GoodByWeekly #6: F*ck Fashion. Catch A Vibe.

We’re back after a brief hiatus! It’s Austin this week, sick with strep throat and with way too much time on my hands. Let’s talk about Styling vs Wearing clothes.

There’s no truer expression of who we are as people than our appearance. Your hair, the way you smell, your tattoos, all make up your personal style and combine to communicate who you are to the world which informs how people react to you. In my opinion your personal style is one of the most important things you can invest time and energy into, because it tells everyone who you are.

Which is why if you know me, you know that I believe in the phrase “Look good, feel good, play good,” which is why I’m always trying to get a fit off. Whether it’s to the gym, running errands, or heading to the office I put effort into looking my best which is why people have asked me “How do you pick out an outfit?”

If you’ve ever asked this question you’re in luck because in this issue of GoodByWeekly I’ll discuss the basics of putting together an outfit with 5 “guidelines” (Do what you want it’s not that serious) give you some inspiration, and provide some resources to help you learn how to dress. So that hopefully you can upgrade your personal style.

First let’s break down the DNA of a stylish outfit with a simple formula:

Every outfit you’ve ever seen and thought looked good can be broken down into these four components (almost) now let’s break things down even further.

#1 Look Good, Feel Good, Play Good.

Your body is the number one most important part of every fit and the better you treat it, the better you’ll look. I’m not saying you need to achieve Marvel character physiques, but it’s intuitive that your clothes will fit better when the body your putting them on feels and looks better. Take a look at Coleman Domingo and you’ll see what I mean. He’s not buff, he’s not a superhero, he’s not a pro athlete. He’s an actor who puts some effort in at the gym and it’s taking his outfits to the next level.

#2 Find Your Fit.

Bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Clothes also have unique shapes and form that work in tandem with the body they go on, think of it like a formula:

If that equation is one sided the fit of your outfit won’t hit. Let’s take a look at two good examples of this equations. Take a look at this fit from @carpe_dmg, as a larger guy he accentuates his body’s form by going with loose fitting clothes that taper in the arms and legs and hang well off his shoulders.

Let’s look at another example of using your clothes to compliment your proportions.

FKA Twigs is short, hella short…and she uses it to her advantage to play with proportions and and silhouettes, notice how she compliments her 5’3 frame with braids, knee high boots, and a cropped silhouette to create length in her outfit.

Twigs is a master of layering as well which sh she shows off in this leather jacket fit by rocking silhouettes that are tailored to her proportions but still oversized to achieve a baggy grunge look. Good outfits fit well, but great outfits compliment your body. Take notes.

#2 Sculpt a Silhouette.

Once you master the art of complimenting your body, you can move on to it’s more advance cousin, creating a silhouette. I’m going to show you four “genres” of fashion. Try to think about what stands out the most between the different outfits.

Each outfit has it’s own DNA, you might see different materials, different colors, accessories, maybe you think you’d wear them in different circumstances. What I notice is the silhouette of each outfit, if you swap the colors, materials, and accessories around between the outfits they would still give the same vibes. But if you changed the silhouette of each outfit the vibe would entirely change, imagine that leather jacket and pants set shrunk down and made skintight, or that white dress made a lot wider with extra fabric. You get the idea.

The cut of your clothes does a lot to alter the DNA of an outfit, regular, baggy, tailored, skinny, etc. These types of “fit” combined with your body create a silhouette and do a lot of work to tell the story. If you’re long and lanky wearing tight clothes that might make your look like a pole. If you’re short and stocky wearing shoulder pads might make you look like a lego brick 🧱 . Find a silhouette you enjoy and that also compliments your body then rock with.

The point is when you’re making an outfit consider the shape of the outfit, is it round, square, does it make you look broader or more slender? Picking shapes that compliment your body and the other pieces of clothing you’re wearing will help you go from wearing clothes to styling clothes.

#3 Choose Colors.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO KNOW COLOR THEORY TO DRESS WELL. IF SOMEONE TELLS YOU, YOU NEED TO LEARN COLOR THEORY TO DRESS WELL, THEY’RE LYING.

That said I’m going to teach you some color theory 😅.

When you’re getting dressed your brain automatically can do it’s own math and you can trust it to know which colors look nice together. If you want to step it up a level look at this chart and see how different color combos can enhance an outfit.

#4 Harmonize.

Accessories tie every outfit together. Sunglasses, babushkas, scarves, jewelry, belts, sneakers, hats, and bags pull together all of the elements of your outfit and help you to create harmony.

Wearing a boxy suit to the 2003 NBA draft? Throw on round frame sunglasses and a round bag to create balance.

Wearing a Carhartt Detroit jacket and some cargos? Throw on a head scarf and pearls to soften the look.

The point is that an outfit should have harmony. When you master how to harmonize an outfit you’ll master the art of styling. Take a look at the examples below.

#5 Catch A Vibe.

At the end of the day all that matters is how you feel in your clothes. Style is a deeply personal expression of self your personal will evolve over time to match who you are. If you can master the different elements I’ve laid out you’ll start to notice your personal style developing as you gravitate towards certain looks and away from things that you don’t. Colors you like, fits that you enjoy, and silhouettes that you look good in, eventually you’ll catch a vibe 🌊.

#6 Fuck Fashion.

Ignore Zara. Ignore H&M. Ignore the way major retailers tell you how to wear your clothes. Wear the clothes in your own way. Trends come and go, vibes change but style is timeless. Be you. If you want some extra homework take a look at Frugal Aesthetic on YouTube. I’m out 🫰🏾