Communicating Through Clothing Part 1, featuring Ethan M. Wong, Lawrence Schlossman, and Charlie Caulfield

You’ve probably heard that style is personal. You’ve probably heard someone say that art is about self-expression. You’ve probably heard that getting dressed is an artistic endeavor and that you can and should express yourself through your clothes.

But… how do you do it? How do you express yourself? What is OCBD averagewhat is it express?Do ripped jeans make you a punk?Do khakis say you’re a Republican?? If you just like Leather pants?

If style is a language, how do you speak it?

I reached out to people whose style I thought was interesting, expressive, and good. And I asked them their perspective. This was partly due to selfish reasons. I’m still learning how to connect the clothes I appreciate with the stories I want to tell. I’ll learn with you.

The task at hand is difficult. Many of the questions I asked were questions I didn’t know how to answer. Some of the people I interviewed struggled with these questions. Some of their reactions surprised me. But I think we all learned through that struggle.

This is…at least one of two things. I was lucky to get great answers from some great people. But there’s only one way to get started. The grandpa of personal style, where clothing is both an artistic expression and the simple act of wearing what you want…

Ethan has found three overarching themes in his style. It’s classic menswear, Americana, and slouchy. He uses these themes to explore his “fandom” for clothing. He shares his hobbies with you. His biggest hobby is wearing clothes. But every day he would express it differently. “Some days I want to express the intellectual and artistic vibe inside me, and other times I want to express that I like going to flea markets or that I love Star Wars.” There are various “characters”, but each character is him.

The pieces may be disparate or belong to specific “characters” or capsules, but the overall theme is “Being Me.”

For Ethan, each work is encoded with different expressive characteristics, and he enjoys combining them to express something. His idea of ​​business casual is ivy style. He matches all Ivy’s outfits with knit ties, blazers, OCBDs, loafers, chinos, or jeans. However, you can alternatively wear the OCBD with military chinos and vintage sneakers for a casual vintage effect. His approach to shopping involves keeping a consistent perspective in mind, allowing every piece to be seen in the context of his style.

Do people understand Ethan’s style? That’s what he thinks. “At least I avoid the negative connotations of being a real estate agent, lawyer, businessman, formal professor.” But clothes aren’t the only way he can express himself. “There are other things that help me convey my facial expressions. I have a battered tote bag (not a briefcase) with an ugly doll attached to it. I have some kind of camera in my hand. I usually tell jokes or do riffs (like I do on my podcast).”Additionally, he talks to people and people get to know him through conversation, through his hobbies. .

Ultimately, it’s important that the expression of my clothing is closely related to what people know about me. To make them think, “Oh, I get it,” or “That makes sense.” I obviously don’t think I can influence a true rand who doesn’t interact with me for more than 10 seconds. I don’t care if they understand or not. However, once I have had a certain amount of conversation and interacted with people, I think that my expression is successful. They might just read it as “weird, nerdy guy in a suit and holding a camera,” and that’s fine by me.

As for next steps, Ethan is always aware of new styles and is willing to try new things, but he’s not actively seeking actual change. He focuses on finding more pieces that fit his point of view. He has refined his shopping process to get products he really likes. He’s settled on a few of his favorites.

A rayon shirt with a large collar. Big Fit OCBD. Wide leg pants.

And he’s developing even more pieces with his favorite sartorial brand, Atelier Fugue. “Recently, Dave (Fugel) and I increased the leg spread to 10.” But this also included changes in the rise, hips and taper stages of the back. I need to be this involved in order to get what I really want, especially since this is already a departure from what Dave normally provides to his clients, so I don’t want him to let me use the service the way I want it. I’m happy to be a patient friend. ” That’s the magic of becoming friends with the person who designed your clothes.

Larry is a cool guy. Also known for his bro-throw podcast Throwing Fits with James Harris, Larry has a long history of writing and speaking about menswear. So you might be surprised to hear that he doesn’t really care about outward expression or dressing up to be understood. Rather, it is an internal process.

“I dress to feel comfortable on the inside,” says Larry. “What I try to project outwardly is a feeling of confidence, happiness and contentment with myself.” It manifests in a variety of ways, but he finds comfort in repeating themes he knows he likes. tend to find. He describes his style as “uniform-wearing with a bias towards the latest.” But he tries a lot of new things. Like his Levi’s silver tab.

I got my first pair of Levi’s silver tab jeans. I’ve never owned a silver tab before, but I found a pair of jeans that fit Larry and I wear them every day.

But the lesson isn’t that you should buy a Levi’s silver tab and a metal wood Stuyd hat. If you’re reading that, you’re not paying attention.

“I hate recommendation culture, especially with how this identity, identity, identity is evolving right now. I think it’s hurting the fundamentals,” James said. I tease him about repeating his advice over and over again. “The ultimate seed of life in this world is personal style. I love trying new things.”

So try Levi’s silver tab, try several different hats. Try different loafers, try black or brown, or try something you wouldn’t think to try. Find something that suits you.

