30|10|2018
WHO'S YOUR STYLE ICON?
Inspiration from unlikely sources
tracksuit
BOOHOO
VINTAGE
shirt
CALVIN KLEIN
shoes
BOOHOO
glasses
BOOHOO
CLOTHES
GLASSES BOOHOO
SHIRT CALVIN KLEIN
TRACKSUIT BOOHOO VINTAGE
SHOES BOOHOO
I am always asked, who is your style icon? I nervously rack my brain for well-dressed men, actors and models. Who do I aspire to emulate? Who makes me question my own style? I wish I always had a straightforward answer. Something easy and cool, like James Dean. Even though he is a genuine style icon - he just isn’t mine...
When I think of style inspiration I’m often drawn to times when the clothes evoked an emotional response. Something that made me FEEL something. Anything at all. Whether it was pride to disgust, style comes from choices, taking a hard line. Commitment to an idea. T-shirt’s and jeans are not a style as much as they are staples. You’re not pushing boundaries in your dark Levi’s and white t-shirt anymore. Even though way back when, that outfit was a statement. It’s just not mine. And because of that, it’s always hard to pinpoint one great source of inspiration.
Having racked my brain, I came across a memory from the early 2000s. How excited I was seeing boy bands looking equally goofy and cool. Decked in tinted glasses and bold prints. The looks were pattern coordination on steroids. Here were 5 guys, all matched to an inch of their lives. And it was bloody brilliant. I mean come on. 5 guys dressed all in denim? Amazing. 4 men representing the 4 elements - yes please. High fashion this was not. But it was great inspiration.
A large checked Harrington jacket and matching jogger trousers from boohoo took me straight back to my youth. Watching these guys on MTV and drinking in the ridiculousness of it all. And what better accessory to top it all off with but yellow tinted glasses. Instantly brought back German house music. DJs spinning monotonous tunes. Or a member of N*Sync papped out on the town with their SO. I matched the outfit with tan lace-up plimsoles, a black vest and my sense of irony. I was definitely feeling this look. Styled within an inch of my life, I could definitely see myself sidestepping across any European area to the adoration of thousands of fans. Either that or posing in an abandoned car park in central London. I guess the latter is more realistic. Shame. I think I could have done well as a member of some now-obsolete boy band. Being the ironic inspiration of someone for Halloween. We all have our journeys I guess.
