In fashion, there is a fine line between genuine and sincere, not only in crafting your appearance, but justifying it. Above all, be yourself. Living ironically only works for the young, angry , and confused, and it does very little in aiding your impact on the world. Remember my photo of MLK Jr. and Malcolm X? Those are men who were what they wore. Juxtapose that to any of the weirdos romping and dry humping their way through hip hop today--Little Wayne and the like. Which one is true, and--if I can borrow a much overused word in hip hop culture--real?
That is the difference. Two of these men believed in themselves as people: their thoughts and actions exemplified their ideals. But Little Wayne? Chief Keef? They are billboards of fashion, masked as a manifesto of how to live, attempting to justify violence and inequality, demoralizing women and holding back the civil rights movement, which hasn't had the same steam since the turn of the 1970s.
A Hollow Manifesto of Fashion.
Don't be hollow. Be honest. Be full. Be yourself.
And this does not mean don't craft an image. Some of the fullest lives were lived by those making themselves with every step they took. Like Papa Hemingway--the man's man; adventurer; legend. Or Mark Twain, who not only made himself to be the Man on the Mississippi, but also made his own name. But they were honest with themselves. Hemingway--look it up--loved the outdoors and loved adventure and was a hero in the first World War. Mark Twain lived on the Mississippi for a large part of his life, and he had a great affinity for that world in Americana.
They are just two examples. Do you know what they have in common, besides American author? Pre-computer. We'll touch on that next.That's all from Elliott at the Kitchen Table.
