Imagination & Style
- Justinian Mason
- Aug 22
- 4 min read
This week's blog is inspired by a reel from Winston Jones where he speaks on the importance of imagination in styling yourself. In the video he explains how imagination pushes our style forward, and how his no-spend August has forced him to be more inventive with the pieces in his closet. He suggested I write an article about it after I commented on the post, so here we are.
I couldn’t agree more with his perspective—I’ve always believed that imagination promotes innovation. I know when I first moved up here from Houston, I was in the midst of working with what I had, while venturing to find my next chapter in fashion. I don't miss those days, but I do reflect on them fondly. Sorting through what you've worn a million times to create a new vision is extraordinarily rewarding. Being resourceful with what I already owned actually gave me new ideas that would form the next step in styling myself.
My style is stronger than ever today, imagination, attention to details, and the courage to embrace the ridiculous are driving factors for me. A few months ago a guy at a party stopped me to compliment my fit and asked me how he can elevate his wardrobe. I told him he needs to think about what he wants to see himself in (and buy some tassel loafers). The process can be as simple as imagining yourself in a silhouette you admire or even creating a character of sorts. I know I only started wearing cowboy boots because I was writing an issue on Black Cowboys and got inspired to buy some. I resonated with the history and felt drawn to recreating my own version with modern influences. Life hands us inspirations all the time, if you can simply think critically about what you want to wear, the answer will reveal itself to you in time.
What I truly enjoy about Winston's post is the promotion of individual creativity. To promote imagination is to encourage unique self expression. In past articles I've written about the importance of utilizing your imagination to create something that's truly yours. While that conversation discussed artistic expression, the same applies in style. Imagination is relative though, part of our imagination can be influenced by outside sources. Some people draw influence from anime while others draw from Wes Anderson movies. There's a myriad of mediums to take inspo from. In that way our imagination truly does have the power to keep things fresh and evolve our style. I feel like we've seen a lot of people (especially in New York) create their own style by way of imagination. Years ago, I wrote an article titled ‘In & Out Culture Is Dead.’ My argument was that people were beginning to value styling over simply following what was in season. This phenomenon has created a pocket of fashion that’s often controversial, but undeniably creative.
In comes Doctor Garmentz, a fashion figure who I believe to be a trailblazer in the new age of imaginative styling and design. While writing this entry he was one of the first people who came to mind when discussing imagination. I've followed him since I lived in Houston and he's always had a flair for unique head turning fashion. Yet, ever since he burst onto the scene, his style has been met with both admiration and controversy. One day he might wear tabi Uggs in Japan, the next you'll see him wearing camo shorts over a pair of khakis. He also has his staples, like his tie trousers or his flip phone necklace. I don't think he operates from a "keep them guessing" mentality, it seems like he just lets his imagination run free then executes. Either way his expression is met with an undeserved level of vitriol.
Critics often argue that his style is excessive, or take issue with the way he challenges traditional gender boundaries. Imagination and style aren't binary, but we'll get into that another day. Despite all the noise, Doctor Garmentz has blazed a path for others who have a truly avante garde approach to fashion. I've seen his influence first hand in the streets of New York. Out of his resilience came Organic Garmentz, his clothing brand that’s every bit as experimental and inventive as his outfits. He’s already making waves—showing up at ComplexCon, in a Kodak Black video, and even on a PlaqueBoyMax stream. Doctor Garmentz might be the face of confident vulnerability and imaginative styling. The limits disappear when you stop trying to be anything but yourself.
As I've said in the past, imagination is not reserved for children. Imagination is the audacity to be curious and think outside of the box. When we work that muscle, stylistic progress is inevitable. Something that Winston didn't mention but was apparent in the breakdown of this outfit was attention to detail. He created an entirely new look out what he owned presumably for years. Whether you want to work with what you have, or buy a new wardrobe, your ability to imagine your style is the limit. Big shoutout to Winston for letting me borrow from his Instagram reel discussion—I’ll link the original video below. Wishing y’all an amazing weekend!
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