To coincide with New York Fashion Week, Manhattan-based Fashion Designer Vivek Nagrani offers sartorial advice to Millennials:
We cannot purely point blame on the ever sheltered generation that has come to be known as the “Millennials”. After all, your parents were so protective of you that you had no real chance to truly have your ass handed to you.
So let this be the first time that we discuss dressing for work. Again it’s not your fault that society has managed to become so acceptable of mediocrity that almost every aspect of our culture continues to spiral downwards. If the trend continues, we as a society will mentally revert to our former primitive state.
Wake up, folks, the future is in your hands. As your turn to rule the world approaches, you should start caring about what kind of society you will be working with and where we as a people will be. We will all be dead and gone and it is you that will be stuck with the hangover.
But before you get there, step one: start dressing like an adult.
Most seem to think dressing for the night club is the same as dressing for work. Work should be fun, but it’s not a goddamn night club. I had a milli working with me and I would have to constantly address his absolute lack of sense when it came to dressing. Given he was in the fashion business, he would tell me it was his “swag” and his right to express himself. He is now expressing himself somewhere far from us.
The way you dress is not just about adhering to the status quo, giving into the man or hindering your precious ability to express yourself. It is about respect, culture and a sense of personal pride. And as much as you may hate to hear this, dressing well does affect your productivity and the way you are seen by the world around you.
Look, there is no way we are going to back to the way our grandparents dressed anytime soon. However, there is something to learn and combined with today’s modern fabrics and fits, you can be stylish, comfortable and respectful. Think Steve McQueen, not Kanye West.
Here follows three tips:
Tip #1: For work, find a uniform that makes you feel good and gets your head in the game. For men, get a soft, unconstructed suit and a few solid shirts. Add a solid tie to just change it up a bit. For women, keep it classy and keep it smart. Nothing too revealing or too matronly, just chic.
Tip #2: Make sure your clothing fits. Be stylish, not trendy. I know that might be hard for most of you, but you should try it. Style is forever, trend and fashion is temporary and requires too much maintenance. Your clothing should fit, not too tight, not too big, just fit.
You know the fit is right when you look streamlined and put together. Think a second skin, not skin tight or excess skin. You should feel the fit and be able to walk with confidence. If you do not know for sure, see a professional, not some kid at the local mall.
Tip #3: Less is more. When you look in your closet, you should have worn each piece at least once over the past three months. Everything should be a “go to” piece, not just another garment collecting dust. This is also important because when you buy better quality pieces that last longer you help reduce our carbon footprint. Bet you did not think about that.
It’s serendipitous that you should be reading this piece as New York Fashion week commences. Your generation has a very tough future as the world continues to move in its current direction. You may laugh at the correlation between dressing better and helping save the world but it makes a difference.
The time has come for you to start getting serious and taking responsibility for the entitled life you have been fortunate enough to have.
By dressing better, you are more productive, you will feel better, people will like you more and you will help save the planet by reducing your carbon foot print. That truly would be “cool”.
Vivek Nagrani designs an exclusive collection of men’s clothing for the gent who seeks sophistication and function in today’s mobile world. You can visit his store at 87 E Houston St. In New York City.
