FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Choosing a role model is one of the crucial pillars to growing up. At various ages you ask yourself, who do I admire and how can I be more like them? I remember being given a bright blue shiny mac as an 8 year old, not really my thing, and handing it to my younger brother. He took to it instantly, wearing it only by the hood and charging around pretending to be a caped super hero; such is the power of clothing when combined with imagination and inspiration. Styling your hair, finding your voice and practicing your signature are often a start of any young persons voyage to the ego, but I think clothing is by far the most important facet. 

Growing up in the 70’s there seemed to be a larger choice of role models to follow in terms of style. The internet had yet to homogenise looks globally and it seemed that creating a niche look with your peer group was the thing to do. 

The most interesting aspect of experimenting with clothing was how you are perceived by others. Social interactions happen on so many levels but first impressions based on looks are always the most immediate; we all form opinions in split seconds whether they are right or not.

For many this is where the fun starts, and you can so easily create entirely different versions of yourself depending on what you wish to achieve.

However, creating your clothed persona is harder than you think and so many people try to avoid the subject by hiding in a bland obscurity. This in itself can be fascinating to study and I find it amusing to see photos or interviews of people in the 1970’s having to don floral kipper ties and mustard flares in order to blend in with the masses.

Society has created rules and dress codes to help or hinder personal aspirations depending how you see them. Over the years the English have probably established the most complex set of dress rules globally, but in my view this allows the English to be the most creative dressers, without rules there are no rule breakers.

At the moment we are enjoying watching period dramas and clothing is usually the first thing people discuss; after all the action involving boys and girls chasing each other has not really changed over the centuries. It comes as no surprise then that Regency-Core is one of the latest style trends. There is simply nothing as fun as experimenting with your style.

We created Dashing Tweeds for the enjoyment of the fluent dresser. Once a man or woman has learnt the fundamentals, the primary scales of dressing, then they often want to sing their own song rather than hum the tune of others. We know and love all the standards, to extend the musical analogy and they all have a time and place but it is fun to broaden creativity and experiment with new ideas. If you have the ideas then we can help orchestrate them, adding colour and timbre to your melody.

We design new fabrics and tailor small collections twice a year to inspire you. Now is a perfect time to ask yourself if your clothing fulfils it’s emotive purpose, are you using your clothes to extend a visual portrayal of who you are or who you want to be? Are you ready to show yourself when we are again allowed out into society? Indeed, are you treating yourself with respect or wearing undeservingly poor clothing because you think no one really cares?

These are all huge questions and now is the perfect time to consider them. We are surrounded by flux and uncertainty there’s no better time to adjust. Role models and personal identity can continue to develop and there is nothing so liberating and exciting as deciding who you really are and how to cloth yourself next.

To see our full collection of made to measure visit our Tailoring page: https://www.dashingtweeds.co.uk/made-to-measure/

Or to find out more, drop us an email at info@DashingTweeds.co.uk