I'm a cypher, wrapped in an enigma, smothered in secret sauce. Also, my name is Kev and I own this here website.
As inevitably happens when you have a group of straight guys together, the topic of “fashion” came up in conversation yesterday amongst me and some friends. Grunge music of the early 90s and the fashion trend that accompanied it soon came up, which prompted me to state something along the lines of:
“I would still dress that way today if it was socially acceptable. It was so comfortable.”
This prompted a female friend, tongue placed firmly in cheek, to astutely chime in with something along the lines of:
“Still? Exactly how are you dressed any differently?”
It was a good point. I essentially dress the same today as I did in 1996.
Typically, you can “date” a photo taken of somebody by how they are dressed. As my friends pointed out, you cannot do this with me. You have to go by other things, such as family members standing nearby or hair styles of people in the background, to date photos of me.
Why has my attire remained essentially the same over the past dozen years? It’s quite simple, really. Why mess with perfection?
My style is something I like to call business grunge. In essence, I wear what I feel is comfortable, which was the basic point of grunge, but I’m grownup about it. I’ve never owned a pair of Doc Marten boots. I’ve worn a flannel shirt maybe three times my entire adult life. I don’t rip my blue jeans, and any holes in them are unintentional.
So what’s business grunge? I’m glad you asked.
I wear blue jeans pretty much every day. They are loose fitting jeans, although once every three years I will throw tapered jeans into the mix just to make it interesting.
I wear Ralph Lauren or Kenneth Cole dress boots. They are comfortable, quite expensive and last forever (which helps keep the frugal part of my brain happy). On weekends, I wear Nike Air running shoes, although I only run if being chased. In college, I wore snake-skin cowboy boots. Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots wore them in the music video for Interstate Love Song, and I thought they were perfect for the young college freshman on the go. I long ago retired them, but I plan on bringing them back at some point in the future when the world is ready.
I wear long sleeve, open collar, button down dress shirts. They’re usually earth tone colors. I wear them untucked and I usually roll up the sleeves. Occasionally, on weekends, I will leave the shirt unbuttoned and wear a solid color t-shirt (also untucked) underneath.
I have two watches. Both are Kenneth Cole. One has a metal band, the other is black leather. I usually only wear them to work.
I own lots of hats, but I hardly ever wear them. I’m not a fan of hat hair.
I like to wear jackets. As my friends and family can attest, it usually takes extreme Southern heat for me to give in and admit that it’s no longer “jacket weather.” I have a Ralph Lauren dark brown jacket, a Kenneth Cole black leather jacket, and a Ralph Lauren black trench coat. To those wondering, I purchased these jackets before my frugal revolution took place.
And there you have it.
On a scale of 1 to 10 – 1 being “awesome” and 10 being “ridiculously awesome” – how would you rate my style? Unless you have something bad to say, I encourage you to be completely honest.
;-) 4.7.08 at 3:40 pm:
Actually, I said, “And how is it so different from the look you’re currently sporting?”
Sorry, I just thought my verb choice was so apropos.
The world will never be ready for the boots, Kev.
;-) 4.7.08 at 4:17 pm:
Wow. Snake skin boots… I don’t even know where to begin. Although the rest of your clothing choices seem very respectable.
;-) 4.7.08 at 5:40 pm:
It doesn’t sound so bad to me. 1996 was a really good year. I still try to model my daily leisurewear after whatever Kelly Kapowski was wearing in this morning’s Saved by the Bell rerun. By the way, are Kenneth and Ralph paying you for this post? If they aren’t, maybe you should consider sending them a bill.
;-) 4.7.08 at 6:09 pm:
I’m sorry, I can’t judge without a picture. Cough it up, Kev.
;-) 4.7.08 at 9:23 pm:
Wow. This sounds exactly like a conversation I have with my husband all the time. He’ll talk about how much he liked the early 90’s and how he could dress, and I swear that I said ‘you dress the same.’
Of course I tease him because he’s 29, and I’m 23, so I just say stuff like ‘that was way before my time’, or whatever. But, when I watch My So Called Life, it does make me wish that we lived in a time when baggy dresses, leggings, flannel shirts, and messy hair, were acceptable.It just looks so comfy.
