Faces & Phases

Playboi Carti

Hope everyone's having a great week. I've had some fun the past two weeks writing about myself and my musical journey. That said I'm looking forward to taking the focus off of myself and zeroing in on social topics. This week I want to discuss the fashion phases we have as we grow in life. It's a barricade most of us have to get over so I'm excited to discuss it. What even inspires that change? What's the first move once you have that realization? Let's get into it.

You might be wondering why the cover photo for this week's post is a clowned-out photo of Playboi Carti. Carti was actually a huge inspiration for this week's post. If you have a TikTok or instagram you've likely seen the Opium memes. The photos where people dress in sinister mostly black clothing and claim that they're opium or caption the post "opium apprentice" or they'll post a video of Rick Owens and say he's the "opium grandmaster." I can't lie some of these ideas are pretty cool and add to what seems to be a relatively inclusive internet fad. Opium is the name of Playboi Carti's music label and its influence is more than felt in both music and fashion spaces. Their diehard fans make sure of that. Two of his biggest artists on the label are Ken Carson and Destroy Lonely who're adored by their fanbase. Given the demographic of the fanbase I couldn't help but reminisce about when I was in high school. When I did, I immediately realized that this opium movement is only a phase for these kids, and likely won't/shouldn't follow them moving forward in their lives. To be clear that isn't to say that the way they dress is immature or like that of a teenager. I'm just saying that they're teenagers and are likely to change or evolve their aesthetics in the future. Also, ultimately, it's worth noting that this aesthetic firmly borrows from punk and gothic fashion from the 1980's and 2000s. These kids could very well grow out of this phase or grow into it more by looking at the music and art that influences it beyond Carti, Ken Carson, and Destroy Lonely. But outside of that, what inspires us to mix it up and blaze a new trail? Is that change organic or self-motivated?

The answer is that it's different for everyone. Yes, it's a scapegoat of an answer but I mean there's no one, two, or three ways to go about something in this case. It's just dressing yourself; not everyone values it the same or has the same approach. Before I delve deeper, this is a photo of me from my senior year of high school donning a Vineyard Vines long sleeve that's probably paired with some pastel-colored shorts and a pair of Sperry's. Believe it or not I'm not ashamed of this fit in the slightest. I was very comfortable with the way I dressed, and I feel like I would be doing a disservice to myself to take that comfortability from my younger self just because this mode of fashion is no longer the default. Anyway, back then I would always wonder what I would dress like in my mid-twenties because I knew I would change what I wore I just didn't know how. I distinctly remember thinking about how I couldn't dress the exact same way I'd been dressing since 13 years old. It didn't make sense even then. I know for me I chose to make a push to change my style. I tried a lot of shit out and I was sinking more than half the time but I eventually found land. That experience isn't unique to just me. I'm positive there are plenty of people who've spent money workshopping a look that they never returned to. It sucks but that's the game. Even the people who find their push and inspiration from musicians and artists don't always have it easy. There's trials and tribulations for most of us. You don't think there are some of these opium fans who've put on their oversized black hoodie, leather pants, and a pair of dock martins (because the lot of them aren't wearing Ricks) and thought to themselves "this ain't it"? Or thought they aren't opium because they look trash in that fit? Just because you have direction doesn't mean you're on the right path my g. People buy Balenciaga loving the vibe of the cartoonish dystopian look they've been pumping out lately, but they look like a worm in asphalt colored clothing when they wear it. But let me not do that because if they like it, they like it and that's none of my concern. It takes a level of confidence and healthy judgment (of yourself) to really commit to a new style. By the way, this challenge doesn't end when you turn 21. Sure, there's less pressure because you've likely done it already, but some of the fits we get off in our twenties most likely won't stick around into true adulthood.

As we age, we continue to challenge what we're comfortable wearing. I can confidently say that some of the fits I wear today will not live past the age of 32. I do think that the initial leap in your youth informs how to adjust and evolve in the future if you choose to do so. There are some people who're lucky enough to have an interest in a decade that they can play around with aesthetically for the rest of their lives. I will never hate on someone who has an affinity for 70's fashion or fashion from past decades. I've seen people mix bell bottoms with a grubby Billy Hill jacket and pull it off. It gets to a point where your interests feed the inspiration for what you wear or desire to wear. This feat isn't strictly about owning your own style, it's about finding what you're comfortable in and rocking it until you decide you're done (if that day were to come). I know I'm comfortable with what I wear now, but I am always looking to challenge myself when I look at other clothes. Now I have the privilege of knowing what fits me. Not to mention, now I have the confidence to revisit clothes that wasn't the vibe when I was 18 with a baby face and a fixation with wearing preppy clothes. Harking back to what I said earlier, it's the mindset people have. The relationship I had with the conservative way I dressed wouldn't have allowed me to be comfortable with any differing aesthetic off rip. There had to be countless failures for me to ease into a different form of expression. Overall, fashion is a fun inclusive art form that everyone should feel comfortable engaging in. Evolving your clothing is natural but it isn't mandatory. As long as you don't land under the steam punk look. Don't do that. Don't do it to yourself, society, and most importantly me.