Some time back my friend asked me if I identify as a metrosexual, a word that used to have men running from it as soon as possible, and something many people have referred to me as. Personally, I don’t care for that label. Sure, I’m straight, care about my appearance and clothes, leftist and I live in San Diego. If, by your book that makes me a metrosexual, than okay. Here’s why I care about fashion though (along with music and art) and that’s honestly what this piece will be about and if you think the title is clickbaity…sorry I guess.

Image: Google Screenshot

I love learning about fashion, enjoy the intricacies of solving a new outfit that appeared in my mind. It’s fun to switch my style up, mix and match business casual with streetwear (that’s harder than it sounds). There are numerous influences I have in regards to my style, which is a blend of others styles to form my own. From my principal in high school, Kanye West, Tanner Guzy, James Dean and random strangers I see who have their own touch of sprezzatura of which I only pray I’m achieving. I’m probably not. Though, in terms of sprezzatura, I wouldn’t want to be a Pitti Peacock, just so that’s known.

Fashion is an art, it allows the user to wear their personality. We can select what’s appealing; we can be political with our clothes, influence culture (while culture also influences fashion), influence individuals, assert moods and catch attention from people walking down the street with the swagger every rapper wishes they could have. If I wanted, I could wear a shirt that calls the government corrupt and bought, people who’d see that would think (or know), “he thinks the government is corrupt and bought.” Or it can be a sarcastic wear as well (and I’m known to be a tad sarcastic). People got mad at our good friend Colin Kaepernick for wearing a Fidel Castro shirt before Castro had passed (it’s of Fidel and Malcolm X meeting). Clothes can get people angry. Shoot, I could wear a three piece suit with a pocket square and suspenders in a way that evokes a reaction from people because I mixed and matched patters and colors in a certain way. Clothing is powerful. Fashion is powerful too, perhaps we’ll never wear Thom Browne’s three-legged pant out in public without getting ridiculed, but he’s made stuff people do actually wear. Over the last few years, menswear has seen resurgence and billions are being spent on it every year now.

There are many menswear blogs (and about being a man in general) because there’s an audience for it now more than there had been for a long time. Heck, I customize some of my stuff to make it mine and to add some of my sporadic personality to it (I spray painted my headphones and earphones, pop filter for my mic and cut a collar off a denim shirt to make it a banded collar). If I lost my Skullycandy headphones I would know they’re mine because they’re spray-painted, with some of the paint cut off with a knife, all intentional.

I’ve had people approach me about the headphones asking where I got them and how I got them like that. That’s always fun to me. You can blend in (maybe) with clothes too. Think about it, what do people steal in the movies to blend in with a group? The group clothing, which allows them to seem like they’re a part of the tribe. Isn’t that just cool?

Fashion is far more important than we think it is, it can have symbolic meanings: white tee and blue jeans is an American staple according to many. James Dean was an icon for teens in the 50s with his well-known different jackets (red Harrington in Rebel Without a Cause and suede jackets off-screen), white tee and blue jeans (though he was also known to wear polos and the like).

Image by: Gentleman’s Journal

So there you have it: fashion and style are important to the world whether we realize it or not. It’s an art that can speak volumes about a person and identify who people are.