New Year's Resolution: Live in Style
2016 has been a whirlwind year, to say the least. A year filled with ecstatic highs, intense lows and everything in between. A year filled with love, loss, growth and style.
Even though the downtown Macy's is closing next year, the building is an enduring icon of style. Hopefully some other stylish tenant takes its place and keeps it strong for years to come.
When I launched the blog in September, I needed a creative release aside from my freelance work. What I didn’t think would happen alongside my writing is that I developed more of a personal philosophy on style and photography. Instagram is a large component of what I do, and it reaches more people than my writing does. That’s not a bad thing, rather a testament that we live in a visual age.
Some writers might find this disheartening, but if 2016 taught us anything, it’s that we need to evolve with the times. The old mediums of cultural transmission are dead. Our attention spans have dwindled, and it’s more impactful to create a meaningful photograph that accompanies a short sentence or paragraph of meaningful text than distills complex ideas into words everyone can comprehend.
This, in some sense, is what style is. Our personalities are complex, and to express them with personal flourishes and accoutrements makes them accessible without cheapening them. Many people who seek depth feel our visual age cheapens meaning, but this is untrue. Meaning and style change over time. Right now, it’s something we have to look at to look for.
For those who live lives of style, a visual-based society is a gift. It’s why so many people have become celebrities and sensations overnight. We have a new cultural vanguard, defined not by wealth but expression. Each person’s expression of style is different: People like Emily Oberg, Chris Black and David Coggins, whose profiles have surged due to social media, all have distinct personal style, but each cultivates a successful personal brand because they remain true to themselves. This reminds us that style is not currency but a story yearning to be told.
Find your look and flaunt it. This is my most worn outfit of 2016.
This next year, live in style. Tell your story through your clothes, your books, what you eat, drink and collect. Don’t be afraid to take a few style selfies: When done to chronicle outfits rather than pursue endless likes, it’s an esteem-boosting activity and creates a blueprint of outfits that work and become personal staples. This next year, find the look - regardless of fleeting fashions - that speaks volumes about who you are and looks right on you. Dapper men and beautiful women aren’t adherents of trends, but are seductive and powerful because they’ve found what works for them. So take a few photos and write a few words, because if you’ve got it, flaunt it.
2017 is a year to live in style, as a mode of adaptation and an act of rebellion. Thank you for coming along on this journey with me this year. Let’s pour one out to the year ahead, and celebrate a year of looking good, living well and expressing ourselves to the fullest.
Sweater: J. Crew, Shirt: Uniqlo, Jeans: Baldwin, Vest: Belstaff