Radical Vertical
The magazine is published in collaboration between radicalvertical, Berlin, kulturspace, Los Angeles & LAFFF.
The magazine is published in collaboration between radicalvertical, Berlin, kulturspace, Los Angeles & LAFFF.
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Douglas Hand<br />
Fashion<br />
Words by Douglas Hand<br />
Ten commandments<br />
to achieve the best<br />
and avoid the worst<br />
2.<br />
LAws of Style<br />
1.<br />
9<br />
8<br />
The Professional<br />
Gentleman shall<br />
dress in a manner<br />
that is elegant<br />
and capable.<br />
4.<br />
3.<br />
The Professional<br />
Gentleman shall<br />
not dress<br />
more affluently<br />
than his clients.<br />
The Professional<br />
Gentleman shall<br />
always dress<br />
more formally<br />
than his clients.<br />
"They're all wearing<br />
casual clothes, yoga<br />
pants, T-shirts, jeans,"<br />
- Tom Ford<br />
6.<br />
We find ourselves in a period of distinct change—a cultural shift. More<br />
and more men who have achieved professional success are measuring<br />
achievement not just financially, but creatively in other spheres of their<br />
lives. This is a good thing—a great thing actually. We are also living<br />
at a time—an aesthetic inflection point—where norms in manners<br />
of dress are changing. Casual Friday has given way to the full-time<br />
casual workplace in many industries. This has thrown many men (not to<br />
mention many menswear brands) into a state of generalized confusion.<br />
Sadly, for many, the default reaction to this state of affairs is apathy. In<br />
sartorial terms, the phrase business casual is an oxymoron. Like most<br />
oxymoronic statements, it came about as an attempt to put a label on<br />
a bad idea. That bad idea was rooted in the notion that looking casual<br />
can mean looking ready for business. When someone works for me,<br />
I don’t want them taking it casually. When I work for someone else, I<br />
don’t take it casually. I take it very seriously.<br />
I truly believe that style is a form of self-respect. Respect<br />
yourself. Respect your appearance. And by the transitive property<br />
of equality—respect the clothes you wear. As an attorney – I am<br />
somewhat compelled to live by laws. As a human being – I believe<br />
true style (and therefore a form of self-actualization) only comes from<br />
breaking laws. So therefore, a few of The Laws of Style germane to the<br />
current overcasualization we are seeing across certain industries and, in<br />
some cases, particularly in the fair City of Angels follows.<br />
10.<br />
The Professional<br />
Gentleman shall<br />
feel comfortable<br />
and confident in<br />
his clothing if he<br />
9.<br />
is to succeed.<br />
The Professional<br />
Gentleman shall<br />
not be recognized<br />
as “fashionable.”<br />
5.<br />
The Professional<br />
Gentleman shall<br />
properly maintain<br />
his shoes.<br />
The Professional<br />
Gentleman shall<br />
have many ties to<br />
choose from and<br />
shall mix them<br />
into his wardrobe.<br />
7.<br />
The Professional<br />
Gentleman shall<br />
not take “business<br />
casual” casually.<br />
The Professional<br />
Gentleman shall<br />
not have more than<br />
a single whimsical<br />
accessory item on<br />
his person at one<br />
time, and such item<br />
should (i) have a<br />
personal<br />
connection to him<br />
and/or (ii)<br />
be notionally<br />
a useful item.<br />
8.<br />
The Professional<br />
Gentleman need<br />
not mix and match<br />
patterns and<br />
textures, but in<br />
doing so properly,<br />
he shall attain<br />
degrees of style.<br />
LAWS OF STYLE
Change language