for quite some time. They are as follows: (1) Hair cut every two weeks, (2) Two pairs of black oxford captoes shined every two weeks; pair A is worn for one week and then pair B is worn the week after, (3) Pressed white dress shirt--French cuffs worn once or twice per week; (4) Properly altered slacks. I probably won't win any awards from GQ for creativity in fashion, but I feel good every day and know that there will rarely be a situation where I will feel out of place due to what I am wearing.
Upon my last visit to see my tailor he told me, "Custom and properly altered clothing give a man confidence." Can a shirt alone give a man confidence? I don't think so. But what I think he is getting at is at the heart of what I believe style is--getting the details right. Regardless of what "your act" is, getting the details right seems to be a common thread--pun intended--in looking great and feeling confident. When you get the details right, it's hard NOT to be feel good--whether it is the work product you are producing or their clothing you wear.
posted by Zen_Accountant at 7:37 PM
2 Comments:
One of my favorite subjects! I sewed a lot of my own clothes in high school.
I made dresses, pants, a
boiled wool blue trapeze coat, even a bathing suit. I was wearing a home made dress when I went to my dental school interview. I can look back and remember so many of these creations. I especially remember the fabrics--a deep navy velvet with tiny white flowers that I wore in San Francisco with my mom and dad.
There was a beautiful knit that I turned into a wrap dress a la DVF
(but before her time). I used a simple pink cotton for a dirndl skirt with a wide waste band.
Polyester was new and exciting because it draped so beautifully
(but I do remember it was hard to work with).
I loved selecting the pattern and then finding the perfect yardage.
My mom would go with me to the fabric store and she was superb.
Of course, everything fit--it was custom. In true OCD fashion, everything was finished perfectly.
And it was a one-of-a-kind.
That was the 70's. Thirty years later I still appreciate fabrics, fit, workmanship, details.
And I do feel more confident in clothes I love.
Mr. Munson:
You are only one of a small number of my acquaintances who will truly appreciate the timeless, incomparable style of Countess Mara:
http://www.countessmara.com/index.htm
Enjoy!
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