Monochromatism, The First New-Years' Resolution

Gabrielle [Coco] Chanel once said something along the lines of "Fashion lasts a month, Style is forever."

This concept of Chic vs Trendy is ever-present in fashion; the industry's very rhythm is a direct contradiction to its collective aim. Every six months or so beckons in another fashion week where we learn that come the next editorial season we will have to totally re-adapt our personal style to match the stylistic vision of someone else in order to retain the appraisal of our peers.

Don't get me wrong, there are few things I anticipate with the same level of excitement as the day-by-day Fashion Week coverage on style.com; however, looking back at 2010 I am forced to say that my personal style wasn't me. I didn't express myself with my clothes. What I feel my personal failing was in terms of my own wardrobe last year was the dedication to 'trends.' So let's talk about that.

Trends in menswear are unusual things, it isn't uncommon for a trend debuting in spring to stay relevant throughout summer, autumn and winter and maybe even years beyond that. May I cite the Adam & the Ants jackets D&G showed for fall 2009? They disappeared from Vogue the moment that Balmain's military jackets landed on the scene the next season; but for men? Well, after their long run it seems that they only just are finally on the way out. Last week I spied a rail full of High-Street remakes being sold for a pittance, no-one filed through them.

I did not buy a  D&G 'Drummer Boy' (though tempted) However I did go out of my way to get a Countryside-y Farmer coat, also pursuing boat shoes, numerous neon lumberjack shirts and a pair of skin-tight, green and black, be-lightning-bolted jeans (a-la Laroux). There was a recognizable lack of taste in my fashion conduct last year. I look back at the stuff I wore, and I hate it.
But what I hate even more is the prospect of another year of glaring errors in fashion judgement.

So how do you fix this situation? You radically alter your personal style, find a new fashion icon and lay down a few rules.

I am a huge fan of The xx I love their music, their lyrics and their attitude. If you don't know them then know this; they're not punk, not rock, not pop. They're kind of 'Indie' but they aren't pathetic and self-effacing like so many are. They mumble-sing, their music is quiet (?) and relaxing but incredibly involving (They are no longer four; but three. The girl on the far-left left.) 

In my head the entire band are those kids in high school that don't talk to anyone but eachother; the popular kids hate them because regardless of what everyone thinks about them you just know that they will always have the most fun, and the dorks (like me...) ignore them because they can't tell whether or not they are a threat. And this animosity that builds up between them and everyone else makes them the coolest kids in school, and they couldn't care less.

So? what's this got to do with fashion? 

They are my first rule, that's what. 

They all wear only black clothes. 

New Years' Resolution No. 1: Maintain a monochrome wardrobe, black spectrum only.

The truth is that you can't go wrong with black clothes, a solid pair of black jeans, a bunch of black T-shirts and you've got the beginning of a wonderful wardrobe. You can follow trends, but in a refined  and tasteful way (e.g. picture above, far-right is donning a leather letterman jacket, incredibly on-trend at the moment, but its charm is that he doesn't look like he's trying to follow trends, it looks like he just happened to pick it out.)

Too gothy? well I smile so there's no worries on that front. Although I do secretly wish I was a goth.

Try also...

http://solongasitisblack.com/

 Mats Gustafsen rocks my Fashion-Illustration world

[clever way to end this post]