Style Inspirations

Dear Gentlemen,

Hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, (for the American readers at least). It's been too long since the last posting and I wanted to update this blog with new content at least once a week. I was walking around Soho this afternoon to check out if there was anything left from Black Friday the day before but of course anything decent and in my size (Medium) were long gone and I left for home with nothing. Every time I walk through streets of Soho however, I am always amazed at all the great outfits I see all around me. New York City is filled with so many creative, and stylish individuals from all around the world and I always find something that inspires me to try wearing something I normally wouldn't. I believe fashion revolves around inspiration, whether it be from other people, through art, one's environment, whatever it may be. I browse through quite a few fashion forums and online magazine pages and always save any outfits that I am fond of. There's been such a gaining popularity for "WDYWT - What Did You Wear Today" threads on so many websites for one to find inspiration from what people are wearing around the world. For this posting, I'm just going to share some of my favorite fits I've gathered throughout the past couple of years. I'm sure you'll love many of them as well.

I recently browsed through J-Crew's new line and found so many fits that I really liked. I'm really impressed by their stuff each season.

Fit #1: This is the first look that really caught my attention. What I really liked about this fit is how well the suit fits this dude. This is a navy wool suit that J.Crew will be offering and it fits like this right off the rack. Yep, no hemming or tailoring needed! The second thing I noticed was the chambray shirt under the jacket. Chambray is a denim like quality shirt and it's been the fabric of the season. J. Crew's version retails at around $98 but I recently bought a very nice one from Land's End's Canvas line (also a new line introduced recently) for $25 shipped! There was a promotion going on at the time but the shirt retails for $32.50, you can purchase that as a replacement for the J.Crew version here.

Fit #2: First thing I noticed was how many layers this dude was wearing and how well all the colors came together on this fit. He's wearing 3 layers at least and he still doesn't appear to be bulky looking at all. The dark grey jacket, navy cardigan, and patterned shirt make it a more casual outfit but it very stylish enough to wear out to almost any social event (not formal ones obviously). His shoes: brown wingtips. Wingtip shoes may remind you of your grandfather however they have gained great popularity within the past couple of years and now even brands like J.Crew have them available as part of their shoe collection. I'm still looking for a more affordable pair but a pair of these shoes are definitely on my "To Buy" list.

Like everyone, my fashion tastes are constantly transforming and I've definitely been wanting to expand the number of suits I have in my wardrobe. I don't remember exactly where I found this picture but after seeing it for the first time in a while, I know why I saved it. A checkered patterned suit probably won't be something I'll be buying anytime soon but if I do happen to come upon a nice priced and more importantly nice fitting one then I might have to just bite the bullet. It's always been a general fashion rule: If you wear checkered pattern on one thing, then there shouldn't be any checkers on another....but his tie goes so well with the entire suit. Many times, fashion is about breaking the rules and trying something new.

This is Emma Watson for Burberry's new winter line. If you don't know who Emma Watson is, she's the little girl from the Harry Potter movie series playing Hermione (sp?). Style inspiration's don't only have to come from male's. After seeing this picture, I really gave thought into looking for a nice khaki colored trench to wear and I started researching over the net to find one that I would like. I've seen tons of fits with males wearing trench coats but this picture really stood out to me and inspired me to go out of my way to look for one to add to my wardrobe. I really can't believe how old and mature this girl looks in these pictures, big ups to Hermione haha.

Haha I can't help but laugh every time I see this picture. This little kid is dressed so well and has more swag than half the adults I see on the streets! This picture is from probably one of the most famous fashion blogs (and also one of my favorite sites to visit daily) The Sartorialist. The people at The Sartorialist really expanded the WDYWT craze, I'm always inspired by so many outfits posted on there so check that out whenever you can. Anyways, back to the outfit. This is the most casual outfit I posted so far and it's one of my favorites. I really like the striped long sleeve shirt and the Converse Chuck Taylor shoes but I think what makes this outfit stand out is the old fashioned straw hat and how well the jeans fit this little dude. I'd love to wear something like this during the spring, I don't know if I'd be able to pull this off as well as this guy though..

Closing Thoughts: There are more than just people that can inspire your fashion choices. There are so many figures in history, pieces in art, and even sounds in music that can affect how you portray yourself on the outside. I don't believe in copying everything to the tee about how another person may express themselves but one who takes something from another and somehow makes it their own in some way, should be what all of us should strive to do. The next time you walk outside, be more aware of your surroundings, pay attention to what people in your environment are wearing, listening to, or looking at. There's always something to learn from other males, females, and maybe even some kids.