Fashion: A Wordless Conversation

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Given today’s topic–fashion–I’m smoking one of Davidoff’s newest Avo expressions, Syncro South America Ritmo. The Syncro South America Ritmo is an exotic cigar representing an entire continent, with filler tobacco from Peru, Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, and Brazil–including an Ecuadorian wrapper and Mexican binder. Without a doubt, this is one of the best Avo cigars I’ve had and it definitely makes me feel fashionable.

Fashion is a wordless conversation. Yet, in this conversation void of words, we speak volumes. Volumes about who we are and who we want to be. Wherever you fall on the spectrum of fashion, whether a person who is apathetic toward it or unapologetically for it, I believe fashion is important to us as an expression of our worldview and promoting human connection.

What we wear creates a reciprocal relationship between us and the world around us. It reflects how we view the world and how we want the world to view us. Beyond satisfying the base need of providing protection for our bodies from the environment, fashion satisfies our desire to express. Some people’s fashion is utilitarian (i.e. work jeans and boots) and other’s decorative (i.e. YSL Chelsea boots). But in both scenarios, their fashion is an expression of their worldview and therefore an integral part of who they are.

Not only is fashion a vital way of expressing our worldview, but it helps others understand our worldview. More often than not, our fashion is people’s first impression of who we are and what we believe. For example, if I see a man walking in his cassock, I assume he is a priest. If I see a woman in a business suit, I assume she operates in the corporate world. And if I see a person wearing a band t-shirt, I assume they are into music. In this wordless exchange an initial understanding of one another is reached. The combination of fashion’s ability to help us express our worldview, and the initial understanding it creates between strangers, reveals fashion’s ultimate result–the promotion of human connection and understanding. Who knew what you put on in the morning could be so influential?

The wisest man in history wrote, “There is nothing new under the sun.” Fashion is constantly evolving, but not inventing. A shoe is still a shoe, and a shirt is still a shirt. Yet building upon what has come before is a positive quality. Fashion is an insight into the past that moves us forward into the future. Likewise our personal fashion is built upon who we are (our memories and personality) and gives expression to what desire to be. At its core, this is what gives fashion its power.

At Statesman, we are big believers in fashion. From elevated streetwear to classy dress wear, we believe a statesman's look should always exude an aura of confidence and sophistication. For inspiration on how to achieve that in every situation, we developed the Statesman seasonal style guide. Click here to find out more.

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