Monday, January 12, 2009
A Man of Style
Recently, I've been thinking a lot about personal style -- how it is formed, how it evolves, and how those evolutions reflect different areas of our life. It seems that lots of girls begin learning lessons from their mothers. Opinions about makeup, dresses, matching shoes, handbags and countless other details are shaped by watching them get ready to go out to dinner with their friends, or get dressed up for work.
On my way to work today, during our standard mid-morning pep talk, I realized how much my Dad actually set the groundwork for my personal style.
Like anyone else, my look has changed throughout the years. Throughout high school and college, I was a Gap posterchild -- stonewashed denim, neutrals, basic black, and for a spell, really into clunky ankle-boots and skirts. I still miss a favorite pair of Gap wide-legged jeans that I wore to a late 90's, soft, washed out perfection. In the last few years, I've embraced color in a real way: loving bright graphic prints, more-than-dabbling-in neon and sprinkling my wardrobe with metallics.
However, the formative ideas that my Dad instilled are in place. My Dad loves "gear" - and has collected every variety, from raincoats to sub-zero parkas, balaclavas in several colors to fine English tweed scarves. Through me, his tastes have produced a love for outerwear of all kinds (I'm obsessed with jackets) - and a nuanced attention to down fill, fleece pile, and any number of other details. After proclaiming that his #1 fashion pet-peeve was "contrast color topstitching", I am forever scrutinizing those tiny threads for color compatibility.
He also instilled a interest in fashion history, and has greatly enhanced my knowledge of revered houses of style. On a family trip to Europe, I remember receiving a detailed history of Liberty fabrics in London, and walking through the Place Vendôme in Paris with equal wonder as when walking through Notre Dame. To him, these stops on our tourist route were just as important as the museums and the monuments. Now, I see the correlation between my current love for color and the brilliant silk ties and cotton shirts at Charvet.
We thank our parents for many things throughout our lives - confidence, courage, and a comfortable home are just a few on the ever-evolving list. I feel especially thankful to my Dad for the things he taught me -- and not just for the ability to name-drop or spout off obscure fashion knowledge. What I'm most grateful for is the love and appreciation of the beautiful things in the world. Fine craftsmanship, centuries old-traditions, and the classic things that never go out of style. Families who have devoted their lives to making clothes for generations, despite changes in fashion, political upheavals, and yes, recessions.
So thanks Dad!! For being my unconventional, but essential, fashion role-model.
- Casey
My Dad's Sunhee Moon Favorites:
Tomo Belt
Day Jacket - on sale!
On my way to work today, during our standard mid-morning pep talk, I realized how much my Dad actually set the groundwork for my personal style.
Like anyone else, my look has changed throughout the years. Throughout high school and college, I was a Gap posterchild -- stonewashed denim, neutrals, basic black, and for a spell, really into clunky ankle-boots and skirts. I still miss a favorite pair of Gap wide-legged jeans that I wore to a late 90's, soft, washed out perfection. In the last few years, I've embraced color in a real way: loving bright graphic prints, more-than-dabbling-in neon and sprinkling my wardrobe with metallics.
However, the formative ideas that my Dad instilled are in place. My Dad loves "gear" - and has collected every variety, from raincoats to sub-zero parkas, balaclavas in several colors to fine English tweed scarves. Through me, his tastes have produced a love for outerwear of all kinds (I'm obsessed with jackets) - and a nuanced attention to down fill, fleece pile, and any number of other details. After proclaiming that his #1 fashion pet-peeve was "contrast color topstitching", I am forever scrutinizing those tiny threads for color compatibility.
He also instilled a interest in fashion history, and has greatly enhanced my knowledge of revered houses of style. On a family trip to Europe, I remember receiving a detailed history of Liberty fabrics in London, and walking through the Place Vendôme in Paris with equal wonder as when walking through Notre Dame. To him, these stops on our tourist route were just as important as the museums and the monuments. Now, I see the correlation between my current love for color and the brilliant silk ties and cotton shirts at Charvet.
We thank our parents for many things throughout our lives - confidence, courage, and a comfortable home are just a few on the ever-evolving list. I feel especially thankful to my Dad for the things he taught me -- and not just for the ability to name-drop or spout off obscure fashion knowledge. What I'm most grateful for is the love and appreciation of the beautiful things in the world. Fine craftsmanship, centuries old-traditions, and the classic things that never go out of style. Families who have devoted their lives to making clothes for generations, despite changes in fashion, political upheavals, and yes, recessions.
So thanks Dad!! For being my unconventional, but essential, fashion role-model.
- Casey
My Dad's Sunhee Moon Favorites:
Tomo Belt
Day Jacket - on sale!
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