Your Style Philosophy

[Stack]

It's interesting how I go through acquisitions phases in the following categories:

A-Rock/grunge/trashy stuff: RO, Ann D, Dior. Leathers, tight jeans, flannels, etc.

B-Quirky dressy: Helmut Lang, MMM, Stephan Schneider, Thom Browne, CdG. so dress pants, sweaters, weirdly cut suits and blazers, etc

C-Black/white formal and french luxe: Balenciaga, Lanvin, Corthay. Tuxedos, silk fabric, dress shoes.

2 months ago I was at A, now I'm at B. I switch every couple of weeks/months. There is a certain coherence since I usually keep to these three categories. I guess this is what keeps me buying stuff because If I only liked one category I'd have too much of the exact same thing by now.

When I look at it I also have a mainly white/grey/white wardrobe, I wear a lot more white than most people, I guess black is normal for some designers but I do own a shitload of grey.

i can testify to this. though i'd say my code changes day-to-day. yesterday i was in CdG blazer, CdG knit, CdG pants and some boots. today i'm in a beanie, vans flannel, some ripped-up levis and chucks, and i wore both to the same place of work. sometimes they think i have a rebellious twin.

[Fuuma]

Bump! We have plenty of new members...

[whitney]

i like pieces that can be played around with. skirts that can double as tops and vice versa. doesn't have to be made with the intent but if its designed in a way that is flexible thats one of the ways (i guess) i like to show my creativity. that also allows me to have the same piece as someone else but not look similar.

i'm a sucker for things that are sheer, i prefer shades of white but i like black and colors as well.

and this

I am becoming very picky with what pieces I want.

... but I'm still learning.

as a consumer, i guess (and this goes along with being lazy) that i would like all my pieces to be interchangable. unfortunately that isn't the case with a lot of things i own but i'd prefer if i could match any pair of shoes with any pair of pants with any shirt and any jacket.

except i'd substitute pants for skirts and shirts for cami/sleeveless tops.

[Faust]

I also agree with mass. Many a time for me dressing means "oh, shit, i have ten minutes before i have to run out of the house."

[Macro]

well said, Eternal. :)

My clothing purchases are my research so my daily choices can be whimsical.

[Fade to Black]

i don't believe in hard-and-fast rules, but if there is one that deserves a higher spot it's the word whimsical. It's fine to have an appreciation for the clothing, the design philosophies behind them but still maintain a carefree attitude towards the process when applied to yourself...

my rule is, buy whatever you want, and if it's you it'll click with everything else ya got.

[Sombre]

my rule is, buy whatever you want, and if it's you it'll click with everything else ya got.

I couldn't agree with this more. If all your purchases reflect who you are (provided you have your own identity), then everything you own, regardless of how you combine specific pieces, will represent you in some way, and therefore will work (of course you've sad much more succinctly and much better than I have).

[mortalveneer]

yeah this is a much better match for this than the small questions thread...I looked through the first page and couldn't find anywhere else to fit it and didn't think it warranted its own thread...

anyhow, take 2 in the right thread...
------

How does owning a good number of pieces from a given designer better help you appreciate/interpret/judge subsequent seasons from said designer?

I guess this came to mind when I was looking at the KK Attachment S/S10 thread and I said that I didn't see a whole lot of progression in the current season, but then realized afterwards I was making this statement without owning a single piece from KK; granted, I've handled a fair amount in stores, and tried a few pieces on, but I feel this falls far short of those designers from whom I own a range of pieces.

In particular, I have a good amount of items from the "Continues" umbrella...some original sartoria/CDiem articles, an old-school beat up pair of CDiem boots I got off JohnnyHerb/ebay, newer reverse leather CDiems courtesy of sartorialoft, a few items from M.A+, a pair of pants from Avantindietro, four LUC knits, two LUC pants, two pair of Augusta boots for my lady, a pair of reverse camel leather M.A+ boots coming in the mail (can't wait), etc...essentially, I feel much more connection/understanding/insight when looking at new seasons from these designers than I do when looking at new seasons from CCP or Ann D, simply because I've never owned any CCP (retail is completely outside affordability for me) or Ann D. The progression is much more evident to me, from more salient concerns such as fabric type and silhouette, to subtler aspects such as slight innovation in boot stitching/construction.

Given the much greater depths of most forum members' wardrobes than mine, I wanted to put this out there to get your opinions.

So, to repeat, how does owning a significant number of a given designer's pieces affect your appreciation of their subsequent works?

Also, as a corollary, do you feel any degree of path dependence in designer selection? I'm almost more prone now to continue buying M.A+, LUC, Avantindietro, Augusta, simply because I'm so much more familiar/comfortable with sizing and cuts...

[mensmetals09]

I usually prefer, Tuxedos on most of occasions, let it be a wedding ceremony or anyone's birthday.. However, with tuxedo i use selected cufflinks, i never use that come along... usually i wear casual jeans and t-shirt.

[laika]

yay he's back

[Johnny]

who is he? it is a brilliant post

[Fade to Black]

First name Z last name Boss

btw, i've always found it very curious that it seems to be perceived by many that rocking jeans and t-shirt on SZ is "subversive."

[laika]

^it's zboss, non? yes, brilliant, i needed the laugh

[Johnny]

yes, i genuinely laughed when i saw this this morning.

right, sorry, but i never understood the whole zboss thing....is there a very brief explanation?

[mortalveneer]

right, sorry, but i never understood the whole zboss thing....is there a very brief explanation?

yes, seconded...I think I fell off SZ at just the right time to completely miss this...