It may be difficult, but that’s the trick to dressing well. “And then there’s the emotional stakes too… whether it’s a trend or something I thought didn’t look good on me… I love trying new things. Things I like I’m glad I tried it, what to carry, and what not to wear.

The visceral love for our little shitty hobby, to me, it’s really… Eternity might be daunting, but it’s exciting.

As for what others feel about his style, Larry has friends in the industry but doesn’t seek their approval. This can be complicated, as his personal clothing choices have a “strange symbiotic relationship” with his work. “If one day it was decided that Larry was objectively dressed like shit, that would be a problem…It’s kind of important that people who listen to the show don’t think I look like shit. But at the end of the day, I don’t care.” He has the financial incentive to stay cool and enjoys positive reinforcement, but he has a deep love for clothes. All you have to do is dress it up for yourself and hope the world appreciates it.

And not everyone likes his style. In fact, he says he lives with his wife, whom he hates the most. He thinks that’s perfectly fine.

If your girl hates your physical condition, that’s how you know it’s a fire.

Charlie’s style is difficult to pin down for several reasons. On Instagram, he is called “The Hero with a Thousand Faces.” This quote is partly a reference to Campbell, but more of a reference to Charlie’s journey through gender and style. “I identify as genderqueer and am fully committed to one style identity, as I am influenced by a wild fusion of different things from my cultural background, personal experiences, and local fashion scene. Some people have described their style as akin to “wearing a costume” or “playing a character,” but to Charlie, it’s all real.

(I)t means doing your best to physically express your true self, which changes every day.

It may sound difficult, but it comes naturally to them. “I wear so many different styles that it’s easy for me to shop. These days I only buy second-hand, but I’m looking for special (usually vintage) statement pieces that I can build an outfit around. ” There’s no point in being too loud. If it’s magic, they’ll make it happen.

Charlie has so much fun making quirky, special, loud, fun, magical, vintage pieces and combining them in so many different ways that he doesn’t need basslines or standards. You can boldly reinvent every outfit.

I personally don’t believe in basics or classics. I’m a maximalist at heart. Why can’t we always dress flashy?

And they also make some pieces themselves.

And again, Charlie doesn’t care if anyone understands their style. “When I express myself that way, I’m sure I’m perceived as a man, but if I’m not, I don’t really think about it.” They took I don’t care In the past, it was extreme. “As a kid, I showed up to school wearing a velvet cape and knee-high Converse. As a teenager, I wore a 1950s prom dress and a buckskin jacket.” But still they It doesn’t stop.

I’ve been posting fit photos online for nearly a decade, and I’ve heard just about every negative comment about my appearance. I don’t care anymore.

Again, it all comes down to authentic personal style. “It may sound arrogant, but in order to express yourself as you are and have fun doing it, you have to be confident, especially when it comes to something as subjective as fashion. You end up wasting your time trying to please.”

In some cases, this formula can have practical complications. Charlie has been pregnant twice and has had several opportunities to deal with sudden changes in her body. If you don’t have a large fetus in your uterus, it’s very difficult to get a suit that fits properly. But Charlie found a way, and in the process wrote “The Men’s Clothing Guide to Pregnancy Fashion.” These costumes were seamless. Around that time, I met Charlie in person and had no idea they were pregnant. I took this photo and Charlie was essentially reusing this old costume. seamless.

Charlie’s style is changing and their environment is also influencing it. “I’ve always struggled with dressing professionally (I’d rather wear a tutu than a shift dress). But as I return to school as a ‘mature’ student and begin to advance my career, I’ve always struggled to express myself. I want to be. It’s still presented in a sophisticated and relevant way. ”

Of course, I knew that style was very personal. But it was inspiring in a way to hear how and why they don’t care what other people think or even what they understand. Part 2 features one person of interest… seeds. It’s not what you think. (Please subscribe if you want to subscribe)

No one is too candid. There are no political messages on their T-shirts or hats. Style as a means of expression is generally not so banal. Ethan’s approach is the closest. He wears graphic T-shirts of his fans.

They agreed on some small points. Larry hates recommendation culture, and so does Ethan. I told Larry that this reminded me of Ethan, but he didn’t seem to mind the comparison. “I love you Ethan, and hearing you say that is the greatest compliment to me.” ”

Charlie is still in the process of finding a business-appropriate wardrobe that allows him to be fully expressive. This is something Ethan is also working on post-pandemic. They both wore clothes in high school that no one could understand, but used that experience to refine their tastes into ones that people could understand. can Thank you for today.

But there were also surprising disagreements. Larry notices that he is used to the uniform, but Ethan rarely repeats it. Ethan and Charlie’s interpretation of Americana and vintage menswear is much more different than I expected.

And they’re all trying to express different things. Ethan dresses to represent his hobbies and interests, and clothing happens to be one of them. Larry just wears clothes that make him feel good, which puts him in a good mindset, and other people just happen to read the vibe from his clothes. Charlie seeks to express deep, day-to-day changes in their identity and mood.

But they’re all expressing themselves and it’s all working. Take care of your own style.