In 2017, we are still interested in the notion of the total look and more broadly, the excesses that we can display in an outfit. Here for the update !
I often see members with looks that are both too pronounced (only 1 brand, or too marked by subculture: roots, rock, preppy...) and too often poorly constructed. Well, I am convinced that these are two facets of the same self-perpetuating problem . Let me give you the top 3 reasons...
Don't "disguise" yourself
This seems obvious, but many people disguise themselves without realizing it. Because someone who doesn't have the basics in fashion... or hasn't made the effort to question their personality in depth (often among teenage audiences), falls back (at one time or another ) on a tribe style that:
- is not congruent with oneself,
- is a sort of disguise kit , an alignment of clichés... but in no way a look,
- is transitory : passing 25 years with a similar look: hello the damage (job search, social interactions in other environments).
The total preppy look: a monument of “virility”
Don't rely on a tribal look
At BG, we are not closed to other cultures... let's say rather that we are closed to those who are themselves. So in summary, I advise you to take what is good in each of the tribe styles (goth, chic, preppy, college, grunge...) but to always avoid total looks . It's not every day Carnival, and you're not Jack Sparrow's cousin.
If you read BonneGueule, it is probably to develop a style of your own, which fits with your personality. In short, you are not here to fit into a mold. Because yes: the “son-a-daddy” style is a mold, just like the “roots” style or the “goth” style (at the risk of shocking some).
Honestly, do you know any people aged 40 who are still punk, roots, or goth? Isn't it a little sad that they still haven't found THEIR own style? Cautery on a wooden leg, they preferred to collect a number of clichés, develop bad clothing habits ... and in the end they still don't know:
- gather the essential basic clothes
- or match colors
What's the point of resting on a tribal look for 15 to 25 years, only to wake up at 26 and not know how to dress differently? (especially since you can still keep certain little touches of your old style, like rootsy bracelets, or Doc Martens like Vianney knows how to wear so well).
Don't rely on one (or a few) brands
Same reasoning for brands: why put all your eggs in the same basket?
A single-brand style is often a poor style ... and whatever happens: it's never YOURS. Brands adapt based on the tribes they sell to. Van's for skaters, Ralph Lauren for wealthy people, et cetera... If you fall back on one (or a few) brands: you fall back on the problem of tribes.
Another thing with brands is that they are not guaranteed to always be in good taste from one season to the next... (this is also true for quality). So stay vigilant about the quality of materials and cuts: the logo is for the ego.
Too much brand kills style: it's far too precious
(note the 2 watches: all in “subtlety”)
One last (not so) little thing...
The most important thing is NOT how you look. I have a friend who travels a lot, who loves living casually for several months in a row in Thailand: the kind of young woman who is rather "roots", but really has her own vision of the world.
Well you know what? She hates "those guys with filthy dreads, always in linen shirts or German military jackets found in surplus, fans of tom-toms and addicted to their joints." Because they try so hard to buy a look, deploying the whole kit of the perfect preppy/goth/skin/hipster/etc that any alert person understands that the person has sought to overcompensate for their lack of personality or self-confidence with a total tribal look. It's okay to not always feel your best, but building a solid style is better than taking any shortcuts .
And from my own experience, the most interesting people I have met in my life have never been the most purists in their fields... but rather those who realize that there are things to be taken everywhere, depending on who you are.
In short, a hyper polarized tribal look is perhaps a bond with 1% of look extremists, but it also cuts ties with the 95% who are "just normal", like you and me. So what’s the point of cutting yourself off from the most interesting people in each environment?
