Monochrome and Grunge

For good or bad, I known for my sense of dapper style which, to be candid, is a result of my urgency to rescue some sort of lost elegance which I believe is long gone in our society (at least for the day-to-day and the society that I live in everyday).

Well, in order to give a different spin on the ‘how to wear’ and ‘what-to-wear’ tutorials, such as my own bow tie post, I decided to do something which I have not done for a while, and model/collaborate with my great friend and talented photographer Simao Salvador Melo. We wanted to create a series of images related to two very different points of view, using two tendencies that are quite far apart in the world of male fashion. This editorial also pushes the boundaries of the compositions to an extreme of an editorial work and maybe wearable by some, the two tendencies are:

    • Monochrome
    • Grunge

Monochrome or Monochromatic – simply speaks for itself, is the use of the same color throughout the ensemble. Most of the times the same tone, or similar hues, but always from head to toe. My personal take? It simply reminds me of a uniform, any uniform of any sort. Many of the dudes, I spoke kindly about this issue state that is a “make-life-easy” kind of look . No fuzz with the matching and pairing, no need to sort laundry, no investment on time when heading out. Well, I think people will think the same every time, they see you. They may forget if they saw you yesterday or last week.  

Amongst the many reasons I heard from the dues include:

    • It is less time-consuming.
    • It is easier to dress, as you have no other option than coördinate the same color.
    • It is a style (when it comes to black  – this came from a man in London, living in Soho)

In thinking about this, it led me to believe that sometimes perhaps it is the lack of knowledge of how to mix and match colors, or the inability to actually mix colors for some reason, or simply there is no interest on learning how to create a palette in their body. In any event, I think there are multiple ways and options to create a consistent look when it comes to using color and monochrome is one of them. Or at least this is my interpretation.

My take on this and true believe for monochromatic looks?, is that simply should be use and applicable to those moments they are solemn or serious (mostly in black), or as a uniform (depending on the requirements established) or to rest (when is white) and must lay to low linens and comfortable shapes

To this particular “off-the-box” editorial, my first thought was to use the Mechanic Orange, a tone that is now in use widely in advertisement, a color that was for many years overlooked. Here I am posing with all of my own clothing, and at the moment of the shoot, I  was mesmerized about how much orange I do own in my closet, even down to the sunglasses!

ORANGE monochrome
All details on the same color or color hue are a must for this very particular style.
Monochromy
The use of one color throughout a garment composition or an ensemble sometime dictates the need to disconnect and simply be.
Monochromatic Details
The monochromatic details embody every element of the composition, inclusive of watch, socks and even undergarments. I believe, if you do not want to spend time thinking about a style, this is a way to go.
Head to Toe
Just any element has to be monochrome with in the same color of the entire garment ensemble.
DETAILS
A simple review of all details being monochromatic.

As an alternate to orange is perhaps one of my favorite colors, red. There is a seduction for me to use red as an accent and break in color as I also tend to wear a lot of black and white. I’m not sure why I do, but I think, perhaps because I am a child of the 80’s and the postmodern era was in full swing when I was in architectural school – and red was used widely at the time. In any event, once again, I own many red elements in red and here is a clear example of how just digging in my closet, I was able to pull together a complete ensemble in red.

Red Monochrome
A color that I wear frequently for many occasions, it does look a bit intimidating when it takes over all your body.
RED Close-up
I do not own a red jacket – yet – which would round up all elements on this male fashion (except my glass frames) but I must admit that I own a red watch!

And now my standby Black. Well this time, the black has a greyish tone to it. This Armani privee suit that was a gift from a friend of mine has a shark skin sheen that is quietly seductive, then I opted for including it into this sequence.

GREY Monochrome
As black was not an option for this take, we went with the grey of this shark skin which suits perfectly the monochromatic idea and all-in-all, it is a very wearable ensemble.
Grey Glasses
I have not changed the black color of my glasses in about 15 years, and I think never will. It is a comfort zone and one hard to break.

