A question with precarious opinions but never solid answers. Although, a common answer is that style isn't fashion. This is true. Fashion trends are in for a short lived stint and then they become a thing of the past, these trends are extremes and are not necessarily tasteful. Oscar Wilde once said, " A fashion is merely a form of ugliness so absolutely unbearable that we have to alter it every six months." These were wise words and it highlights how blind fashion can be, but not always.
Fashion in the past has broken the fourth wall and penetrated the world of style, a good example would be jeans. In the 70's and early 80's flares were popular but skinnier, tapered fits were rising in popularity, becoming the jeans we know of today in most catwalks. Do not mistake these for those skin tight scuba-esque pieces of rag that are skinny and spray on jeans, those are a prime example of extremes. Fashion is something that can be followed to a certain degree and incorporated into style, but not religiously. For example, I wear tighter fitting chinos with suede loafers but they still fit like a tailored garment, not like something shrunken in a wash.
Style is classic and timeless, it's as simple as that. Style is what you saw on Michael Caine and Cary Grant back in the days of old with the likes of Jams Dean and Marlon Brando also showing it in casual, not to mention Steve McQueen and his perfection of casual. Style is the following of a clothing form that never ages or becomes unnattractive, it stays just as sharp and debonnaire as it did in 1950. This could be the shawl collar cardigan for example, or the charcoal suit with roman shoulders and a knit tie.
Fashionnable items from the past are now considered stylish and some should be embraced if you like them of course. The contrast collar/cuff shirt is a prime example, it was a workers shirt in the 1920's and became popularised by Michael Douglas' portrayal of Gordan Gekko in the 1987 film "Wall Street". I prefer contrast collar shirts in warmer weathers as it has a relaxed vibe that can show a sprezzatura in your style, if you wish to convey that. Another example would be the fishtail parka; popularised by the mods of 1960's London to protect their suits from mud and rain, adopted from the Swedish airforce. I personally find parkas bulky and unnatractive but the principle still lies there, they're now stylish from once being Fashionnable.
Style is, as you can see, a complicated yet delicate art. It requires a contemporary edge to be loved still but traditional values and staples to keep it sophisticated and genuine. Modern undertones breathe life into it whilst tradition and classic bodies shroud it with simplistic beauty and vibrancy. I hope you enjoyed reading this article, if you did please share and tell you friends to read too!
Thank you for reading,
-K
