Snow—it all looks alike, right? Well, not to everyone! Think of the words for snow in your native language.In English alone, I have learned about a half-dozen ways to describe falling snow and over 20 terms to define snow lying on the ground.
Living just outside of New York City, I just experienced what would suffice as enough snow for a lifetime! As I am typing, there lie 76.2cm (30 inches) of snow outside my door!
To many couture designers, snow and all its characteristics serve as a powerful yet natural inspiration for their creations: the sparkle, the drifting, the crystals, the textures—and much, much more!
To me, another aspect of snow applies to the world fashion and design, and it is for this very purpose that I write: uniqueness!
As the axiom holds true that “no two snowflakes are alike,” there are even several categories into which snowflakes may fall.
Fashion, costume, dress, menswear, style—call it what you may—speak of our identity.
Have you ever noticed that most people seek to dress alike? The more different those certain individuals dress, the stranger they become?
This sort of reasoning stems from the fact that most individuals crave a sense of belonging to a given group and, in most societies, our outer appearance defines us.
That’s why snowflakes inspire me—they are a celebration of our unique identity!
If nature itself allows for no two snowflakes to be alike, why shouldn’t we allow others to express their uniqueness in their outer appearance?
So I leave you with a thought as we approach the end of another year. Are you a snowflake or a snowdrift?
Either way, you need to put something on! So, I invite you to another year of exciting menswear reading!
As for me, I’m going to let it snow! See a few more snow images here.
Photos Copyright Men’s Fashion by Francesco.
