Knowing your own style seems to me to be a really important thing. I remember at school (yes I can just about remember back that far!) in the nineties, what we all wore was very much informed by what everyone else was wearing. (I blame such peer pressure for matching Adidas track suits!) but what I see much more now is an informed sense of style.
It seems young people have the confidence to follow their convictions and wear what they want, even if these choices are sometimes questionable – I support a society where we can REALLY wear what we want.
My style developed over the year and it wasn’t until my mid twenties that I realised what it was. In general I think this is the case for most people, in our teens we are too conscious of what everyone else thinks of us. (For me it was the same through my early twenties at university too). There is also the fact that teen bodies are changing all the time and so people are sometimes led into choices that suit their mates and in no way suit themselves. Once body growth etc has settled you can begin to get to know your body and what suits it.
This post is really inspired by one of my nephews, he has this inescapable sense of informed style. When I say “informed style” I mean to say that while his look may have elements of influences from other celebrities or fashion icons, there is something about how he wears it that is quintessentially him ( and not a joey Essex clone).
We are very different men, but are united in our bold choices of what to wear and our sense of personal style. B (as I shall refer to my nephew) is the kind of guy that can wear skinny jeans without a second thought. He would pair that with something street style or American preppy then layerit up with bold patterns, bright colours and some differing footwear. He always looks like he’s had fun choosing what to wear and wears it with swagger, and I like that.
I obviously have different challenges, informed by the same ideals but also having to factor in comfort and what work allow me to present myself! I can just about pull off a skinny jean, but not a super skinny. I like hats I think they say more about me than anything else i might wear. I vehemently believe that just because I have to wear a suit, doesn’t mean I need to be boring and uncomfortable ( I did once wear a shorts suit to a summer wedding and I was the most comfortable person at that wedding)
Track suits (I am scarred by the nineties) should only be worn as comfortable clothes at home or as exercise wear, and that is my firm belief!
Be bold buy something you like, because you like it and because it is comfortable. I am so pleased to see B growing to be his own person with confidence, and looking around the tube now, there are a number of people dressed really well for them, and that after all is what is important.
I am hoping to rope B into a collaboration on here too, so watch this space 🙂
ThatIsBeyond 