Personal Stylist
The personal stylist has always seemed to be something of a paradox to me. I understand their role, in its most literal sense – as well as the fact they are essentially guiding men, who cannot find their own inspirations, in how to dress – but isn’t that missing the whole point of style and fashion in the first place?
If fashion were for everyone we may as well be in an Orwellian cycle of conformity; head to toe in a solitary uniform, obedient to certain orthodox rules, afraid to rid ourselves of the shackles of submission. Conventionality shouldn’t be what fashion is about. Fashion, for me and so many other like-minded people, is about playing with the perceptions of the sartorial norms and shaping them to fit our own agendas. They are malleable shapes which we all (as individuals) can construct in our own unique ways.
Who Are You To Tell Me How To Dress
No one should tell us how to dress, we should find out for ourselves. How can style be personal if someone else is choosing the outfit for you? It then says nothing about you, just a lot about the current trends. We shouldn’t be led by the whims of so-called personal stylists.
I am not saying that you shouldn’t take inspiration from others. I hope in some meagre way, those of you who read my articles on MSF take inspiration from what I have to say but essentially, like everything that is creative be it art, architecture or literature, as Bukowksi once said: “If it doesn’t come bursting out of you, don’t do it”
Take your inspiration from the things that shape your life. Be it; people you walk past on the street, film stars, pop stars, writers, artists, art, photography, food, ANYTHING and mould it into something that you feel comfortable with because it doesn’t matter what you are wearing or how you are wearing; if it doesn’t feel right, then it isn’t right.
By going to see a personal stylist you can immediately dispossess yourself of your own sartorial freedom, you are handing the reins over to someone else and that is your first mistake.
Define Dressing Well
Some people “dress well”, some people don’t. Many men do not even care about the way they look as long as they feel comfortable and that’s the crux of the matter. For those people like myself, who love fashion, we feel comfortable standing out from the crowd, we’re not afraid to go against the grain, marching to our own beat and on our own path. We are not dictated to by stylists, we are willing to make our own mistakes and find our own way in the pursuit of the perfect outfit knowing that with the evolution of fashion, perfect can never be obtained as there is always something new lying in wait around the corner. It’s okay for other people to not find you “stylish”, the point of fashion is dressing to make yourself happy. To lay down new paths, breakdown old walls and create an image for yourself that you want to be.
And in that is where the beauty lies because there are no rules by which we are governed except those that lie within our minds.
There is only one personal stylist you need: YOU.
Troy, not sure that all men can dress as well as you do? Keep reading menstylefashion.
Tom Ayling, says he loves MenStyleFashion and styles himself.
Peter Brathwaite, Opera Singer “I follow MenStyleFashion and create my own style”.
Gracie Opulanza and Robbie Canale don’t follow trends
