In the early 2010’s I was just a teenager obsessed with designers and labels. If you're from Chicago like me you know the phases of Aeropostale, Hollister, and True Religion, whilst tucking your shirt into your pants so that people can see your Gucci/Louis Vuitton belt. In this blog post, I want to talk about my style evolution from the days of trying to fit in, to expressing myself unapologetically, using fashion as a vehicle for storytelling. 

I am the first male on my mom's side to graduate from high school so attending an Ivy League institution was a culture shock. I found myself having an identity crisis. Do I stay true to where I'm from or do I sacrifice parts of myself to assimilate and matriculate into this Ivy League ivory tower? Throughout my time at Cornell University, I wrestled with the duality of coming from a low-income background and being at a prestigious institution with mostly affluent classmates. Suddenly, instead of Aeropostale and Hollister, I was surrounded by Canada Goose, Vineyard Vines, and LL Bean. Whether at home or at Cornell, I realized the effects groupthink has especially when it comes to the way of dressing. One thing I knew for sure was that I didn't want to minimize myself into dressing like everyone else. I started taking inspiration from not only my classmates but also random people on the street as well as my favorite content creators. Through them, I incorporated pieces of their style and made it my own. This notion of self-discovery is imperative to the “Art of Style.”

When it comes to style I want to highlight three points for you to take away from this article in hopes to help you in your journey of self-discovery, self-love, and style.

01 Color Theory

One of the most important things is to know your undertones, whether you have warm, cool or neutral tones. People who wear makeup are familiar with this concept, but it also can inform clothing and accessories. If you have warmer undertones you might want to opt for warmer color palettes such as mustard, brown, olive; earth tones. For jewelry, people with warm undertones will opt for gold or bronze as opposed to those with cooler undertones whose skin tones are enhanced with silver.

02 Complimentary, Monochromatic, & Analogous Colors

Ex 1. Monochromatic Colors are colors of the same hue just different shades, tones, and tints. Which means adding either white black or grey to the base color.

Ex 2. Complimentary Colors are colors that are across from each other on the color wheel and are perfect complements. Such as red and green, yellow and purple, blue and orange.

Ex 3. Analogous Colors are colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. For example, blue, blue-green, and green.

03 Silhouettes and Proportions

When it comes to choosing the right silhouette for your body type, you want to choose flattering things, but this is all a matter of personal preference. Wear anything that makes you feel confident. Some shorter people might want to look taller and if you are a person of size you might want to choose more flattering cuts. An important element to consider is the rule of thirds. Envision your body in thirds; if you want to look taller you might have your torso be ⅓ and your legs be ⅔ of your outfit. Next is all about balance. If you wear slimmer pants you’d want to pair it with a boxy/looser top and vice versa; a tighter top with a wider bottom.

04 Textures and Prints

I love layering because I live in a colder climate, but you can layer in warmer weather with suitable fabrics. Layering spruces up your outfit and it creates dimension. Texture is a great way to add personality to your outfits such as wearing different garments with different fabrics. Textures, layering, and prints go hand in hand. When it comes to textures you can pair hard textures such as denim with softer textures such as suede/corduroy to create contrast, or opt for continuity and do a look like the “Canadian Tuxedo” which is all denim or for an edgier look you can even wear all leather. Most importantly, have fun – mix textures, match colors, etc, but the goal is to create balance.

My favorite prints range from houndstooth to herringbone to pinstripes. One thing about prints is that you don't want them to clash, but you can have that one print stand out and be the star of the show in your outfit. If you wear animal print maybe you don't want to pair it with another animal print - it might look like a costume. Think about your outfit as a band - each piece has a role and not every piece can be Michael Jackson or Beyonce— you need background singers. Find your lead singer in your outfit and build around that.

Stylishly yours,

Marquan Jones