Viewing entries in the Style Inspiration category
Thinking Ahead
Rick Owens Classic Biker Jacket
With the intermittent storms here in Melbourne I’ve been thinking ahead to Autumn Winter 2012. Despite my obvious aesthetic leanings I actually have complete disdain for winter fashion, predominantly because I’ve always struggled finding jackets and coats I love. Trying to keep in line with my less is more ethos, I’ve narrowed down my winter jacket requirements to three key items I believe will see me through the season.
The first is and always will be the quintessential Rick Owens biker jacket (pictured above). I’ve tried my hand at inspired designs and know in my heart of hearts I won’t be happy until I have the real thing.
Helmut Lang Cropped Leather Jacket
I found a cropped leather jacket in the sales last year at Forever New of all stores; but the sleeves are only 3/4 length and won’t be appropriate for when the true winter hits. So a full-length sleeved cropped jacket (not necessarily in leather) is a must for me this winter. It is the best fitting and most versatile shape to have for the rest of my wardrobe since I have a tendency to cinch the waists on most of my ensembles. Unfortunately most “cropped” styles aren’t cropped enough for my short torso, so this is a difficult item to find.
Gestuz Leather Belted Coat
Lastly I’m after the perfect black classic wool coat with leather sleeves. It is a style that’s been produced by several brands, high-end and low; but none seem to be tailored enough at the back which is a uncompromisable requirement for my body shape. The one pictured is on sale for a steal but is sadly the wrong cut.
While all the winter sales are on overseas it seems like the perfect time to buy, if only I could find my perfect jackets. The hunt continues…
Key Wardrobe Item: Knit Sweater
.
In my real wardrobe these items are:
Bonds T-shirt – American Apparel Fisherman Knit Sweater – Cheap Monday Jeans – Country Road Ballet Flats
.
In my real wardrobe these items are:
American Apparel Fisherman Knit Sweater – ASOS Chrome Cuffs – Rick Owens Wedge Boots – Alexander Wang Satchel – Supre Skirt
Lately all my outfits are revolving around my American Apparel Fisherman Knit Sweaters. They’re classic and comfortable, and I can style them a million different ways. I never feel particularly dressy in them, though. I can’t work out if it’s because they’re too casual or because I wear them so frequently that I’ve lost perspective on where they sit on the style spectrum.
I couldn’t find flat-lay images of the American Apparel sweaters online so I’ve substituted them for these similar knits by Steven Alan. The Wang T-shirt, Repetto Flats, Margiela Cuffs and Topshop Skirt are also flay-lay digital stand-ins for actual wardrobe items I own which I’ve annotated above.
What’s your key wardrobe item of late? Do you feel that after you’ve worn it a lot it’s less special?
Facets of Anarchy
Screenshots from my second, slightly more chaotic and colourful Tumblr; Facets of Anarchy.
What advice do you have for someone trying to refine their style? and other questions.
Occasionally I get e-mails and comments from readers with questions, and often the questions are of a similar nature. I’ve decided it’s time to add a FAQs page so you might easily find the answer you seek; but if it remains unaddressed don’t hesitate to get in touch, I’d still love to hear from you.
One question I recently received elicited a rather complex response from me and I decided it may benefit others to share it. I’ve never considered myself any kind of authority on fashion or style, but the idea that my own experience might resonate with someone on a similar journey is pretty special to me.
What advice do you have for someone trying to refine their style?
Bringing together my style in a cohesive manner has taken a long time, but mostly because I struggled for a long time trying to find an affinity with a particular style. I began emulating styles that looked good to me and tried to work out how they made me feel. I think great style should have an emotional correlation with your personality in order to come off successfully and get that “effortless” look about them that’s so coveted.
If you know what style you’re trying to embody then half your work is already done! It takes courage to purge your closet but it’s a necessary step in creating a new order in your wardrobe. Better to have too few clothes that speak of your style than an abundance of chaos which just lead to confusion and panic attacks in the morning.
I fell towards lots of black because it goes with everything. If you wear lots of colours you have to have confidence in matching or clashing them, and it usually means needing a lot more clothes! I find colours restrictive in that sense. This colourful floral shirt may only go with three other things, but plain black goes with every other plain black thing you own. For someone like me who’s seriously fastidious about colour matching, going all black took an enormous pressure off getting dressed every day. Additionally, I also feel that black imparts an element of darkness in my own style that’s also present in other facets of my life including design influences and musical tastes.
It comes back to that correlation of personality and style which is imperative for personal style to have integrity, authenticity and sincerity. I also hear a lot “dress for the person you want to be” and I think that’s important too. Style is not just about where you are now but where you’re going in the future. It’s why I’ve started to shop quality over quantity; for true love of an item over the lust of a quick retail fix.
Where I Am Lost The Darkness Falls Upon The Day
A selection of recent posts from my Tumblr…
