EASY MENSWEAR

Three of my favorite minimal menswear editorials:

Kate & Julia by David Thomas Smith for Jalouse February 2014
Jordan Van Der Vyer by David Thomas Smith for L'Officiel Paris April 2014
Nimue Smit by Klaas Jan Kliphuis for Marie Claire Netherlands January 2014

I'm constantly thinking about my style identity. I often feel like a fraud; I'm trendy one day and then buying vintage the next. I always had the idea that your personal style is static and unchanging, so I was going through a 'style existential crisis.' I kept thinking, "what is my style identity? what aesthetic do I always turn to?" I realized that I couldn't firmly answer these questions because like most people, I dress based on my mood, what I can easily afford, and inspirations that I draw from other fashion blogs or magazines. Yet I still ask myself why I am drawn to certain styles, textures, and aesthetics. Is style actually static? Are we naturally drawn to certain looks because we have some sort of unchanging style ideology? I wonder if there is a psychological connection between our temperament/nature and the styles we are drawn to.

Either way, I am 'drawn' to minimal menswear: loose-fit trousers and sweaters in neutral colors. My go-to outfit is an oversized white tee, black faux leather trousers, and some sort of interesting shoe, usually my red velvet brogues. I like to balance out the starkness and bleakness of my outfits with a colored or printed shoe. Additionally, I like dark, moody, and 'neo-goth' all-black looks. Perhaps then, there is a connection between nature and style. I've always been quiet, reserved, and reflective with bouts of depression. Maybe my temperament has led me to be drawn to these styles.