Frosting the cake
July 4, 2005
Noah C. Buck
While pondering deep topics of great importance, I came to the conclusion that fashion and style are actually just forms of judgment based upon how well a person decorates themselves. This may sound trite, but hey, life is not always a peach. Seriously though, a person with “good style” is someone who understands what to wear—to best accent their form, facial features, etc.— and has a feel for coordination, creativity, and composition.
A big part of style is noticing the little things. Whether it be wearing shoes that match your belt, or finding a purse that accents your print, accessorizing can make or break a good look. A Christmas tree with too many
ornaments looks messy, a car with multiple decals looks cheap, a house with too many lawn flamingos looks trashy… who wants to look messy, cheap, or trashy?! A big key to making sure your look has not gone too far with the accoutrements is to know exactly what falls into the category of “accessories.” Just remember: if it
is not your outfit’s top or bottom, it’s extra. This means shoes, bags, watches, belts, jewelry, and so on.
Sure it’s nice to put on something more every once in awhile: a leather wrist-cuff gives an “urban rustic” touch while a silver chain makes for simple elegance. Where belts are concerned, studs say “irregular,” cloth says “beach,” aged leather gives out a “classic vintage” vibe. Whatever genre you decide to tout, stick with it throughout your entire outfit. Trying to mix styles is tedious and should be left to the likes of Elvis and Madonna.
If you’re going classy, leave the brown worn leathers at home. When you want to go for the “broken in” look, resist brand new shoes or crisply pressed shirts. And if you want to go relaxed, just forget that polyester exists.
In an effort to raise attention to good examples of this kind of consistency, I would like to point out musical artists. A great example of solid image is the genuine musician. He/she knows who they are and put it into their music and their appearance. In an effort to reach for tangible independence, hard rock and punk musicians revamp the concepts of the semi-goth look. This includes lots of blacks, silvers, and obvious contrasts to the common trends. In the same way, pop artists put forth an image of modernity with bright, flashy apparel and perfect hair. Indie-rock artists (my favorite, not gonna lie) have an image of comfort in earth tones, vintage tees, “broken in” shoes, and little-to-no regard for places like Gap or Le Chateau. For each
of these types (which are only a few among many more styles) accessories largely define their separation from other wardrobe choices. Punk/goth look: black leather wrist-cuffs, red stars, silver chains, and the ever-known studs. Pop: latest logos, newest color schemes, biggest coif. Indie: leathers, olives and browns, old slacks, the oh-so-comfortable worn denim, and (who can forget) Chuck Taylors.
While none of these looks should define those who wear them, they should be made consistent. Think of how dastardly it would be if someone were to wear both teams’ colors at a hockey game—neither side would be too thrilled. Accessories are just an extension of one’s style; they should accent, not particulate. So while I’m deciding whether or not I am going to go with my band T and Levis or fl ip-fl ops and board shorts, I might as well ditch the studs and stars, they won’t help me fit into that crowd anyway.
Keep the camo to chameleons.
Now you go...
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