SILK KICKS

HIP TO BE SQUARE

“Hey man, what's your style? How you get your kicks for living?” asks Lou Reed in “Kicks” from his “Coney Island Baby” album. Me, I patrol eBay for second hand printed silk squares by select fashion houses, bid on ones I’m diggin’, and if I win, I wear them. I get my kicks flouncing about with big, silk dashes of pattern and colour hanging off me. That’s how I “get my adrenaline flowing now” Lou mate.

BAGGAGE ALLOW-FLOUNCE

LISBOA JEAN SCENEY

Scanning vintage gear online became a particular ritualistic procrastination before setting to work. All sorts of stuff. But I’ve particularly tranced out on printed silk scarves, finding Moschino, Hermes and Pucci the most bountiful marques. They’re accessible, exciting, expressive finery to decorate an otherwise more staid world, usually by hanging them off my waistband.

HIP PRINZ

DRAPE THE LONG DRAFT

Scarf tether points include belt loops on jeans, suit stride adjustors or over braces clips. London Leather Man belts even have a D-ring detail just gagging for a vivid insertion. When the Covid came I embraced the excuse to always have a silk scarf on hand/hip in lieu as back-up bandit mask if, heaven forbid, I forgot. Pandemic passed and I’ve kept flying the flag for more silk prints in my life and I don’t give a flying monkey-bird. A critical plus factor of being 53 years old.

SLASH BACK BLAZER

KEEF RIFFS ON PATTERN

I use the Hermés knotting cards ‘Pli de Base’ fold method to make like blade-shaped flags. Or deep neckerchiefs. They’re only square silk bits of artistry, but they do stuff for me. They flow and flutter, or drape like banners, injecting colour and form, lending­ piratical attitude or feminine edge. To me, being free in the world, this feels good.  

PRINT EASTWOOD IN..

FLIRTY HARRY

Silk scarf-banners with wide jeans and Cuban heals solicit extra strut. They hang from long-coat double breasted numbers like a Zoot suits swinging key chain. Sober suit stances are transformed into more curious affairs akin to the garb of Woland’s demonic retinue*

ANTY FASHION

WILD NOBILITY - ‘WE’ ARE A FAMILY

There’s much reference to channel in ageing swagger. Hendrix, Richards, Ziggy’s Halloween Jack. Prince. These no doubt emerge from my delusional prism more Quentin Crisp than Adam Ant. Alzheimer’s stricken Magician. Cupernol-taned Flamenco dance instructor. Regardless, style expressions must be made. Recently I’ve plundered Western bandit licks from Rick James’ high octane Jazz-Funk Cowboy. Strongly diggin’ Ricks loose neckerchiefs dropped with fancy cocktail tailoring.

SLICK RICK

PERM-INANT STYLER

Practical uses for warmth, as rainwear and impromptu protection are a bonus. Large silk squares can significantly warm you up when wrapped well round ya neck and chest. Instant headscarf for rain showers if you’ve got no beret on board, like this June, during a sporadically wet Pitti Uomo.

REIGN WEAR

SHOWER GLOWER - PITTI THE FOOL

Framing this obsession as ‘tie-replacement therapy’ puts things into masculine context, sort of. Sartorial looks simply beg for shots of colour and pattern, but men sadly abandoned ties, their suits alas bland and bereft of liveners previously coming’ via trad-tie format.

SILK & ALCOHOL

FOOTLOOSE & FANCY FREEDOM

But collared shirts look so stuffy and so straight. Also aging. I never feel to wear a shirt or a tie, and massive tie archive sits largely redundant in suitcases down in the style cellar. My colour & pattern fix comes from my vintage scarf habit, and I aint silk cold-turkey any time soon.

MIX & PATCH

ROCK’N’ROLL SILK-ICIDE

To men without silk action in your stance I go back to Lous Kicks for sign off . “I ain't jealous of the way you're living”. I’m gonna score stylistic adrenaline mainlining silk prints straight into my sartorial veins, and I aint ever going tie rehab.

Stubbs out.

*from The Master & Margaretta

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