Let's call this lesson #1.
There’s a famous saying that has been repeated so many times throughout history that we don’t know exactly who said it first.
It goes: “Fashion comes and goes, but style lasts forever”...or some version of that.
“FASHION” is an industry. A business. A seasonal cycle of design trends, garment production and retail sales - often driven by flashy marketing campaigns and designer runway shows built to sell you the latest trends and the newest products of the season.
At Articles of Style, we despise "fashion" (as you will read in the following articles). In my opinion, fashion is greed and materialism at its finest , and it gives us all a bad name in the industry. There is nothing noble about trying to convince you to buy new versions of the same things you already own. It's not only confusing and wasteful, it's also killing our environment.
“STYLE”, on the other hand, is a way of life. A sentiment. A vibe. You can walk with style. You can talk with style. We all have our own style. It's how we show the world who we are.
Style is not a thing. Or a product. It is completely divorced from the changing narratives of the fashion industry. It's about personal representation. Non-verbal communication.
Some of the most stylish people I know wear clothing that has absolutely nothing to do with current “fashion” - but has everything to do with who they are as a person. That cohesiveness between who a person is - and how they represent themselves with their choices in clothing - that is style.
From my experience, it is the people with great style (not great fashion) who are the most influential in society, as they are revered as the most confident, and "in-line" with their true selves.
Importantly; style is also a skill. And like any skill, it can be nourished, refined and improved. The more you learn, and practice, the better you get and the easier it becomes.
So, at Articles of Style, our goal is to help you develop your own sense of personal style. We do this by teaching you about menswear, inspiring you to try new things and sharing stories about other stylish gentlemen.
The next series of articles will dig deeper into the differences between fashion and style, as well as explain the values and point-of-view of our brand.
Thanks, as always, for reading.
Yours in style,
Dan Trepanier