The Best Dressed "Me"

Your author in 2005, wearing the apex of his "personal uniform" in rumpled style

   Simply put, everyone has a look. Some even have three. But not everyone thinks deeply about how they look on a day to day basis

   For those who dress to live, the greatest effort expended will be on occasions such as interviews, parties and weddings, and even then, it's a gamble as to how often they succeed at it. For those who live to dress, well, that's always a different story

   The diligent duo at StyleSalvage have mused once or twice on the topic of a personal uniform, an exterior combination of garments that readily identifies the signature appearance of its wearer. And, inspired by the thoughts of the talented Richard Haines, they have done so in an insightful manner. Their posts connected with me because I've long considered my own style to be a uniform of sorts - an experimental traditional style that's supplemented by various personal tics

   Over the years, the favoured remark that I've received - meant sincerely or backhandedly, either is fine - is a variation of "I couldn't wear that," which suits my design perfectly, especially when I'm in a more subdued ensemble at the time. But nevertheless, I've always had conflicted feelings about the idea of a personal uniform. I can accept being thought of as "smart," "dapper" and in other similar terms in general, but it's more interesting that I receive them at times when dressed in a manner that could be more charitably described as "zany " - a recent stint of jury service inspired the words, "Snappy outfit," when the smartest thing I was wearing was a cardigan. But that's drifting from the point a little

   Or maybe not. Experimentation within your style is a good thing and I fully champion it. It's often seemed that this style exploration dies down as one descends into dotage, having ostensibly "perfected" the image that is then presented to the outside world daily. The implication is that once you've passed a certain age, there should be no more effort to surprise or to catch the sartorial eyes of others off guard. And in truth, I don't really think it's that simple

   I believe that experimentation actually changes itself as one continues to explore, and I think resources such as Advanced Style or The Sartorialist really stand up for the sharpest dressers of the elder set. When you're older, you should really be doing what the hell you want. After you've discarded what doesn't work, you can then focus on what does and then introduce different things that may or may not work either, but certainly weren't there before. A simple example is changing from Dior Homme-esque skinny jeans to the revivalist Oxford Bags-style of Bottega Veneta - you're still wearing denim, but everyone who knows you is going to pick up on the new silhouette straight away

Some consider slimmer trousers to suit me better, but why stay in one place?

   People who alter their entire looks are motivated by a wealth of thoughts (or neuroses), that can include changes in music tastes, the interests and lifestyles of their friends and/or lovers, working environments, "growing up" and, more often than not, celebrity culture and advertising. At the opposite end of the scale, those of an alternative bent aren't necessarily the better dressed, nor is their approach more intrinsically cool, but they are more likely to be honest and steadfast about their appearance - "I couldn't wear that," indeed

   The members of music subcultures who actively engage with their scenes and dress accordingly are on to something, because they don't often care what other people think. The imitators they inevitably attract do, but that shouldn't be to the detriment of their style leaders

   So don't just do what others are doing. There's a reason it's called a "personal uniform" - there needs to be a sense of the person inside for it to be called your own. I'm not talking about full-blown iconoclastic originality here - we all dress within various frameworks and archetypes, myself included. Unless you make your own clothes and have the vision and ability for an entire paradigm shift in dressing, you're no more individually attired than anyone else in a basic sense, presuming that you're not given to wearing costumes daily

   I will always respect the attention to detail that guides retro-fetishist fans of 19th and early-to-mid 20th century dressing, but I don't respect the message behind it - "Nostalgia rules, classicism is the way, didn't we look so much better oh so long ago?" This will fail on a number of levels, not least of which is looking dated, and the successful ones are only so when they put something of their own personality into the looks instead of making it all about their preferences. Nevertheless, if you're adopting a look, it's always necessary to have an icon or a touchstone that you can build off instead of directly aping

Between his style of music and the fairly precise recreations of mid-20th century ensembles, where does fanboyism end and clever marketing begin?

   I myself was once accused of "wearing traditional clothes in a fashionable way," although for some time, my goal was actually the opposite. But while I hesitate to consider my style truly sophisticated, I believe that a sense of enjoyment and an awareness of history have helped evolve my look away from a simplistic province of sportscoat-tie-trousers and the decidedly "fashionable" eccentric combos involving ties and t-shirts I wore to go clubbing 2 years ago. It's a sign of the times that I have the freedom to go from Victorian frippery to post-war gent to 70s lounger, but I won't simply Xerox these looks, because that would be silly

   To some, my "personal uniform" is obvious and can be boiled down to a simple word or archetype like "dapper." It will likely remain the case, no matter what details I can swap out, and considering the relative variety of pieces I've used in my basic ensembles over the years, that's saying something

When it comes down to it, the only real deviations most will see are that I'm wearing a bow tie and look even more "retro" than normal. That's experimentation for you

   For me, a personal uniform does not just boil down to designers or signifiers or archetypes. It should reflect your view of yourself and your life. All I want to be is the best dressed "me" that I can

Your author in 2009 - same basic outfit as the first, but the details have been tweaked in a more considered and neat manner