On “Developing Taste”
I’ve said before that developing taste or hobbies won’t help you dress better. That is still true. But what’s more irritating is how confidently the idea is presented. Read the classics. Visit galleries. Refine your eye. It’s usually framed as if you’re slightly behind and just need to catch up. Catch up to what, exactly? What that […]
Why This Frog Still Feels Contemporary
I came across this image of a frog on a t-shirt. I thought it was cute but it felt familiar to me. Almost like an meme or something. The expression is simple. Slightly unimpressed. A little humorous. The product listing said it was a woodblock print by Matsumoto Hoji made in 1814. That year didn’t seem right. […]
Why I Don’t Like Duvets
I don’t know why duvet inserts are pushed so much. The timeline for acquiring one is usually the same. You start having some discretionary income, and suddenly a “bed in a bag” feels beneath you. Sadly, they show up everywhere. Magazines, interior design blogs, Instagram. They’re associated with “high end” hotels. But they’re not inherently […]
If You Have a Baby Face, Should You Dress Like a Baby?
I have some more thoughts about the gap between appearance and identity. I was reading Anthony James’s memoir Acting My Face. He spent much of his career being typecast. Villains, criminals, creepy characters. His headshot was even referred to as the “basic killer” shot. As a teenager heading to Hollywood, he wanted to showcase range. He quickly […]
Why Aging Is Environmentally Coherent
Aging is environmentally coherent. Plastic surgery is not. I say that without judgment. Last year, I pulled a back muscle getting out of bed too quickly. Aging is humbling. Now I get out of bed slower. But plastic surgery has that same “off” feeling as a Cybertruck. You live among us. We recognize you as human. You […]
Why Style Starts Watching You Back
I was reading about Foucault’s idea of the panopticon. The basic premise is simple. At a certain point, you don’t need anyone watching you. You start watching yourself. I thought about clothing when I read that. And more specifically, style culture online. When I was online more frequently, there was a lot of discussion about “cringe.” […]
Is It Vanity?
At the beginning of my style journey, there was a quiet sense of embarrassment about the whole thing. I kept wondering: Am I just being vain? I remember noticing it most with photos. Before I learned any style language, I was never someone who took selfies or documented outfits. It just did not occur to me. […]
Why You Shouldn’t Try to Be a Character
There is a subtle idea that shows up in style advice. You are supposed to “find your type.” Figure out which tv or movie character you could play and then dress accordingly. It sounds harmless until you realize what you are actually doing. You’re casting yourself. I understand why this is appealing though. It […]
When Do Work Dress Codes Actually Make Sense?
After writing about respectability in dress , I started thinking about dress codes more generally. I had a relative whose school principal randomly started enforcing a rule: no jeans and no open-toe shoes for teachers. There wasn’t a clear reason. The directive came from higher administration, but there was so much pushback that it eventually got kicked […]
Why Color Analysis Still Doesn’t Work
I was thinking about color analysis again and how convincing it is. Wear these colors. Avoid those. You’ll “come alive.” You’ll “sparkle.” You’ll finally “show up.” I do think the transformations are real. People do look more visible and their faces are brighter and more defined. The colors harmonize fine. So technically, everything is working. And yet, […]