Music is essential to fashion.

Music and fashion go hand in hand.

Part of the planning of every fashion runway show, a great deal of attention is given to the choice of music. That is because music is essential to the completion of the showcase of a designer's collection by giving a complete sensory experience in both sight and sound. It helps sets the mood for the audience and also, gives a clearer illustration of the story intended to be told by the designer.

"It's like the function of film music. It's to set this tone at this show, to give all kinds of clues as to how designer thinks of him or herself and the clothes that they're putting on. It's sort of another clue as to sensibility that they would like you to partake in by buying their clothes."

Yves Saint Laurent NY Fashion Show

So, beyond the runway, we are our own body's fashion designer!

Each song/genre of a song sets a different mood or affects the way we feel about ourselves with our surroundings (or how we picture ourselves) which in turn can affect/enhance our choice of dressing. Take Topman for example, they favor Indie rock music - and last I heard they might be selling more of that genre in their stores - because their fashion styles are indie rock influenced and that is the impression wanted upon their customers. 

Personally, playing music while dressing up improves my mood and refines my dressing actually.

Electro or House music inspires me to a sharp, edgy but colorful look - that could be because of the rhythm Electro music have. Strangely enough, I switch to my Indie rock music playlist when its a rainy cold day (somehow rainy days make me feel like its in the UK) and that's when I feel best to wear my Doc Martens and other vintage inspired outfits. Other than that, Bossa Nova seems appropriate when I'm preparing for a posh night at a bar or when I normally feel the need to wear a dark jacket with a button downed shirt inside. 

So ask yourself this, "What will be the song of my style?" 

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Spotlight Style Piece: Nylon Jacket

I was google-ing for jackets (am searching for another leather jacket actually) and stumbled upon these pictures. Pharrell Williams, one of my more favored mainstream artist, is sporting a really slick and attention grabbing jacket! 

It really has Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' written all over it. So what is it?

Not easy to pair off with your everyday outfit but definitely something, anyone will remember. Made of nylon, with the unmistakable red 'M' stripe for Maison Margiela, this is the Martin Margiela Contrast Nylon Biker Jacket. It is meant to be the focus or what I would call "The Show Piece" of your outfit. I feel the beauty of this jacket is that its striking enough yet the fabric and design allows it to be worn with multiple outfits. So it's falls under my category of stylish clothing because of its distinctive design/nature and that makes it a worthwhile investment.

Definitely casual. 

Because of its striking design, its best to pair it with subdued colors (black & grey). Denim jeans or black casual pants always work with it. Keep the style of your outfit modern and you'll be safe. Plain sneakers preferably. Always keep in mind that the focus has to be on the jacket.

A risky but worth a try pairing is with a pair of raw red denim jeans. Also or maybe, pair it with a more contemporary outfit.

I doubt you can find the Martin Margiela Contrast Nylon Biker Jacket easily anymore though, but I feel it is worth a mention. Plus, its a start of a series of spotlight articles on particular fashion items that I find are 'stylish'. 

 More of Maison Martin Margiela.

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Leather Jacket for Ladies

 From the long to short dresses; From the denim jeans to denim shorts; From blouses to tank tops; There isn't a better piece of fashion clothing to go with the whole lady's wardrobe then the leather jacket.  Dress it up or dress it down, the leather jacket can provide the necessary ingredient to achieve that. It's a stylish & timeless piece of clothing regardless of the age too.

The leather jacket gives this mellow-looking outfit a bolder feel. | Courtesy of Jessica T.  

Kate Moss giving that gown a more rebellious look | Courtesy of vivianeastwood.wordpress.com

Rachel Bilson + Short dress + leather jacket 

Try a studded design to give a more edgy feel to the dress.

 Even for days where there isn't much time to consider or plan an outfit, the leather jacket will never go wrong even for the casual occasion. Wanting to be casual but not too casual:

White shirt + short shorts + leather jacket

Light earthy colors + Leather | Courtesy of Sietske L.

For the more sporty type! | Courtesy of the Sartorialist

Preppy with a wild touch | Courtesy of Alexandra P.

Sometimes the black leather jacket gets rather jaded, then go for a more natural color - the brown leather jacket. I like to see ladies in this variant of the leather jacket as it gives off a softer & classier feel.

Bomber jacket paired with gold accessories. Lovely. | Courtesy of the Sartorialist

Miranda Kerr with a vintage looking leather jacket. Sweet & Classy. 

