As a fashion stylist I am often asked “Where did you get your style?” Does that mean “My personal style?” which is a mix of classic menswear elements with a touch of youthful informality and a love of color, or am I being asked “Who taught you style?” Well ladies I can definitely say “I got it from my mama!” And my grandmother.
Growing up fashion was as important as education and laughter in my home. My grandmother, the grand doyenne, believed in being properly put together at all times. She loved wigs, wore gloves, matched her shoes and purses and was unafraid of fur! I still vividly remember a Christmas morning when my grandmother opened a gift from my grandpa (picked out by my mom). It was a gorgeous camel cashmere cape with a mink collar from Nieman Marcus. My grandmother screamed! She ran to her bedroom, put on her most glamorous wig, donned the cape and laughingly began to spin around. I’d never seen her so happy!
It was that moment for the first time I saw the power of fashion.
My mother had style. She was a chameleon who changed looks like she changed her mind. And she was obsessed with her hair! One week it was a gorgeous chin length bob with very exact bangs worn with Asian inspired combs that added drama. The next week she was teaching me how to bedazzle her flare legged jeans because now she was sporting a honey blond Afro and her new look was all about hippie chic. My mom oozed style and trendiness and we kids (as well as the neighbors) never knew what was next!
What I learned from the 2 amazing women who made me into the man I am today is that style is about personal choice. I learned dressing up each day is a celebration that should make you feel good. I also learned that clothes have power. There are days when I get dressed and I put on a particularly stylish suit and I think “Mama would love this!” or I slip into a fun shoe and am reminded of a pair of flats my mom owned and it makes me smile as I think “Style is inherited.”
Ladies embrace your style and proudly show it to the world! Because you never know who is watching! Midnight Velvet makes it easy with their Midnight Velvet Style® collection. In this video I shot with them, I talk about this these fashions as chic classics with a twist. For Midnight Velvet I’m Marcellas Reynolds, your personal stylist.
