Style.
Although I take pride in my ability to get dressed and be ready to go for any occasion in 15 minutes, I am mindful of the clothes I wear and my overall put-togetherness. Shirts and pants don’t make a man, but they can reveal a lot about a person. Board shorts in November? Probably drives a truck. Clean shoes and crisp collar? Likely to have an alphabetized DVD library. Suspenders and rings to club? Usually super good friends with your sister. There is always some correlation between how a person dresses and other aspects of their life. I am typing this on a plane ride from NY to LA—somewhere in between two cities where vanity is a celebrated sin and I can’t help but think of the one person in my life who has the most inspiring personal style: My dad.
His most remarkable articles of clothing (in no particular order):
1. A t-shirt of Albert Einstein’s face
2. A faded denim vest with a big CK on the back
3. A classic gray sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off (not at the shoulders like a gym-buff, but mid-triceps… which creates a delicate, billowing effect... much like a vintage wedding dress)
4. A pair of black jeans with random bleach stains all over (an accident that became an exercise in artistic expression)
5. A t-shirt with Ricky Martin’s face on the front and the dates and cities from his 1999 Livin’ La Vida Loca tour on the back
He’s worn these gems of fabric to family parties, my school functions and funerals. Yet this man who tucks his shirt into his briefs walks into a room with a certain swagger. Fearlessly, never flinching. I’ve learned a lot from my dad about personal style. On the surface, he’s taught me the consequence of dressing appropriately. Also, of believing in and committing to your choices. But on a deeper level, he’s taught me to take risks in life and the importance of always, always making it appear effortlessly intentional.
His most remarkable articles of clothing (in no particular order):
1. A t-shirt of Albert Einstein’s face
2. A faded denim vest with a big CK on the back
3. A classic gray sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off (not at the shoulders like a gym-buff, but mid-triceps… which creates a delicate, billowing effect... much like a vintage wedding dress)
4. A pair of black jeans with random bleach stains all over (an accident that became an exercise in artistic expression)
5. A t-shirt with Ricky Martin’s face on the front and the dates and cities from his 1999 Livin’ La Vida Loca tour on the back
He’s worn these gems of fabric to family parties, my school functions and funerals. Yet this man who tucks his shirt into his briefs walks into a room with a certain swagger. Fearlessly, never flinching. I’ve learned a lot from my dad about personal style. On the surface, he’s taught me the consequence of dressing appropriately. Also, of believing in and committing to your choices. But on a deeper level, he’s taught me to take risks in life and the importance of always, always making it appear effortlessly intentional.
posted by Al Sal at 1:47 AM
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