Between Casual and Formal

I am not casual.  I find it difficult to dress down.  Casuality implies a willy-nilly attitude when considering clothes, and is exemplified by the trope of the lackadaisical rush toward the first shirt on the floor.  As casualness has seeped into the everyday wardrobe, people no longer dress to impress or express, but dressed to be clothed. 

Leandra Medine

I am not formal, either. I certainly like to dress in formalwear when the occasion calls for it, and I am more comfortable wearing a suit than a sweatshirt. There's always a little flourish I add that diminishes formality without desecrating dress codes, like wearing a bandana in place of a tie or leaving collar buttons undone a la Ezra Pound. 

The casual affectation of formality, however, is a stylish middle ground to strive for. Such affectation is not a try-hard move or an act of snobbery, rather it's the careful consideration that this happy medium allows for experimentation and innovation in style and fashion.

Jenna Lyons

Some of the best-dressed people merge casualness and formality with ease. Jenna Lyons, who just departed J. Crew after 26 years, brought the casual-formal combination to the masses thanks to her thought-out, Instagrammable outfits ranging from striped t-shirts and business ready pencil skirts, to trim blazers with jeans and sneakers. Leandra Medine, who founded the fashion blog Man Repeller, has built her career around such outfits and is known for the billowing anti-fit silhouettes of her dresses and blazers; she tones down their formality by injecting a dose of whimsy through choosing unexpected silhouettes. Margaret Howell, Fran Lebowitz and Patti Smith also have mastered the look, and are know for co-opting garments traditionally identified with men and adding them to the female wardrobe. Howell and Lebowitz are both proponents of the blazer and straight-leg denim look; the former finishes her ensembles off with proper English oxfords, the latter with a discreet pair of cowboy boots. Smith created the template that Howell and Lebowitz followed, and the cover of her 1975 album Horses features her in a straight-fit oxford shirt, suspenders and trousers, with a blazer draped casually over her shoulder.  That this look resonates over 40 years later speaks to the agency created through subverting conservative garments in artistic ensembles.

Hirofumi Kurino

The Japanese - thanks to their intense interest in both classic tailoring and rugged workwear - have mixed casual and formal pieces to create a style that represents their culture yet has resonated around the world.  Hirofumi Kurino, co-founder of United Arrows, is one of the grandfathers of this look. He's the reason why we're seeing the return of Fair Isle sweaters to the runway - note how he wears his under a cardigan-like blazer to make his look more playful - and is one of the few people since Andy Warhol who can pull off running shoes with a suit. Warhol deserves a mention as well, since his trademark outfits sat at the nexus of casual and formal, whether they were a tailored jacket with jeans and New Balances, or a chore jacket dressed up with a preppy oxford shirt. 

When the lines between casual and formal blur, dressing is an art. To inhabit a place in the middle of the style continuum is to gleefully subvert societal dress codes and fervently rebel against the fall of decorum.