The Mad Scientist

My look took a little turn when I decided to wear these Tevin Vincent GEMINI sunnies today. They're a little different from most sunglasses that you'd find in-store, but that's exactly why I love them. They have a sort of uniqueness that, as you may have noticed, I try to incorporate in my style. Overall, this look is very laid back, but has it's quirks that make it come together. Paired with the sunglasses, I also am wearing the Tevin Vincent beaded skull & cross bracelets that I've grown to obsess over. Their simplicity is nice, but again, they have a boldness to them that sets them apart from the rest through the skull & cross details. 

The rest of my outfit consists of what was once a button-down shirt (now DIY vest), my powder blue American Apparel tee, black skinny jeans, and +Converse high-tops. A very casual look for a simple day of running errands around the city and lounging about with some of my friends. I'm always wearing black skinny jeans because they're able to go with anything. You can dress them up or down and still be able to squeeze a seemingly endless number of outfits out of them. Paired with the powder blue shirt and the blindingly white vest and high-tops, I was able to dress down the jeans quite a bit and actually brighten up a look that could have otherwise been very dark , almost grunge, like some of the other looks I've worn (See my look Powder Blue & Polka Dots for an edgier combination). Overall, I love the look and how well it just meshes together. The sunglasses give me that sort of "Mad Scientist" edge, while the canvas shoes and basic denim balance it out with casualness. 

To see more Tevin Vincent products, check out his website at www.tevin-vincent.com.

DIY Vest, American Apparel T-Shirt (Here), Black RSQ Skinny Jeans (Similar), White Converse High-tops (Here)

Getting Lost in Fashion

Something you may have noticed is that I have been using this set of pictures for quite some time. One as a display picture, another as a contact image, and I'm sure there are countless other uses of them around my blog. However, I've never really explained WHY I use them as often as I do. There's something about this scenery that just gets me. Something that I love about it, as if I could build a cabin in the center of the field and openly call it my home. But, there's something else that I love.

When I was standing in the center of this field surrounded by trees, grass, and an overall openness of nature, it made me feel playful and almost like I wanted to frolic through it all. It was like the natural embodiment of my idea of fashion. When I wake up every morning, I just want to get lost in my wardrobe and really play around with everything I own. The polka dots, the yellow denim, the grey suede oxfords, sure they all make for a very eclectic outfit, but they reflect my attitude and just how playful I can or want to be at times. To me, style is a reflection of how you feel and who you are. Patterns are bold or playful for the days you feel the same. Sometimes you wear black to reflect your mood, even if it's unknowingly. Overall, there's a lot more that goes into what you wear than just what does or doesn't match. It's all how you see things and if you allow your outlook of fashion and style to go beyond those limitations. What's your take on it all?

4th of July

While in Vegas for the weekend I can't help but soak in the heat, hectic environment, and endless patriotism in the air. I'm in love with the entire atmosphere! So while I was poolside today, I decided to go with the flow and be as patriotic as everyone else here. Very simple shirt, shorts, and shoes. The shirt is an American flag graphic tee my mom happened to purchase me for about $4. The shorts are simple swim trunks that I bought about two years go at H&M. They're navy blue, comfortable, and can be passed off as just regular shorts. My shoes are just the simple canvas Lacoste shoes I've worn in a few previous posts and I'm loving them more than ever as of recently. I can't wait to cut up this shirt and make it my own, though. What do you guys think of the look? Am I patriotic enough? 

The Incredible Hulk

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love summer. The best part about it is that the weather here in California is warm enough for a tee shirt and cool enough to wear black all at the same time. Today's outfit is a little more laid-back than I normally go for. I've been really into graphic tees lately, so I decided to go for one today. I threw out the waisted shirts and combat boots, threw on the tee shirt, cuffed my pants, and left for the day. For many reasons, I love the simplicity of the outfit, but I also love the Tevin Vincent bracelets that are the same as those recently featured in my post "Skulls & Crosses." They're always adding the touch of edge or individuality that I'm always looking to incorporate. They're simple, but a statement all at the same time. Again, the glasses, jeans, and t-shirt are all simple touches. The only thing about my outfit that may seem a bit different is my bowling shoes by Generic Surplus. I'm in love with the shape of them and how nice they look sockless. They're definitely a keeper for me, too. What do you guys think about the bracelets and shoes?