Tired of the natural colors of black or brown? Then opt for a colored leather jacket. I'd only recommend that the less experienced in dressing to avoid this option or risk looking like a disaster. However, the colored leather jacket is a more beautiful piece of clothing than a nylon or cotton jacket, in my humble opinion. So the risk of looking like a disaster sometimes is a risk worth taking. A safe recommendation for wearing a colored leather jacket is to pair it with an outfit that isn't striking colored - non-strong colors - because you want the focus to be on the jacket.

 

Photos are courtesy of thesartorialist.com & lookbook.nu

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Leather Jacket For Men

If a guy wants a choice of masculine wear, you cant go wrong with a leather jacket. Versatile, practical & chic it is the ideal clothing piece to invest in. There are different designs/colors available for you to choose from - leather bomber jackets, biker type, etc. I don't believe there is the best looking design, just what you like best or looks best on you. The color and texture is more important especially for those deciding to buy the PVC/Faux leather make, find the one that looks as close as possible to the real thing. Once you do manage the find the one you like, don't be afraid to play around with it guys! Doesn't hurt to get a pair of shades too.

Most of these are possible to follow even for those in the warm climate and also for those who aren't into revamping their entire wardrobe. Commence the inspirational photos!

A design I've taken to fancy currently is the leather vest. Its offers almost all the benefits of the its more complete variant(the leather jacket) minus the sleeves to make it more cooling to wear. Be careful not to choose the design that makes you develop the urge to ride a Harley Davidson & have lots of tattoos though! Find a form fitting one. 

 

Photos are courtesy of facehunter.com, thesartorialist.com, lookbook.nu & katelovesme.net.

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Leather jackets. Wicked.

Leather Jackets. Edgy & cool. Timeless & chic.

What makes this piece of clothing so stylish? There is symbolism in the leather jacket. It goes beyond the material and color of it. To love the leather jacket, once has to understand the story behind the leather jacket that defined it. Just like some clothing pieces, there is an unseen value sewn into its threads (Take the fedora for example, it will always be associated with gentleman/gangsters of the refined eras of 20s to 40s).

The leather jacket has very humble beginnings, there were simple forms of it since men knew how to strip and tan the hide from animals which led to it becoming a harsh-weather gear for everyday use. In the military, as flight jackets (Bomber Jackets) for pilots or the military uniforms (SS of the Nazis) of officers.

To finally, a fashionable outerwear. Throughout modern culture, the leather jacket has been associated with the adventurous; the dangerous; the thrill seeking; the rebel; and the sexy. In short, it's 'cool'. Also, there is the fact that leather jackets were been donned by icons who are synonymous to the word 'cool'.

"The black leather jacket has always been the uniform of the bad. Hitler's Gestapo, the Hell's Angels, the Black Panthers, punk rockers, rock 'n' roll animals and the hardcore mutations of the eighties all adopted it as their own." Mick Farren, author of The Black Leather Jacket
 
Those are just to name a few but you get where I'm heading no? Understanding what that leather jacket represents really helps in finding your style. It gives you an idea of what you want to express in your outfit. So what do you want to express?

I really think with all the symbolism in the leather jacket, plus it being chic yet simple makes it a must piece of clothing in the wardrobe. Requires little effort in pulling off because of all it represents.

My 5 reasons why the leather jacket is a must in the wardrobe: 

1. Versatile
2. Timeless  
   
3. Durable 
4. Extremely Chic
5. The symbolism

Don't let the symbolism intimidate you or swallow you. Always remember, the clothing should enhance your look and if it enhances your personality too, even better! It wouldn't hurt to be in character when you don the leather jacket... could be fun. But as said before, make it yours by melding it with your personality or you'd never be original. The leather jacket can be thrown over a shirt & tie/ long or short dress/ t-shirt & jeans/ track suit combo and it'll still look 'uber' stylish. It does require a little experimentation but I can assure you it can be very rewarding.

Now, if you live in the warmer climate or if you are one who sympathizes for the furry ones, fear not!

You don't have to get a real leather jacket (but I ain't stopping you from getting otherwise though). There are tons of leather-lookalike jackets made out of PU or faux leather, but I personally don't think it'll ever feel the same. I myself own a faux leather jacket from Zara because the weather is eternally summer in the day, so I only ever go into 'James Dean' mode in the night or whenever I head to an air-conditioned venue.

There are a variety of designs/color for the leather jacket, so in my later posts I'll be uploading photos for both men & ladies to provide visual inspirations. So dare to wear the leather jacket?

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