My Sartorial Roots :: Cousin Rick

My Sartorial Roots :: Cousin Rick

Plaid Shirt (Ralph Lauren)
Shorts (Timberland)
Sneakers (Adidas Gazelle)

I usually spend a great portion of my day looking for inspiration. It comes in many different forms. Most times people that give me that inspiration rarely ever realize it. So imagine my surprise when my 17 year old cousin Ricky (pictured above) told me that's what I was for him. He and I had a chance to catch up on things during my nephew's first birthday party a few weeks back when he revealed that he was considering studying fashion design after graduating from high school next year! I can't say that I didn't see it coming though. Rick is not your average 17 year old and he's never been an average kid. This is the same guy who put me up on the likes of J Dilla, A Tribe Called Quest and MURS while he was still a preteen. Besides his impeccable taste in music, he's never really followed trends and dressed like kids his age either.

My advice to my cousin was simply this --- BE FEARLESS! One of the things I always look back on (but don't regret) is the fact that I didn't take my passion for fashion seriously until after I had graduated from Morehouse. I wish I could have approached it with the same gusto and forethought that he is now. He is going to make an amazing designer and force to be reckoned with. I've watched him grow and evolved over the years. I can't wait to see what God has in store for him next!

My Sartorial Roots :: The Report Card

My Sartorial Roots :: The Report Card

The other day during a visit home I went through the mountains of old photos and documents from my childhood that my mother keeps buried deep in her closet. The funny thing is I was looking for a specific photo to add to the Sartorial Roots series and ended up finding something even better! As mentioned before, I love the in depth exploration into what makes me, me.

While rummaging through countless old photos, certificates, awards, and tests, I came across this report card from kindergarten. Of course my grades were on point, so that's not what gripped me. It was my teacher's comments that jumped off the page. In case you can't read it (below), it says, "His writing is dropping, because he has developed his own style." I mean, wow! That just about sums up who I am. It's not that I didn't know how to write properly because I did, and very well and neatly for a 1st grader I might add. The problem is once I got the gist of how to write I began to form the letters the way I wanted. Even now I can still remember hating the way to properly write cursive Fs, Ts and Ws. So...I made up my own.

It's this spirit to do things my way, I feel that make me...Seth.

Innovator. Imaginative. Rebellious. Since kindergarten, apparently.

My Sartorial Roots :: "Play" Clothes

My Sartorial Roots :: "Play" Clothes

People are always asking me, "Where'd you get IT from?" While I'm sure my oh-so-stylish mother would love to take credit and I'd agree, I'd also argue that IT just didn't come from one place. Hence the My Sartorial Roots series.

Going through some old family photos I ran across these of my younger brother Josh and I playing in my father's clothes. This was probably one of my favorite pass times as a kid. I loved going in my dad's closet that smelled like leather and mahogany, yanking his blazers off the wooden hangers, grabbing a pair of shoes and walking around the house like a "grown up."

I love this series cause it's almost like conducting a genealogical study to find out who/why I am me, I guess. While they were just jackets to me at the time, I didn't realize I was taking note of my father's style and graphing elements into my own personal tastes. My dad probably doesn't consider himself a stylish person, but in retrospect he always kept a classic collection of blazers and dress shoes. It's no wonder why tweed is my all-time favorite menswear fabric. It started early and my affinity for it developed over the years, resurfacing from time to time. Evidence of which can be seen in the background design of my site's layout. Haha!

Thanks, Pop!

"We" Invented Cool

"We" Invented Cool

February is over, but like Kanye so eloquently put it, "[we] make Black history everyday, [we] don't need a month." My favorite men's style magazine, GQ, just published an article of their picks for the top 20 Black Style Pioneers. They included one of my all-time favorite signers, Marvin Gaye, so I'm all for it!

Click here to see the rest.

My Sartorial Roots :: Mr. Rogers

My Sartorial Roots :: Mr. Rogers

Fred Rogers is probably best known as the host of the television show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, in production from 1968 to 2001. I grew up with Fred in my morning line-up right along side Sesame Street and David the Gnome. But little did I know while singing along with "Won't You Be My Neighbor" and learning about mathematics, tolerance and fictitious worlds in train tunnels, he was also teaching me about personal style.

In retrospect, one of my favorite parts of the show was at the very beginning when he changed from what appeared to be his work clothes comprised of a nice blazer and dress shoes into a colorful cable knit cardigan and canvas sneakers. Mr. Rogers dispelled all notions that style is a priority over comfort. He epitomized the term gentlemen; always classy with his button-collar shirt, patterned tie and perfectly pressed slacks.

Today, I find myself constantly borrowing elements from the man I admired and loved so much as a child. Everything he wore, even 40+ years ago, are still staples in my closet.

Fred McFeely Rogers. Educator, Presbyterian minister, songwriter, television host...STYLE ICON.

Thrifting with Sis

Thrifting with Sis

I took my sis, Kianna, to the "secret hideaway" on Valentine's Day. Who better to spend it with than both our first love, fashion! I get so much joy when I take people to my favorite thrift stores and see the excitement on their faces! Ki was overwhelmed with all of her finds. She couldn't help but smile from ear-to-ear at all the seconhand jewels she piled in our basket (as seen above). One of which will be revealed very soon! Yeah, it's that good... We spent the rest of the day working on our blogs, collections, and business ideas. It was such a productive day!

Inspired by the trip, I got to thinking about myself and my business. My evolution into a men's fashion journalist has afforded me a lot of awesome opportunities over these past 2 years; and they're only getting bigger and better.

Taking a note from industry giants like Bevy Smith, I'm currently developing my consulting business. Stay tuned for details on "the experience"...

Street Etiquette :: ‘Sewn From The Soul’

Street Etiquette :: ‘Sewn From The Soul’

Not like I need Black History Month as excuse to share African Americans in fashion, but it seems so timely that I came across this! These brilliant images are from Street Etiquette’s ‘Sewn from the soul’ editorial. Created to commemorate Black History Month, the feature showcases the geniuses of SE and their extended family pay homage to several key Black figures including Huey P. Newton, Miles Davis and Nat King Cole amongst others.

I got so very excited when I flipped through the online "lookbook." This is truly an awesome concept coupled with excellent execution!

Click here to see it for yourself.

My Sartorial Roots :: Granddaddy

My Sartorial Roots :: Granddaddy

Inspired by The Sartorialist's recent post on some old photos he found at a flea market, I want to start a new series about my own sartorial roots using old family photos I've been able to dig up.

Meet my "Granddaddy." He passed when I was 9 years old but I still remember him like it was yesterday. My grandfather was truly one of the most stylish men I've ever known personally. He was never without a crisp pair of pants or jeans, a timeless jacket and his Skoal chewing tobacco. He never lounged around in old shorts and t-shirts. As long as I can remember he always got up early and got dressed as if he had a full day's worth of activities to do and people to see. Sloppiness was not an option for Joe.

When I found this picture I had to take a minute and relish in how much I was delighted to see it. It captured the very essence of my grandfather, along with elements of myself and my own personal taste. Besides the shiny record player and neatly rolled joint in his hand, I couldn't help but fall in love with the brilliant shawl collar sweater he's wearing. This definitely embodies the term "timeless." Although this photo was taken sometime in the early 80s, I'd still wear the hell out of it. Granddaddy has surely had an influence on my personal style without my knowing it. Just about every sweater I've purchased this Fall/Winter is a shawl neck/collar. The only thing I didn't inherit from my grandfather I always wanted was his naturally half black, half gray mustache. How fly is that?