This is what I wrote two years ago on "Being A Stylist" :

In my vision a true Stylist is a sartorial explorer first and foremost. There's a nuance to it, but an important one nevertheless. No matter how well dressed one can be in a readily recognisable style, it has little to do with Stylism/Individualism as such. If you look at things from a subcultural point of view that is.

Any straight or defined style should be considered as a starting point rather than the aim should consist of perfectioning that style.
Of course if a 'dresser' feels really at home within their chosen style ( be it Mod or Skinhead or B-Boy ) and they won't ask themselves just exactly how much room they really have to manoeuvre, that's fair enough. If a certain style suits you like that, that's fine. As in remaining true to a cause I mean.

You'll see the occasional guy in the street who stands out like that, but an Individualist he is not. There has to be that mix of tradition and idiosyncrasy to accomplish that. Inventiveness, creativity when it comes to schmutter combined with a bit of an image obsession are most certainly motivators. One could even argue to add a healthy dose of arrogance ( re-f**k you attitude ) to all of that.

The instinctive use of, in a broad sense, formal garments, sportswear and country gear ( perhaps even all at the same time ) and making it work without looking like you're trying too hard. Let alone becoming artificial. That's the eternal challenge for those who seek not to find, but for the sake of it.

It'll sound a bit restless an attitude, but a result will give the Individualist an inner calm that you can almost, but not quite, call religeous. Then again he will know he'll have to move on again soon.

New ideas will come flooding to him from fashion mags, papers, books ( ! ), a detail on a window dummy, a character in a film or someone he has noticed in a club or in the street. Now those will keep him *sharp* as well as ( give him an ) ( on ) edge. It's his reason to be.

The Stylist of course is a Dandy at heart. To counterbalance the foppish connotations surrounding the latter the need for an edge to the Stylist's image arises. How to achieve such a thing is another tricky bit of what he has to accomplish that's not to be underestimated.

For one thing he doesn't want to be mistaken for a cheap villain and furthermore he will have to look hard convincingly, or people will force him into proving what they think he isn't. Now he doesn't want to ruffle his feathers or mess up his appearance for no reason, so subtlety will do the trick once more.

Being too obvious is not what he's about anyway and isn't it true that "anything exaggerated is meaningless" ? So what does he do.....?

In most cases the Stylist will have paid his dues in life, but think about the fact that there's more to him than just looks. Almost as important as the threads he wears are the sounds he listens to, the films he watches and the books he reads.

He'll have studied some of those characters he's come across in a novel or has seen on the screen for sure. Because there's great knowledge to be gained from classic pages and movies alike. Just think of Steve McQueen in "Bullitt" for instance.

He'll be able to value the worth of such characters knowing his stuff when it comes to such matters also. The Stylist is no mean cat by any means. He'll be educated, perhaps ( also ) in a traditional sense, but even more likely in an alternative one. It's all part of his eclectic attitude. The Individualist is an Internationalist as well naturally. How can he not be, given his preference for a deep black urban soundtrack to his life.

Last edited by Alex Roest (2009-04-26 06:54:19)

As in: 'varda the polony with the naff uriah'.

Wasn't the word 'naff' invented by the writers of Porridge to give Fletcher something to say that sounded like a swear word but wasn't? Or is that just another urban myth?


p.s. the irony of my profile pic in this thread has not bypassed me.

Last edited by 1966 (2009-04-27 08:35:22)

Last edited by Decline & Fall (2009-04-27 18:07:30)

Ballard was pretty naff, too, D&F.  Sorry, but he was.  Pretentious shite mostly.  To say someone is naff in England does not imply hatred, you know, it's routine.  So Paul Weller, Oasis, Meatloaf, Bryan Adams, Bryan Ferry (for instance) are all naff.  But for different reasons.

Well, we're aware of him, put it that way.  My brother-in-law lives in Calgary.  He plays golf.  A good walk spoiled. 

'Blame Can-a-daa!'