Once again, not only the color, but the shape and the material has to do with the ensemble, perhaps I even proved to myself that those have/ought to be present no matter what. Silhouette, material,  and color – three principles I keep talking about in my workshops, and one that defines our wardrobe.

Then, there is  other side of the spectrum.

A collection of patterns and colors, which combine into an  irreverence to almost everything. A style that basically picks-up what others left, the ability to just dress and dress and dress with a lot. In this tendency, more is best. The grunge style is very present in the Northwest weather and arts-centered cities in the USA and is one widely used by musicians, painters, writers, and Bohemians at large, as a reaction to a budget issue. It is not easy to survive with latest fashion and being an artist at the same time.

The Arizona Shirt
I do not accostume to use shirts with story lines, comics, or geography prints or botanicals of some place and time, and harsly never a shirt with boxy cuts, but this was to me a “grunge” purchase at a very popular male store, by the name of – Tommy Bahama – .
Modern Grunge
To keep the elements of a “Grunge” look to a point, I added a pair of very loud teal sunglasses, ..to me, they added that “Editorial” look I was looking for.
Grunge but Fashionable
the notes of the look are simple. Be loud and wear patterns and all of them loud and all of them discordant. Well, this time, somehow they all work, they all mix, the key? one full tone that somehow relates to all of them and a note here and there on the details that pull the color from the rest of the ensemble.
Color Pull
Subdue tones on a composition all come together as long as they repeat each other on every other piece of clothing.
Discordant but not
At a distance these four tones seem all a mess and different, but the plaid on the jacket pull them together.

And so I decided to spin the look by bringing a pair of shorts, which brings the bohemian feeling a little further to a more fashion or chic look.

Grunge in B&W
Highly editorial, this frame is a take on the world of plaid and prints, perhaps away from the Grunge movement if decomposed, but trust me, most articles were flannel but with a subdue fashion statement underneath it all. Is a I do not care attitude, but I know how to work with plaid and graphics attitude.
Grunge on Shorts
A simple take on dress with jacket and shorts, but still despair but dynamic.
Bowtie Grunge
Flannel on some pieces, my love to my bow tie and the insertion of high stalking, and some trendy british look, far but still attached to the leather boots and the use of flannel and wool.

With all the mixes and matches, I never abandoned my bow tie.

Office Grunge
The “I do not care” attitude, or the nonconformist attitude takes a curve when the office time comes to mind. Any style has its own way to be interpreted and this is one of them
Office Grunge
What else than a good jacket and several prints mix-matched? – but all and all the composition took effect after set in place and photographed.

Once again fashion is the armour or everyday, as Mr. Bill Cuningham once said on an interview, and in this case, even if the fashion is monochrome or grunge,  these two styles has something to say.

This was an enlightening experience, which reinforces my fashion beliefs, and  reminds me of my sense of style and have curated one for many years.

Look into your closet and define yours, none else has the same look as you, even though we can all tend to grouped by a certain interest.

Free your STYLE
Whatever the tendency is, simply let it go and let it be. Search and find your look and your style!
CREDITS
Photography; Simao Salvador Melo
Makeup & Hair Style; Geo Baddyside for Geo Baddsyde – MUA
Stylist; Oscar De las salas – “O Productions”
http://www.whatwouldoscardo.com

CREDITS

Photography; Simao Salvador Melo

Makeup & Hair Style; Geo Baddyside for  Geo Baddsyde – MUA

 Stylist; Oscar De las salas – “O Productions”

www.whatwouldoscardo.com

 

DISCLAIMER:  All ideas, photography, styling and media on this blog photography, written or video  are exclusive for the use of  Oscar De las salas under www.whatwouldoscardo.com blog. Any use, copy, crop/paste action, or any similarity of this material is strictly prohibited unless authorized by http://www.whatwouldoscardo.com or by Author. All Copyrights laws for internet or media use are applicable. If you want, need or require any of this material for any reason please contact my agent – Always in style – Oscar.)

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