Appetite for Construction

Okay everyone, new favorite post.

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I had no idea where to start with this, so we're just gonna go from the head down. Let's take the beanie, draped perfectly around his dreadlocks so that it crumples on itself in the back. I know some people try everything from bobby pins to staples to achieve this look with a beanie, so it's great to see it achieved so clearly without any effort at all. And what is that in his hair, you ask? They're metal dread decorations: two in silver, one in stoplight colors. His black and white glasses are perhaps the most subtle item in this outfit, but they may be my favorite part. They magnify his face so that it doesn't seem small or shrunken in, even in the context of that big hair. Glasses are also an easy way to add a layer of maturity to a look that would otherwise have seemed juvenile or "alternative." The toy hanging from his neck is a balero, which he was playing with as we approached him. 

The t-shirt, it turns out, is from Marc Jacobs, where our friend here works. Pretty cool t-shirt design, but what is really of interest is the contraption he is wearing over it: a black webbed gun holster converted to a carrying case. He had everything imaginable in there, from a plethora of pens to the business card he handed us. Matching is his black webbed belt, which continues the military theme. I have to say I love the implementation of the military theme without the typical rebellious or chic efforts. This man goes much further than this, with a fully developed style of his own. The narrow leg dark-dye jeans, distressed carabiner keychain, long fingerless glove, and fresh patent leather kicks complete this, giving an overall urban feel to a look that otherwise could have gone in many other directions.

Finally, look closer at the picture. Our friend is wearing a scissor pendant on that chain to match his tattoo on his left arm. When asked about the significance, he told us, "Scissors can cut and destroy, scissors can cut and create."  Like the toy and the dread decorations, this is another example of the man expressing some of the darker corners of his soul through his clothing. I admire this and regularly attempt to emulate it in my own wardrobe. If you think about it, clothing is a perfect means to express subtle personal traits because so few are looking for it, so it becomes a very personal interaction. I just wish I shared this man's voracious appetite for construction.

-Jordan