Change Clothes
Could it be I stayed away too long??? Did you miss these blogs while I was gone??
Stacy...You sexy beast, you!!
If you’ve seen the movie Paid In Full, there’s a scene I love where the lowly drycleaner Ace returns some drug money he found while doing the local Latin hustlers laundry. I can’t remember it verbatim, but I think it goes something like this:
Ace: What do you do? You dress nice…
Papi: Your friends, they dress nice too, no?
Ace: But you dress nice nice.
Part of living the Macaroni Tony lifestyle is dressing the part. You have to be ever vigilant with your style because you never know who might be watching. You could be caught slipping on a run to the store with those hooping shorts from high school on, and BAM! – some fine filet walks past and wonders if that was you with the squeegee and Windex at the intersection.
To me, dressing is like math. I’m constantly thinking about color palettes, patterns, cuts, and accessories to come up with the best equation for a great ensemble. I’m reading GQ, Details, and Esquire each month without fail to get a sense of where style is headed and for inspiration. However, when it all comes together, it’s effortless. Of course, the “Wow, you look nice” comments are great – but I get more personal satisfaction that I have conquered the basic premise of style: bridging the gap between how you view yourself and how you want the world to see you.
That brings me to my next point and the crux of this particular blog. They say that people are attracted to their opposites because they see something in them that they don’t see in themselves. Since for me, style is a means of expression and something I enjoy – I attract a lot of “Plain Janes”. Ironically, one of my biggest pet peeves is a non-dressing woman. Its like popcorn and steak, snow in June, Asian chicks with asses – the shit just don’t go together.
I’ve had my share of women for whom how they dressed was an afterthought. I had one girlfriend who despite a great lower frame – was totally committed to boot cut jeans…in 2008! On a double date with a homie for New Years once, his date came out with a horrendous outfit – some kind of cat suit, toga thing and I think we were all embarrassed to be seen with her. If my boy wasn’t trying to get laid that night, I’d have taken her to the mall myself.
One of my favorite shows is TLC’s What Not to Wear because of Stacy London who is near the top of my “White Chicks Who Could Get It” list. There are a number of women who are more aesthetically attractive – but her style is impeccable and exudes a certain sexiness and sophistication. Even Jigga has extolled the virtue of a woman with a mean “shoe game”. This just goes to show for women who don’t have all the physical tools, that if you clean up nice, your stock can rise considerably higher.
I may be coming off harsh and shallow, but that’s how I feel dammit. I see it like this: if you’re with someone you’re representing them, so you want to put your best foot forward. If we’re on a date and I’m suited and booted and you’re looking like the clearance rack at Dress Barn, the shit don’t work and it’ll be clear as day. We’ve all seen some bird chested brothers rocking wife beaters in public or some pot bellied cat unapologetically shirtless at the beach, so I understand that women are more body conscious than men and this affects their fashion choices. But I’m a firm believer that when you look good, you feel good and that’s what attracts people. You don’t have to have a closet full of Valentino and Louboutins to look good, just show that you put some thought into what you put on and that it reflects your personality.
So loyal readers of V&M, are you fashion forward and your S.O. is still rocking leather patch jeans or has a charge account at Rainbow? Or are you on the other side of the aisle and not really caring what you put on? How do you handle it if you both have different style outlooks? Or do you just go out bammafied together? I’ve got back issues of GQ and Vogue on deck for the intervention…Mac Tone is here to help.
Tags: Fashion, relationships, Style
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April 14, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Mac T, if you can have Stacy, I’ve got dibs on Clinton – dat tall drink of metro is FINE! But I can definitely appreciate a man that can dress. I actually lean towards the pretty, not pu$$y, boys. I consider myself a style maven and I need a stylish man on my arm. But I will say, everyone has their own definitions of style, and I don’t dispute one’s tastes anymore. I’m classic with an edge personally, but if you like G-Unit and Rocawear, I’d still be seen in public with you. As long as you own your style. That’s what’s more important to me, knowing what looks good on your body and then owning whatever style you choose as your own. And of course as long as you’re treatin’ me right. But when the lights go off, style goes out the window. So if you’re a good lay, I might look the other way when you wear timbs in the summer and are Coogi down to the socks.
August 14, 2009 at 2:47 pm
i agreee with you, when the lights go off there is no style but the lay style, but you still have to have some kind off get laid style if you want to keep the lights off. I’m ready when you are, long and strong baby!!!!!
April 15, 2009 at 10:41 am
But will Clinton want YOU? He is the poster child for ambiguous gayness…NTTAWWT. He rocks some fly gear though, that’s my man. (Pause)
I agree with you about “owning” your style. The 30+ year old with a pseudo-hipster/skater style because its the new trend, the girl who copies whatever outfit those chicks on The Hills wear, or that one dude that shows up to the club with a three piece suit on and an ascot are all in violation. At that point its not clothes anymore, but costume. You have to believe in what you’re wearing because it reflects you, not because you’re chasing trends – otherwise you’re just going to come off lame and out of place.
April 16, 2009 at 12:26 pm
And MacTone, didn’t you have on a WHOLE suit at OSS? It wasn’t three piece, and was without the ascot…but I’m just saying…:-P
April 16, 2009 at 1:13 pm
I did and looked damn good doing it. Amidst the overly baggy polyester dress pants and bedazzled Ed Hardy blazers, I added a distinguished touch of class to the event, did I not?
*sips Martini with pinky up*
April 17, 2009 at 3:30 pm
HAHA…..
April 16, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Well being the most *less* fashion forward of the bunch, I still tend to agree that style is important to a certain extent. I mean if you have on a shirt that I dont’ agree with, I’m not gonna refuse to be seen with you in public. But I can say that many an attractive man has dazzled me with their style choices. And I agree with DD that a man who is dressed nice will definitely get my attention. I can appreciate someone who actually takes time to make sure their ‘fit is on point. But not someone who spends more time than ME getting ready, then we’ll have a problem.
But then again, I can dress it up, though I’m not Rip the Runway chic, but I’m not too picky about a man’s style. Just look good and I’ll match.
April 30, 2009 at 1:45 am
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