Tuesday – 06 September 2016
This blog’s purpose is to “[take] a look at men’s fashion, style, and even a few lifestyle items, from the point of view of a forty-something male,” but this post is a bit more off the cuff than usual. Bear with me and I promise that it will tie into fashion and style.
This past weekend, Salt Lake City played host to the fourth annual Salt Lake Comic Con1. I attended as a “Special Guest,” which is nice way of saying “I got to go and sit on a couple of panels and talk with people.”
My panels were on the first day, but I attended all three days of the event. And, it was one of the most fun things I’ve done this summer. On the third day, I took my daughters to “the costume party,” as I refer to it with them. They’re almost five and trying to explain a comic convention is a little more than I really want to tackle at this point – and they’re perfectly happy with thinking of it as a costume party. The ladies went as Marvel Comics’ Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel and I went as Nick Fury.
In addition to artists, creators, and vendors, one thing that you’ll find at almost any convention that has its roots in a specific genre is people who dress like characters found in that genre. In the case of a comic convention, you’ll find people in costumes based on their favorite characters. Some of the costumes may be very basic interpretations. Some are purchased off-the-rack. But, in many cases, you’ll find elaborately detailed costumes that the attendee has fashioned themselves.
You’re probably wondering: What does someone dressing up like one of their favorite heroes fit have to do with fashion or style?
Everything.
How so? See if this helps:
Fashion: popular way of dressing during a particular time or among a particular group of people2
Style: a distinctive manner of expression2
There’s no question that these costumes are a “distinctive manner of expression.” And given the sheer number of costumed attendees at the convention, it is fair to say that it was a “popular way of dressing.”
That is no different than how people approach – or should approach – their day-to-day wardrobe. What you wear should be an expression of who you are. It can be in the mode of the latest trends or it can call back to a different era. The key thing is that you should be comfortable in what you choose to wear.
For those who need something a little less superheroic and more “safe for work,” there was a booth at the convention run by Sock Annex3, a store that sells… socks. (Yes, they carry a number of novelty socks, but they offer more traditional options, as well.)
Justin recommended trying a pair of Blue Q4 socks – I’m wearing them today, in fact.
I have to admit that they are rather comfortable and coordinate well with today’s outfit.
And that concludes this look fashion and style with a comic flair. (See? I told you that it would come full circle by the end.) Thank you for checking out how “playing dress-up” ties into fashion and style.
As always, if you have any questions about anything you’ve read, please feel free to leave a comment on this post or send an email!
References:
1 – Salt Lake Comic Con
2 – Merriam-Webster.com
3 – Sock Annex
4 – Blue Q