;-) 4.7.08 at 9:26 pm:
I simply felt compelled to comment on this post! I know another way to date pictures of you (post childhood, of course).
Your hairstyle!
In 1996, it was relatively short (thanks to a private school dress/hair code). I even liked the way it spiked up on top.
In college, it got a little longer and flipped up on the ends. However, I hardly noticed what with worrying about your shrinking down to almost nothing, weight wise. Did you ever eat???
In 2000 – 2002(or there roundabouts), you went through what we, your family, fondly remember as the “hippy” stage. I often threatened to braid your hair after you went to sleep! Mrs. Danna would’ve thought that a bit too much even with her fondness for 1700’s men’s hairstyles!
From 2003 on, your hair has basically gone through cycles of being short and stylish….getting a little long….flipping up on the ends….meeting your collar….passing your collar….me begging you to cut it so that someone will want to marry you…..you, looking at me pityingly and in total denial that your hair is getting too long to be awesome (after all, Mrs. Danna likes it, you argue)…..finally admitting you might need a haircut after your sister wants to braid it…..cutting it short and stylish once again…..etc., etc.
The only way to end this vicious cycle is to get married! Then, your wife will cut your hair, or at least make you go to the barber at least semi-regularly. She’ll also label the backs of pictures and we won’t have to resort to this nonsensical way of dating them.
;-) 4.8.08 at 11:28 am:
Hmm. I have been sitting here for a few minutes contemplating a good response to this article…
I wouldn’t say that your personal sense of style is BAD. It’s not like you can really go wrong with things like loose fitting jeans and button up shirts.
BUT – you should, perhaps, try branching out sometime. You might like it
I do have to say, though…tapered jeans are an absolute NO unless you weigh around 100 pounds, wear them super tight with jet-black hair flung over one eye and a black t-shirt that looks like it was made for a 13 year old girl, and listen to depressing music. And never take your eyes off the ground (you know the type). Sorry…
;-) 4.8.08 at 3:03 pm:
I agree with Kathy, need pictures to make a proper assessment. Although in general as long as you don’t where t-shirts that say things like “it’s 5:00 somewhere” or those stupid Brad Pitt hats your fashion is okay by me.
;-) 4.8.08 at 7:22 pm:
Remember when Airwalks were in? I had a pair. Of course I always managed to get into a particular style about the time is going out.
;-) 4.8.08 at 7:30 pm:
Probably it’s a good thing you recognize that the world is not ready for the snakeskin boots.
;-) 4.8.08 at 8:03 pm:
I loved my pointy toed snakeskin boots. I could climb the hell out of a chain link fence. Which came in handy when the thugs tried to steal my Members Only jacket!
;-) 4.13.08 at 7:35 pm:
I’m (practically) speechless because your mode of dress sounds a lot like that employed by Johnny Depp, which makes my happy-meter go off the charts. Please don’t be discouraged or offended by this (the comparison to Johnny’s sartorial style, that is) … it works. And how. Trust me. Chicks dig it.
The RL coats/jackets are good. Very good. Johnny’s all about stylish outerwear.
But please do add a hat. It’s just gives that essential je ne sais quoi, ya know?
;-) 4.18.08 at 6:11 pm:
I agree; we need photographs. I’m thinking a montage, with at least one picture from each of the past dozen years.
;-) 4.24.08 at 5:46 pm:
Why do we feel like they have to follow fashion? Do we really *need* to fit in that badly? I say where whatever is comfortable and appropriate (there are some boundaries which should be in effect). Be free of what other people think of your style. It’s quite liberating!
;-) 7.24.08 at 10:36 am:
[...] sketch drawing (left) of the unidentified assailant. He is described as a dashingly handsome, fashion savvy man in his late 20s. He can be identified by a very smug-looking smile, a boorish attitude, and his [...]
;-) 9.2.08 at 12:40 pm:
[...] to think of something witty to say received lots of feedback. And whenever I have sarcastically mocked my sense of fashion, you readers seem to come out in [...]