Styling Stephen

20Aug09

My focus when styling Stephen was to assemble a formalwear ensemble that matched his unique style. Stephen’s comfortable, casual outfits have almost become a uniform for him, over the years. He is almost always out and about wearing cargo pants and hoodies in a palette of olives and browns. He wears soft, natural textures.

The challenge was to create a sharp, formal look out of these casual elements. Stephen would feel confined in a tux or sport coat, so I thought it would be best to stick to a vest and tie. I found this runway shot that inspired us to look for a mix of pieces in complementary textures and colors, but in brown tones.

I set out shopping and pretty quickly came across this taupe Ted Baker vest that seemed ideal for the occasion. It had some interesting elements that I thought Stephen would like such as the pairs of buttons and the contrasting fabric for the welt pockets and button flap. It also worked well for a vest worn as an outer layer because the back was not in a lining fabric, but the same wool as the front. Starting with this vest, I found coordinating pants, tie, and a shirt. Stephen made the outfit further his own by picking out some special striped socks and adding a scarf and fedora for the reception.