So I know my last blogpost was in March, you don’t have to mention it. This inconsistency has to stop, I know I know! I guess creativity just cannot be rushed… Wow, is that not THE MOST obnoxious thing you’ve heard in a while? On a serious note I’m excited to be writing again and may I add a fashion piece this time. My last two posts were more of a personal reflection of multiple events that had transpired and the build up thereof so this was a nice pick-me-up.

So let’s just address the elephant in the blog (in lieu of a room), I have been out of the blogosphere for several months. Now what some may call a hiatus, I want to stress that this long break wasn’t intended and that there are so many other contributing factors than what may appear.

Untitled… A rather polarising title don’t you think? I didn’t know what I was going to write about and quite frankly, I wasn’t certain I would write at all.

I’ve been out of the blogosphere for roughly a month, or what I have referred to as ‘the period I almost lost my mind’. Thinking back on it, I find my mini meltdown somewhat amusing. I mean it’s not uncharacteristic of me to hyperbolise my emotions… Ask anyone who knows me well enough (they might just have a story or two to tell).

[ Sprettsa’tu:ra ] Origin: Italian

I’m sure a lot of you are wondering what in the world this word means. This word first made its appearance in “The Book of the Courtier” by Baldassare Castiglione. He describes this term as ‘a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it’.

I’ve often been asked what inspires my sense of style and the answer is never really the same. On one day I’ll claim that my choices are impulsive and on another I’d convince you that they’re somewhat of an inheritance.

One of my favourite authors Stephen Covey said: “There are three constants in life…. change, choice and principles.” The Oxford Dictionary describes a constant as occurring continuously over a period of time. With the above in mind it’s only fitting that we add style to the list of constants.

Personally speaking, style is one of the few aspects of life which have stood the ultimate constant of time. If we compare our modern-day sensibilities of aesthetic with that of the early 1900’s, not much has changed. In fact, as the style-conscious generation of men, we tend to gravitate more towards an inherently nostalgic manner of dressing.

Before anyone gets the wrong idea, I won’t be making reference to the beloved Jock of the Bushveld in this piece. I literally needed an appropriate and relatively cheesy title for it. I think I’ve accomplished that!!

A trend that finds itself resurfacing almost every year in the fashion calendar is that of the Modern Safari (amongst others). I have admittedly tried to replicate this look a ton of times without any success. To be honest I’d eventually end up looking like a mix between Crocodile Dundee and Indiana Jones… and that’s a bad thing if I wasn’t clear enough. 
Another challenge I’ve had with this look was trying to improve on it. Let’s be honest, this trend has been in circulation for years and we’ve already seen quite a number of interpretations.

If you’re looking for some tips on braving the Concrete Safari in style then keep reading.

Trust style to transport you anywhere in the world in the blink of an eye. Incorporating one garment could literally be the difference between stepping out into the streets of Joburg or Paris with either the Vodacom Tower or the Eiffel Tower behind you.

Paris has always been one of the cities I’d dream of visiting one day. I am however a frequent visitor of in my imagination (don’t judge me… we all do it). I actually remember myself purchasing this shirt and feeling a great amount of nostalgia and… well… romance.

Leonardo Da Vinci said “Simplicity is the ultimate Sophistication” and man was Leo right- yeah that’s right I called him Leo, we were close once…… possibly……. in a previous life. Before I let my imagination get the better of me, I completely echo the above sentiment.

It’s rather ironic how the idea of ‘Minimalism’ especially in fashion is a style that many try to master and yet somehow end up complicating. Now please don’t get me wrong, I too find myself doing just that every now and then. But what I’ve come to understand is that style (no matter the kind) is an extension of YOU. Minimalism to me looks completely different to someone like…… Phillipp Plein for instance.

AIM: Establish whether urban streetstyle can be refined and be made flexible.

HYPOTHESIS: Urban streetstyle can in fact be refined and as a result allows the wearer more flexibility in styling his/her look.

If someone had told me 5 or so years ago that I would be writing my first blog post on Men’s Style, I’d tell them to get lost. I was the kid who was groomed into academia and my fate was pretty much sealed. It’s funny how things that were never meant to work out just never do.

I rather enjoy convincing people that I didn’t find style and that it found me instead. And to answer your next question, yes I wanted it to sound as philosophical as it did.