I was fortunate enough to watch Daft Punk play the 02 festival two summers ago in Hyde Park and was blown away by their performance and of course I left the park wanting my own robot leathers outfit complete with LED Helmet. During my daily visit to Kanye's blog where I gaze over the plethora of links which he has managed to amass that particular day, I came across the best piece of DIY I have ever seen. If Casey Pugh entered this video into The Sunday Best's contest he would surely have a chance of walking away with the prize...
Two events have sparked my desire to write on the subject of indie music and its relationship with style in recent years: firstly reading a Bethan Cole article in 10 Magazine and watching the ineresting Pitchfork documentary - A Classic Under Review, on The Smiths' The Queen Is Dead (one of the very best albums of the 1980s). During the mid 80's whe the band were in their prime, indie referred to a tangible musical genre or atleast a collection of sub-genres, a distinct sensibility, an opposition to mainstream pop. Indie was naive, retro and obsessed with authenticity. Indie kids felt like they were members of a secret cult, a world away from the mainstream of Rick Astley and Stock Aitken and Waterman. In recent years indie (as it is loosely termed today) IS the mainstream and the style is on sale at every high street store imaginable. Look around you and spot how many guys are wearing checked or plaid shirts, skinny jeans and cardigans. With this in mind we should all declare the era od faux indie truly dead and celebrate something new. Music is beginning to break out of the faux indie bubble it has been in throughout the 00's, with the likes of These New Puritans, Vampire Weekend, Maps and Santogold leaving the faux indie bands like the Pigeon Detectives and Joe Lean & the Jung Jang Jong sounding lame and unconvincing. What should certainly be left behind is the faux indie skinny silhouettes for men. Put down the waistcoast and skinny jeans and try something different. Diversity and difference make for an exciting music and fashion scape.
And copious amounts of plaid? (God, I forgot how brilliant some parts of the 90s were) Check!
I may just have to make Jeff my Autumn style inspiration.
As shown on Kempt, here is Stipe wearing a handmade chalk-striped three-piece suit from Freemans Sporting Club, a checked shirt by Thom Browne, a plain black tie from Druthers Appointments, and a scholarly pair of specs.
Unfortunately, aside from the above, there aren't that many easy to find images to support my musings so I've had to take matters into my own hands and steal them from HE, I love the mix of colour and classic tailoring - something I will be trying very soon. Below he is wearing Jacket and Jeans by Junya Watanabe, V neck and shirt by Acne Considered Classics - Apologies for the blurry image....it is the best I could get.
I will leave you with a quote from Stipe where his honesty about clothes is refreshing. "For me dressing is all about confidence. I have body issues like everyone does. If something I wear makes me feel taller, stronger, more handsome, more confident, more able to complete my sentences when I walk out of the house in the morning, then it's done a great job for me that day." I think most of us would agree with that.
My favourite piece is the Xavier Leather jacket above as I just love the contrasting detailing...so much so that the zip detail is worth a closer look.
I have to admit though...I wanted to prefer Xavier's solely because I was hoping that I wore it it might empower me to grow a moustache as cool as his. I agree with The Sunday Best that the jeans are better value but there is a certain something which makes all men want to own a kick ass leather jacket (which currently I don't have) and it might just hark all the way back to Brando in 'The Wild One'.
The next collaboration which I'm looking forward to is Topman's Black Trouser Project...moving on from the White Shirt Project a new set of designers are tasked with tackling the menswear staple which is the black trouser... most notably Aitor Throup.
Dear Steve
Not so much a picture postcard as a video one this time around. The skies are grey here in Manchester and my February of no work is quickly coming to a close. It has taken a bit of classic 80s pop to shake me out of my sleepy state, berating me with lyrics likening me to a pensioner. Cheers Adam!
But really though, I've been lingering over thoughts of 'serious' fashion for too long... It's time to break free of the safe and the easy, if just in my own home for the rest of the week. I'll be twittering in eveningwear tomorrow! It's time for you to do the same. No, not the eveningwear but no more buying blue for at least 3 months! And make actually wear those feathers you bought in Liverpool. Hop to it!
In the meantime, enjoy Adam's literal and rather funny intrepretations of the lyrics. Stand and deliver!
EJ
x
This post is a look into the future...all postcards will be video messages! I assure that I will wear my feathers this week, I've already had a play around with them and am actually excited by the prospect of fashioning a pretty lapel accessory.
