Rantings...

Clockwise from upper left: Helmut Lang F/W 2009, Gareth Pugh S/S 2010, Rick Owens F/W 2009, Raf Simons S/S 2010.

As of late, a lot of people have been trying to tell me that what I wear is "not fashionable" and "different". I started today by putting on some Levi's 510 Super Skinny jeans, a Shades of Greige swoop neck tank top, and a prized Helmut Lang draped cardigan. I was monochromatic, I was confident, and I felt chic in my own right.

My personal style has changed rapidly over the past 6 months, but then again, so have I. Since 2008 I went from 220 lbs down to 155 lbs, and my new body has let me look at fashion with a different eye. What has caught my eye the most is a growing movement in post-minimal and neo-gothic design. Tim Blanks said it best when he said "Fashion is just having a Rick Owens moment". This Rick Owens design aesthetic is a far cry from the Preppy American look that was shaped by my love for J.Crew, Ralph Lauren, and Trovata. What is fashion for if I can't experiment with new styles? If you disagree with the trend I am trying out, than suck it up and deal with it. It is a trend. It will pass. Life will go on.

With my drastic weight loss, I have grown more and more comfortable in my own body. As a way of validating it, I have become accustomed to wearing low cut shirts that show off a lot of my chest. These were quickly banned from my house. According to some, these shirts were "vulgar" and "not cool". Not that I really care what is "cool" by non-fashion type standards, but a recent article in the Wall Street Journal went as far to say that men should wear low cut shirts and that they are indeed "cool". So, now for the people that banned the low cut shirt around the house, I am back to wearing them. Just be thankful I don't have chest hair, or greased up chest hair Tom Ford style for that matter. To me these shirts represent the new me, who for once is close to being at home in my own skin. I am comfortable in them, and I like the way they look in them.

So, in my outfit today, I got in an argument that "boys don't wear the clothes that you (I) wear". Apparently my Helmut Lang asymmetrical draped cardigan didn't scream masculine. The person who was on the other side of this conversation wanted me to prove that other males wear clothes like this, so here I am. I grabbed some images that I draw my new style from, all which mix masculine and feminine, and all of which push the boundaries of modernity. I started with Helmut Lang, similar to my current look, shown here modeled by a boy... hmmmm... Next I chose Gareth Pugh, I love the asymmetry and monochromatic looks with a hard edge. Then there is Raf Simons, I tried the belted high waisted look (taken from the women's trend) but I liked it more in theory. Even if I was to grow fond of it I would hope people would have the decency to let me be myself and experiment with proportions like Raf did in his S/S 2010 collection. Finally we are left with the man of the moment; Rick Owens. Note the "not fashionable" low cut shirt, and feminine draping. If Tim Blanks is right (which he almost always is) and I am anyone to testify, then this Rick Owens look is being adopted by other men out there... Even if they don't reside in Minnesota.

If you have made it to the end of this rant, then thank you. I'm just sick of being told what I can and cannot do when it comes to fashion. Fashion changes, and so will I, so if you disagree with my current choices of clothing, then just wait a while, because I will change again, and maybe you will like it better the next time around.