Style vs Fashion
Hi all,
Been observing for a while, contributing a smidge and reading obsessively for about a month now. I never really distinguished carefully between the two terms (style, fashion) until I saw a breakdown a couple days ago. Actual definitions are all over the place so this is not about "which definition is right" but it got me thinking more clearly about my goals and how I relate to clothing.
What I'm coming to realize is I perhaps have low aspirations. I want to dress nice and "put together." I could not care less about trends. Several current trends I simply don't like and I am not really motivated to "get into". I guess clothing choices are inherently a form of self-expression, but I don't necessarily feel I need it to be a "core" way for me to express myself. I am quite fine looking like a generic 40s worker bee (which I suppose is itself an expression?) if I can look like one who is dressed reasonably well - at least as I define it.
One thing I'm unsure about is whether this is a step on the road to getting into fashion or a reasonable stopping point. I am curious if others went through this "phase" before getting into it more or if you were always more of a trend-follower/setter (assuming you identify as such) and wanted to develop a more individualistic style from the get-go. Based on this, I'm also curious if this is the right place for me or if there are particular blogs/forums/etc. that align better with this perspective.
Also - I realize this is a "fashion" group so I hope no one takes the above the wrong way. You all have been incredibly supportive and I truly do not intend any of the above to come across as judgmental of anyone who relates differently to clothing (which may well be most of you?). This is about me learning, clarifying for myself what I'm trying to achieve and figuring out the best way to go about it.
I don't even know that I really asked a specific question (besides "where else if not here?"), but would love thoughts/reactions...
14 Replies
It’s ok to just lock in on what you think looks good
Personally the reason why I buy new clothes is because I see new things and think ‘hey that looks cool,’ but if you’ve found what works for you and what you think looks good and you have no real desire to expand on that that’s perfectly fine
Can't say I've found what "works" for me per se, but I can say I have a pretty clear vision of how I want my style to be. Can I pull it off? Is it the most flattering style for me personally? I have literally no idea yet.
One way to find out
LOL. And I am starting to!
@stevie Thanks for that link! Hadn't seen it. Not surprisingly, wildly different definitions here than other places (which were also all wildly different from one another) but insightful to see the take of folks here.
FWIW i don't think you have low aspirations in general, but this is fundamentally a hobby server and the most active users here are much more concerned with style as expression than the average person wearing clothes.
I'm glad you've found support here, regardless, and hope you stick around!
I honestly wouldn't overthink the distinction. Many of the worst definitions are being made by people with fairly toxic and rigid definitions of clothes norms (real men are stylish and don't follow trends etc). I would also argue that a lot of the discussion in some menswear circles is rooted in misogyny (fashion is something women are into). Style and fashion exist on a continuum, for me my style is an expression of what I'm into and that is of course informed by fashion.
So what's important is you find and embrace things you like. There are fashions within style tribes, high level trends we all mostly end up following etc etc. You cannot escape fashion, even if you have a very locked in personal style.
As always Sal has a pithy way of putting it: https://discord.com/channels/1116793467654381685/1279108374235185155/1279116561961062490
Makes sense. Even "timeless" pieces had to be trendy at some point in time. I am imagining a slow moving signal reflecting monolithic social/industry standards with any individual time point/season ("trend") jumping around it and impacting the whole
Exactly, and a good example is perceptions of "good fit" in nearly all style tribes has changed markedly in my lifetime. Whilst slim and skinny have stayed the course in certain styles (see
the Ramones and punks in skinny jeans), baggy stayed the course in others - but the mainstream has been on a pendulum back and forth.
"Timeless" pieces are a good example here too - because the fit of a timeless uni stripe ocbd has changed over the years. Barbour overhauled their line to introduce slimmer styles, but has recently started more widely releasing big looser models from their archives etc. that's all fashion and trends - even if the wax jacket has kinda been a style item for decades in menswear.
One of the most stylish people I've ever known is a friend of my parents who's been wearing slim jeans, converse and band tees for the near fourty years I've known him. Over time, he has reflected fashion by updating his band tees/wearing a leather jacket Vs a denim (and the style of that jacket changing)/changing his jewellery and hairstyle/colour of denim/ripped Vs not ripped denim etc. he's very locked in, he has a very distinct style. At times he is quite outside of mainstream "fashionable", but he always does his thing very well and does reflect fashion within his own world.
That model feels more attainable. Different clothing choices obviously (e.g., some form of chinos/button-down & sweater/jacket) but the idea of having some minor variation. I read some about variation by seasons (e.g., pastels in spring) which honestly is not something I'd ever even thought about before but "feels" like something I could at least attend to some.
Is this discord the "right" place for someone with these goals?
this discord can be whatever you want it to be because you can ask any question you want! fashion-related of course
Just be normal and don’t be weird
....you're kind of asking a lot with that one. 🤣
Yes because
1) people here like clothes and you want to understand them more
2) people here like helping others
3) we and you don't know where your journey with clothes will take you
If your style goal is menswear basics done well. There's enough people here who like clothes and fashion that you'll get feedback on whether you're achieving that, or how to get there.