Yellow Shorts & Simple Style

Last week, I was having a little blogger's crisis and was panicking over having "nothing to wear' and many of us so often do. However, something that my friend said went something like, "It's what how much you have to wear, it's how many ways you can think of wearing it." This couldn't be more true. After replaying that saying through my head over and over again, I ventured into my "Neverending Closet" and fished out some simple shirts and shorts. Now, typically when I wear shorts I will pair them with loafers or tennis shoes, but not this time. The yellow corduroy shorts serve dual functionality, having the ability to be dressed up or dressed down. In today's case, I dressed down a bit. I threw on this 'Ain't No Thang!' tee shirt that I purchased at +H&M quite some time ago, and the funny thing is that I've only worn it once before. The shoes are by +Creative Recreation and couldn't be any more amazing in my eyes. I've never worn a pair like this, but my friend was gracious enough to let me borrow and use them for the sake of staying cool and casual. Now it might be a little weird seeing me outside of my combat boot and leather loafer comfort level, but who knows... Sneakers might be my new thing. What do you think of the sneakers? Would love to know!

Yellow Corduroy Shorts by Target (Similar), H&M Graphic Tee (Alternative), Creative Recs (Similar)

Winter in the Summer

One thing you might be asking yourself is, "Why is he wearing winter layers in the summer?" Well, unfortunately for me, when I got out of bed yesterday morning, I had no choice. The weather outside was just as dark as the lightless room I found myself laying in. For whatever reason, Mother Nature decided to let it rain and cast a shadow over the city I live in, producing a sort of nippy weather you'd otherwise experience in the winter. It was a nice change of pace from the 100 degree weather we've been having, but with all my summer clothes being so light, I had to think of a way to keep warm. 

 Even though I was forced to bundle up for the cold weather, I still wanted to maintain a very summery look. I used neutral colors and a vibrant yellow in order to keep the illusion that the weather was warmer than it was. The denim jacket was just an added little touch since I've been obsessed with denim as of recent. The oatmeal v-neck sweater is one that I found at a thrift store some time again; my denim jacket was purchased at Forever 21 back in the fall. What I love about the denim jacket is the light wash. I can dress it up or down without having to worry much about how well it matches. As for my yellow denim jeans... I love them! They're +Levi's® and they're so comfortable. Very soft cotton and don't stretch very much after wearing them for a full day like some others you might buy. Lastly, my shoes... God I love these shoes. They're fantastic! They are part canvas with a suede cap-toe and heel detail. Overall, I found this outfit to be very weather appropriate without compromising the style I love for the season I love... Summer.

Just A Touch of Color

The pattern I'm wearing today follows the ethnic trend that is found in this season's menswear trends and styles. When I wear any sort of pattern, I like to make sure that it stands out against whatever I am wearing. As previously mentioned in many of my other posts, patterns should be noticed and not overshadowed by a combination of too many other statement pieces. That's why, with this Aztec patterning on my backpack, I decided to use a very colorless pallet of whites, greys, and blacks for the sake of letting the backpack stand out against everything else. The watch that I am wearing luckily matches to some degree the oranges in the backpack's fabric (a little touch which I really like about the whole look). 

As far as where I got everything, it's all very affordable. The jeans I'm wearing are from a thrift store like any other in your neighborhood and I was lucky enough to purchase them for around $5. My 3/4 length baseball tee is from American Apparel, which at this point in my posts might be recognized as my favorite store, and I purchased it for around $25. As for the shoes, they are identical to the white ones I wore in my post "Spring Green" and were around the same price. Equally loved, but probably worn more often as I wear black more than I do white. I'm not able to tell you where I found my watch as it just appeared in my closet randomly one day. (Now if only that happened more often!) Lastly, my backpack was purchased in Los Angeles last summer from a street vendor for $20 and I couldn't be any happier for making that purchase. What do you think of the backpack? Could you see yourself wearing it?